Kid Cudi :: Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

After releasing his highly anticipated epically-conceptