“Enter Galactic” – Review Of KiD CuDi’s Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
ALBUM REVIEWS By TSSCrew on September 17, 2009 at 3:27 pm
As we showed you before on Joe Budden’s Padded Room review, we aren’t just throwing Cigs at a dart board when we come up with these ratings. Our gang of scribes has divergent views on what makes good Hip-Hop and the love him /hate him nature of KiD CuDi gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase the method behind the madness. Below is the TSS Review Crew’s discussion of the Cudder’s debut, Man On The Moon: The End Of Day. Let’s just say this one took a while…
K1NG: I walked into this album not expecting much from Cudi lyrically, and for the most part I was right. That being said, he has a good ear for beats that match his style. They are all dark, moody and extravagant.
S. Cadet: I wasn’t expecting much from Man On The Moon either. I guess that explains why I was so surprised by the appeal. It’s NOT a rap album. Instead it’s an ambitious romp filled with vocals, synthesizers and well crafted orchestrated pieces. The beats compliment Cudder’s peculiar voice; the songs are catchy and none of it feels forced. Now before I get ahead of myself I can’t front like this album is perfect. Some parts just sound awkward. For example “Enter Galactic” took a nosedive when CuDi rhymes: “I want to kiss you on the space below your navel at/The place that you keep neat…so moist, like….towelette...”
J. Tinsley: After listening to this quite a few times, I’ve got mixed feelings. You can’t listen to it if you’re in a good mood or else your day’ll be fucked (Laughs.) Musically speaking, he has an ear for beats which is never a problem. However, his flow is ass. I understand it’s “alternative rap” but if you’re gonna call yourself a rapper, then, well, you gotta rap. Not that moaning and groaning shit and attempts at harmonizing. I appreciate the experiments, but they failed quite often.
MZ: Don’t go in looking at this as a rap album…because he’s mediocre at best. But if he sticks to this and evolves as an artist he could do something as good as 808s. Hell — he was a big part of that anyway.
TC: If Vincent Price’s performance on “Thriller” is considered a rap, then CuDi is undoubtedly a rapper. On that note, his style is definitely an acquired taste. But those unfamiliar can get acquainted easily on the “Take A Trip” portion of the LP, with “Day N’ Nite” & “Sky Might Fall” being formulated for mainstream ears, with hopes to digest the more ambitious areas of the album.
Jesse H: CuDi can be an interesting figure, that much is indisputable. But whether he can achieve greater artistic versatility and improve his lyrical technicality as his career progresses is uncertain after this project. It sounds good right now, great at some parts even, but, I guess I just don’t picture myself (or perhaps I just don’t want to) telling my grandkids about Hip-Hop and talking about Cudi, or “emo” rap in general for that matter. Maybe that makes me somewhat biased, but seriously, how long can this awkward bridging of the indie-rock scene and Hip-Hop last? Will this still be considered fresh a decade from now? 5 years even?
MZ: KiD CuDi is an artist that can rap. I remember Estelle saying that the track dictates whether she’s going to begin to sing or rap. I believe that CuDi does this as well, except he has no regard for song structure at times. He has no problem from switching from singing to chanting to rapping at the turn of a dime. I really don’t have a problem with it because it sounds organic. For that reason I think this will sound as good in 5 years because this isn’t some label packaged affair where someone was over his shoulder telling him what to do.
S. Cadet: At that point it doesn’t matter if it’s not a rap album. Some of his bars just don’t flow right regardless of the genre. Those off-beat instances are the low points of the album but they don’t come up frequently.
J. Tinsley: It is “emo music” I guess you could say, but he is able to carry a tune and make a quality record. “Solo Dolo” goes hard. He could very well make an 808s & Heartbreak-type album given progression. I’m still not a “fan” but I can say the album was pretty enjoyable.
Beware: The production is comprehensive and cohesive, despite the diversity in each of the themed “Acts,” and CuDi’s melodic flows fit tighter than his pants. For everyone who claims the album’s too emo, etc…did you even listen to it? Yeah, dude might be talking about problems he had, but listen further. The end result in each depressed line reveals fruition. If he was about to break out the razorblades, would he really have a “Heart Of A Lion” or the confidence to claim his “Pursuit of Happiness??!” He clearly says “Everything that shines ain’t always gonna’ be golden /I’ll be fine once I get it…I’ll be goood!!!” It’s that kind of realistic optimism that actually uplifts me when I listen. For real.
Jesse H: “My World” reminds me oddly of a Hip-Hop version of Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy.” I think at the end of the day, it’s 4 Cigs if you listen to it with open ears. But if you listen to it with the heart of a purist (which, let’s be honest, is a legitimate concern for every record found in the “Hip-Hop” section of a record shop,) it’s probably a 3.5 at best. The beats are sick though.
Beware: On top of all that, fuck indie-rock for a hot one, and tell me when you heard a rapper drop an album this innovative? Never. After the musical tidal wave Man On The Moon weaves listeners through, “Up Up & Away” is a fitting send off. This hot air balloon of guitars and circling whistles leaves Cudi writing off any ill thought he might’ve had throughout the course of the album, denouncing anyone that stands in his way by riding out catchy quips like, “Who gives a fuck if an aggin don’t like your steez/tell ‘em buzz off your n-u-t’s…” Cheesy? So what? This is the type of genuine nonchalance and diversity that results in longevity.
TC: The paradox of being a 2K9 rapper is you can make a career for yourself without having to abide to any typical guidelines. Meaning, CuDi is doing him on the entire album but his off-key rambling pale in comparison to any artist with a true voice or an MC who actually goes in and spits. Like on “My World” he’s mumbling “I was heavy, heavy, heavy on my grizzle/And none of y’all had a clue about me…” Repeat. Rinse. Cycle. But it still manages to stick with you. And he did at least come crafty with the lyrics like he did on “Solo Dolo.”
Jesse H: You know what? I’m reminiscing how much I wanted to die when Jay-Z shouted out the band Grizzly Bear and admitted to currently being more into the indie-rock scene than the Hip-Hop scene (yes, really). Maybe some cute American Apparel type chick will read this and comment on how much she “totally loves MGMT and RATATAT too,” then I’ll take her to Williamsburg and then I’ll shoot myself.
Everybody: (Laughs!!!)
K1NG: I’d honestly put this on par with The Blueprint 3 and possibly rank it slightly higher. Not sure if that’s a compliment to CuDi or a knock on Jay, but that’s where i stand. He is just a mediocre artist with an above average crew of producers and a knack for writing catchy hooks.. Nothing more, nothing less.
TC: I think this trumps The Blueprint 3 mainly for the fact there’s more to gain by revisiting Man On The Moon. I mean we had to give this multiple listens because it’s layered in a new style. Jay didn’t give us anything that he already didn’t cover on “30 Something.” CuDi may benefit from being a new artist but it is what it is.
J. Tinsley: All the comparisons to The Blueprint 3 are irrelevant in my opinion. It’s not the golden standard to what all albums should be compared to this year…seing as how we all agree it wasn’t the best album of the year or his career for that matter.
Jesse H: I wouldn’t object either rating, but I do worry that ranking this high will come across as just ooh-ing and aah-ing. This is like that celebrity that all of your friends find insanely attractive, and although you can see why people may find them attractive, you personally can find a handful of faults with them — so they end up coming across as “definitely pretty,” but kind of overrated.
TC: *coughsanaalatham*
S. Cadet: Let’s get back to the good stuff. The record does a good job of showcasing CuDi’s ability to switch speeds. His styles change enough to keep things fresh and they’re good enough. He goes from quasi-rap on Soundtrack to My Life,” to a slower paced song man on “My World,” then transforms into an all-out rapper on “Hyyer” (although Chip The Ripper’s contribution bested CuDi’s on that one.) It may sound bi-polar at first but it works.
K1NG: The only thing that keeps me from being an all out supporter of this album is the fact that “Day N Nite” is probably the best song on the album. It’s the only one that he seems to be human on. On the rest of the album he seems to be trying to create a persona that sounds manufactured. In my mind this sits right at 3.5 Cigs.
TC: Yeah, but you can’t overlook the strengths of the album or sweep them under the rug that easily. “Day N’ Nite” as well as “Sky Might Fall” are classics that will keep him on a stage for the rest of his life. Hell, tracks 2-8 make the album worth buying off jump. Throw in “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Make Her Say,” combine that with random personal faves and you got yourself a nice well-rounded album with some very key highlights.
Patrick M: “Heart of A Lion” is a signature song for me in that I find myself getting angry at the lyrics while singing along at the same time. It’s hipster crack, that I will admit. And the more listened, the more the music keeps growing on me. But what’s keeping it from a 4 for me is the lyrics. He really needs to tighten up his lyrical game. Take some voice lessons or work on your flow. It’s never a good sign when you feel someone needs Auto-Tune.
MZ: But regardless of what he does, he has the ability to pull you into his world and that’s what good music does. Production is top notch throughout and really is a big help to his master plan. When you can accomplish such a feat, lyrics don’t have to make as much sense. And as great as “Make Her Say” & “Day & Nite” are, “Heart Of A Lion” & “My World” are my personal favorites. Like I said: Hov knew what was coming. Between this Wale, Lupe & Kanye…
Beware: I’m personally sick of the rap circus. I think they try too hard and are always trying to prove something to someone else. So, when I hear a CD I can simply enjoy musically like Man On The Moon, instead of trying to decipher every line and without some fucking fake ass gimmick….it’s welcomed with open arms. Simplicity is Cudi’s selling point, not his downfall!
MZ: It’s a 4 for me, I came in this one expecting absolutely nothing. Like I had a CuDi bias and was expecting 3 Cigs or worse. Instead I was met with a sprawling trip into his psyche. To me it slows down tempo wise a lot after “Make Her Say.” Songs like “Pursuit Of Happiness” kind of drag because of the rapid fire intensity that the album started out with. But the music is still engaging.
Patrick M: I totally understand the argument and agree it’s probably the fair rating.
S. Cadet: Man On The Moon: The End of Day has it’s rough spots but it’s an enjoyable listen. The LP resembles the sound Kanye chased on 808’s but KiD CuDi makes it easier to accept and digest.
Previously Posted — KiD CuDi – “Day N Nite” Video | KiD CuDi Feat. Kanye West & Common – “Make Her Say” Video | Notable Quotable – KiD CuDi’s “Solo Dolo (Nightmare)”
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, GENERAL — Tags: Common, G.O.O.D. Music, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
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67 Comments
“If I cared about the blogs then I’d probly be a jackass”
This ain’t rap.
The entire album sounds like a freesyle. An emo freestyle at that.
I dig the album but you can’t rate this the same way you rate an album where an artist had to actually sit down and pen something clever.
Cudi is all melody.
4 cigs!?!
I been around town ALL day and can not find a copy of Lil Boosie!(I know I shoulda went on Tuesday but the game don’t wait). I heard somebody on Satellite radio talking about projected sells Jay did 425k, They expecting Cudi to do 100k, Boosie to do 50k…I think they underestimating Boosie. But with this rating maybe I slept on Cudi, I wasn’t even gonna listen to this album because dude act like Kanye with less talent BUT I will go forth and downloadth it!
Cudi is all melody.
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You hit the nail right on the head Amp… this joint is IMO too sad of an album to receive 4 cigs.
I can even throw in that KiD CuDi is only as good as the artist whose song he’s featured on. This album is “dark” than a muhfucka when you describe its sound. We know a TON of artists whose lives I’m sure are a lot worst than CuDi’s and they don’t sound half as sad as homey.
CuDi cheer up! On the next album there should be a few more “Make Her Say”’s and “Hyyer”’s and then you’ll get 4 cigs from me. Keep on sanging that shit though! lol
No, this album is not Kid A or The Bends or in actual fact Tommy or The Darkside of The Moon.
CuDi is doing him on the entire album but his off-key rambling pale in comparison to any artist with a true voice or an MC who actually goes in and spits.
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Enhhh…. he has his moments I guess. He kinda reminds me of when CNN dropped War Report… I was like “This off beat aggin is aiight!” I loved the track CuDi put together a while back on that 88 Keys mixtape Adam’s Case Files. That joint was funky.
i agree w/this…”Man On The Moon: The End of Day has it’s rough spots but it’s an enjoyable listen. The LP sounds like the sound Kanye chased on 808’s but KiD CuDi makes it easier to accept and digest.”
its not rap…its along the lines of 808s n…
for me its somewhere btwn a 3.5 + 4
i like about 10 of the 16 or so tracks on this LP…
@Thugnificence: He is Kanye with less talent. Far less talent.
I love you guys, but I don’t get this rating at all. Cudi is a clown. He’s taking that hipster aesthetic, and trying to make amateurishness seem cool. Don’t confuse amateurishness with simplicity. Cudi’s work is that of an amateur.
^ See… I was only able to really get down with 7-8 tracks on this album. I’m still trying though.
i agree w/this…”Man On The Moon: The End of Day has it’s rough spots but it’s an enjoyable listen. The LP sounds like the sound Kanye chased on 808’s but KiD CuDi makes it easier to accept and digest.”
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I think that the only reason why a lot of people accept this album was because of Kanye’s 808’s …. Yeezy se the stage for CuDi to be accepted.
I swear some people just love different shit just to love different shit and be different. If that makes sense. This CD was boring, period.
I think K1NG summed it up nicely…
The only thing that keeps me from being an all out supporter of this album is the fact that “Day N Nite” is probably the best song on the album. It’s the only one that he seems to be human on. On the rest of the album he seems to be trying to create a persona that sounds manufactured. In my mind this sits right at 3.5 Cigs.
Yeah it’s definitely between 3.5 and a 4 for me. The lyrics get in the way of a 4 rating IMO.
I liked the production for the most part. Dude really got the star treatment for a debut record.
@Larry, well the people are entitled to like what they like, but I do concur with your point of view to a certain degree.
I mean let us not over romanticise the whole facade here and lionise this album like it’s seminal on some Low End Theory type jape.
In 4 years time, releases such as these will probably be labelled oh that sounds so 2007-09, like those old Capital Tax, Rough House Survivors, Hoodratz, Sat n Smooth albums from the mid 90s.
The Kid Cudi is a talented ole chap, but brethren needs to make them brain cells connect like Credle and rasp up a dish that is more soulful and coherent.
I would give the album 6 out of 10.
Above average, but not Egyptian Cotton by anyone’s standards.
I never took Cudi seriously before. I had low expectations for the album. I copped it Tuesday and have listened to it three times since. I’ll just say my opinion of him has changed a lot.
I really enjoy this album. I just like how it’s a whole new sound and goes “outside the box” as far as being a rapper. I agree w/this rating 100 percent. It definitely deserves 4 cigs.
I see people talking about how he complains a lot or has a dark overtone in this album. Have none of you listened to “Me Against The World”? “Ready to Die?”. I applaud his efforts with this album, and I feel he will only get better over time.
Really well produced, but I actually like some of the joints from his mixtapes alot better then the songs he chose for his album.
And how many theme’s does one man really need?
4.5
^^^ You’re bugging.
I’d stick to the 4 and leave it at that.
It sounds like he wrote this album in one sitting.
^ Sheeeeeiiiittt. 3.5 at best.
i’m still struggling to get through the album without wanting to go off myself. but i was like that with 808’s and in time learned to like it.
…just so you know, albums that i have to “learn to love” don’t bode well with me in terms of MY rankings…but i will get them credit.
that being said…i still need to listen to this unhappy ass album a few more times. ugh.
4 mics, huh? And this is coming from someone who enjoyed the album. It’s not a 4 mic album. Everything for the most part sounded natural, but as someone said, “Day & Nite” is the best song…and it’s old. 3.5, ya’ll. On a good note, please continue to give us this type of insight regarding album reviews like this.
i guess I missed this e-mail lol.
after smoking down to this album about five times now i think im finally starting to get it…
i wish this album was a little more cohesive like my dude said earlier it sounds like a long ass emo freestyle…im gonna try and be a little more objective about albums after the stink i caused over the drake review…i dont wanna come off as a hater i just hate how all the real shit seems to be dying off.
anyways this album has flashes of brilliance and alot of them but its just not focused enough for the casual listener to get into IMO this is some shit you need to hear multiple times in multiple settings to understand what dudes doing.
“Jesse H: I wouldn’t object either rating, but I do worry that ranking this high will come across as just ooh-ing and aah-ing. This is like that celebrity that all of your friends find insanely attractive, and although you can see why people may find them attractive, you personally can find a handful of faults with them — so they end up coming across as “definitely pretty,” but kind of overrated.”
I wish those talking got into his comment more, cus he is right.
4 Mics. I definitely don’t fuck with this off the strength of 808s. I still hate that shit. In my view, Cudi is not a rapper. He’s a pop artist that has a great ear for beats and ridiculously LARGE hooks (get Puff on the phone). He also happens to rap on occasion. Sometimes good, sometimes not. On this album he does a great job of doing HIM. There are one or two skippers on it, but 4 cigs sounds about right.
That said, if he made more shit that sounds like “Hyyer”, he’d be a DAMN problem – bars or not.
P.S. Tell me I’m not the only one that sings along to most of this shit. I can’t help it.
I knew this would be a polarizing release haha.
http://www.theblueprint3outtakes.com/
probably not really outtakes but more submitted instrumentals !
good. not bad.
“Hyyerr” shows Bone Thugs influence on Cudi.
Man, his lyrics are keeping this down to a 2.5 – 3 for me; if even that.
I read somewhere that he uses the word ’sad’ upwards of a hundred times on the album. Really? Dude has some of the best artists around singing his praises and he can’t think past the most basic word for his main emotion? If you’re going to talk about why you’re ’sad,’ at least do it inventively. August hit it on the head – “Don’t confuse amateurishness with simplicity. Cudi’s work is that of an amateur.”
808’s had two or three real reasons for sounding as morose as it did. Cudi gets night-terrors? I’m not trying to hate from out of nowhere here, but come on.
“Well, you can’t think of it as a hip-hop album”…. sure, fine; he still puts words together like a high school sophomore.
I am digging that ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ cut, though.
Regardless of anyone’s arguments of lyrics, this in my opinion was a seriously enjoyable album. It’s unique and personal to Cudi, and entertaining for fans, and listeners alike. I totally agree with the 4 cigs rating, props to TSS for a review well done.
Kinda pissed ya left DS out on this. Lol.
“Hyyerr” shows Bone Thugs influence on Cudi.
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i like that song more then any thing on that album and you can tell its like the novelty song form that joint.
i agree about the bone thing, it almost seemed like a tribute he sounded just like krayzie bone on that.
im really trying to see the beauty of this album…ive smoked a few times too it and everytime it grows on me a little more but i cant really say that im convinced at this point, I just wish it were a little more cohesive at times.
lol
3 for me. Maybe 3.5. I mean I enjoyed the album and all, but it was nothing mind-blowing for me. Cudi needs more polish (pause? choose your own adventure) if he wants to pull of his whole creative-non-rapping-ass-emo-rapper/singer persona. Jesse H. pretty much sums up my thoughts on this album. Good, but a little overrated. If I come across an instrumental version of this tho…
Cool review format btw.
5 cigs easily for me. If youre judging this purely as rap, then youre bound to come away disappointed.
I’m mad how yall are comparing this to 808s though. 808s was kinda half-ass, “lets try something i dont usually do” album whereas this is a fully realized, authentic vision
One of the Best Albums of the year
skinny jeanz rap. tight shirt rap. castro hat rap. SB rap. white girl whos mom bought them the cd rap. ed hardy shirt wearin rap. g-shock watch rap. american apparel jeans rap. ray-ban sunglasses rap. non-boom-bap-rap.
I was awaiting this album. I feel it gets the same treatment as his “A Kid Named Cudi” tape. Some jams, some skips, but overall cool. On the real, his tape had more favorites than this.
But then again, it took time so let’s all chill
honerstly..I think Cudi lacks true emotion. Sounds monotonous like a mutha…
its 808’s -lite to me. and that album seemed distant at times…
just cuz its different doesnt mean its innovative. you wanna talk bout innovative,talk bout Portishead-Dummy .. hell even Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
Got damn I don’t know whether to buy the album right now or wait till I’m having a bad day after reading all yall freakin comments.
The way yall talking make me feel like I’m gonna hear the Hip Hop version of Native American chants over some dope ass beats…
this review making me not wanna by the damn thing. word. the comments alone make the 4 cigs seems overrated.
This Cudi album is cool. Not great but cool.
But let’s get something straight, 808s & Heartbreaks by kanye West was an embarrassibly bad album and I’m baffled that ANYONE could think its a masterpiece or even anything above average. This Kid Cudi album sounds to me like the sort of album Kanye West WISHES he could make.
In english embarrassibly = ‘embarrassingly’. Whoops.
The consensus looks like this album has good beats, good hooks and very sub par lyrics. Should we be surprised in this day and age its getting a 4? Hooks and beats, hooks and beats.
@ Adam
My thoughts exactly.
As difficult as it seems for true emecees with a pretty good line of producers to get 3.5 cigz, this review amazes me. Cudi really isn’t a “good” anything. In comparison to the albums that get 4 cigz from TSS, this is a coaster. I like what Cudi represents as an artist that stays true to himself, but he gotta step his rap/sing game up for me to check for him next time. I think hype and association has put Cudi in a real good position, but musically he hasn’t shown me anything exciting or new.
RN Review: 3 cigz
RN= Regular Aggin
Totally agree w the 4 cigs.
“I’m personally sick of the rap circus. I think they try to hard and are always trying to prove something to someone else. So, when I hear a CD I can simply enjoy musically like Man On The Moon, instead of trying to decipher every line and without some fucking fake ass gimmick….it’s welcomed with open arms. Simplicity is Cudi’s selling point, not his downfall!” – Beware
so damn true. He’s shown that he can actually spit.. but i think for this album it was more about taking the listener on a journey. get lost in your own mind type of deal.
Why is everyone saying its depressing music? Like beware said, in the end there is optimism in his songs.
I’m not a huge fan of 808’s but i will admit it is a big reason why i enjoy this album so much. And why not? he was contributor to 808s., not just on the hooks but also co wrote. Maybe he used Kanye to set himself up for success?
“So, when I hear a CD I can simply enjoy musically like Man On The Moon, instead of trying to decipher every line and without some fucking fake ass gimmick….it’s welcomed with open arms.”
Beware nailed it. Double meanings and extra metaphors don’t always make a good rapper. Sure CuDI’s rhyme style is a bit simplistic but his meanings and message makes it work. Scarface, 2Pac and even Pimp C didn’t have complex styles but they had good lyrics due to what they said and the passion they put behind it.
And why shouldn’t we talk about emo rap in hip-hop history? It’s a genre that shows how far the music has expanded. Hip-Hop has grown to be able to go beyond it’s outer shell. It takes a deeper look on the inside than what it usually has done. This type of natural growth and layering could make hip-hop a more powerful tool.
A lot of people act like all hip-hop need is for everything to be mid-90’s New York. But why can’t we have that aspect but add other dimensions to it? One reason hip-hop is so messed up is because we can’t let go of the past and let it grow. Sure we need the elements that made it what it is, but we also need to stop giving it this one particular standard image. If we do that then maybe the record labels will know how to handle (instead of just marketing) all of these different acts.
this review format is fiyah!!!!!
3.
I can’t rate this higher than a 3. While the production is pretty solid, a lot of the songs have the same ‘mood music’ feel, and often outshine Cudi’s vocals.
As far as the 808s comparison, I think this is more authentic than that album. Kanye came off lazy and uninspired on more than a few tracks on that album, and it came off gimmicky as a whole with the autotune overload. ‘Ye had a song called ‘Amazing’ where he sounded like he took a few quaaludes before hitting the record button. Cudi manages to sound like he gives a fuck throughout, despite a few missteps.
(A-Game said) The way yall talking make me feel like I’m gonna hear the Hip Hop version of Native American chants over some dope ass beats…
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Here you go:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhjldjZFpDo
“Man, his lyrics are keeping this down to a 2.5 – 3 for me; if even that.”
Yep.
Ireallylike this album I thinkfour is fair rateing there are some parts where lyriclly Cudi is just lazy (i.e. Lzight) but other then that it’s a near perfect album. Odlly one of the albums I find my self to compareing it to is Dirt by Alice In Chains becuse of the overall darkness parnoia and dispare over all this is just a dope album
agreed perfect cig score, i love this album makes a refreshing change and one of those rare albums where u can listen from the first track too the end love it.
i want to like this album. even after a few spins, i can’t say that i like the direction it took. ‘day n nite’ had me prepped to hear a hip hop album full of different emotions instead of typical rap music fodder. i like the idea of his theme and the production is outstanding. it’s cool to see a cat make an album that shows some of the angst that lot of people can relate to. unfortunately, a lot of his lyrics are too juvenile for my taste. some of his content is what i would expect from an early teenager, not a man in his mid 20s. maybe he should have paid more attention in his creative writing classes instead of getting stoned and withdrawing into the recesses of his own mind.
Only one funky hip hop track on there to me, “Make Her Say”. Most of the other tracks are corny and poppy to me.
This album takes a little getting used to because its innovative! After a few listens it brought me back to the Emo-Rapper that Cudder has always been! My World and Pursuit of Happiness are my two favorites so far! Keep it coming Cudi!!
i bought the album. lyrically it’s is pretty horrible. the cd jacket contained the lyrics and they read like the incoherent babblings of a stoned hipster who couldn’t get up to grab a thesaurus. yet the album has it’s moments of greatness. wifey loves it and i catch myself singing the hooks randomly during the day, but the question is whether or not catchy means good. so many 3.5’s were handed out to albums that were on par or better than this one. as someone who has listened to it almost every day since release, i can say that while i respect the review i don’t think this album deserves a 4.
Love the album….AND/BUT IT ISN’T HIP-HOP…at least not mainly
you’ll appreciate the album more if u just listen to it as it simply being MUSIC…
sonically it’s like “The Cool”…very dark looking cover art and, slow and dark music/beats…but has an uplifting message…had to listen to it a couple times b4 making any opinions
This is a sick album. The beats are amazing. But the thing is some people may not like it but its the first album iv heard in a while really expressing himself.
This is a sick album. The beats are amazing. But the thing is some people may not like it but its the first album iv heard in a while really expressing himself.
CuDI style is Muddy!
i really like the album, like MZ said I wasnt expecting shit, I had already heard the 2 albums I was really looking for (bp3 and obcl2 foremost) and this cd blew my mind away… I was just smoking a joint and shit took me to the heavens or something, shit is pretty deep.
I think it deserves the 4 cigs, but also like someone above me said you cant categorize this as a rap album its more rnb oriented
yo kid cudi is definitely influenced by other music that isnt rap but this album isnt dark it just takes u into his emotions he isnt that lyrical he knows how to make good music he really takes u into his world Man on the Moon End of Day is a great album
First off, let me just say TSS always keeps it real,
and Im actually glad, yall took the time to discuss this album, with varied opinions not just going off one song, the singles, the artists image etc first of this is not RAP and most of you need to just listen to it and accept it for what it is, not RAP, its not EMO RAP either, Suicidal Thoughts, thats emo rap, Me Against the world, thats emo rap, *insert some other seemingly depressing Notorious or Pac song here* just because you say your a rapper, associate with rappers or are signed to a record label with rapper does not make u a rapper.
That is the case here.
This is also not 808s & Heartbreak, so stop comparing them, Kanye aimed for one sound with that album, Cudi transcends genres on this album, its not really rap, pop, r&b, alternative, indie but somewhat a combination of both, for me genre of this album = OTHER, i dont know what it is, but it sounds good to me ears.
its different, and it was refreshing to hear someone “rap” about something other than hoes not just the other cliches every rapper makes sure we never forget: bitches, bitches with big bootys, how many cars they own, how many cars they want to own, how much money they have, how much money they want to have, how many drugs theyve sold, how many niggas theyve killed how badass they are, how good of a rapper they are, there was no Jay-Z guest spot, no Lil’ Wayne guest spot, no Drake guest spot and yes this album did come out in 2009.
Semi autobiographical storytelling, with the occassion quotable, they might not have always been verses, but they were hooks, Common’s narration, chrouses etc one of the best albums of 09 no doubt, but it couldve been better, an amazing debut, Ima say it, Cudi Illmatic in a sense.
4/5 cigs.
i have come to the realization that most ppl that give an opinion about music have absolutely no clue or prior knowledge of the topic. for most of the ppl that think the Cudi album is whack you have your opinion but are mistaken. the Cudi album is exactly what hip hop is missing b/c it is 100% true to the artist. ppl think that if a nig aint talkin bout slangin dope or 24’s and diamonds then it aint hip hop, when in all actuality most of the muh fuckas talkin bout thuggin and living a street life never did either. kid cudi aint tryna be nobody or fit in no box, he just makes music that is true to him. if more rappers did that then we wouldnt have quality music year round, which is something the game is lacking
i have come to the realization that most ppl that give an opinion about music have absolutely no clue or prior knowledge of the topic. for most of the ppl that think the Cudi album is whack you have your opinion but are mistaken. the Cudi album is exactly what hip hop is missing b/c it is 100% true to the artist. ppl think that if a nig aint talkin bout slangin dope or 24’s and killin then it aint hip hop, when in all actuality most of the muh fuckas talkin bout killin ppl and living a street life never did either. kid cudi aint tryna be nobody or fit in no box, he just makes music that is true to him. if more rappers did that then we would have quality music year round, which is something the game is lacking
ppl think that if a nig aint talkin bout slangin dope or 24’s and killin then it aint hip hop
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Who are these “people” lol?
I’d have less of a problem with Cudi if the label wasn’t pushing his music as “Hip-Hop”.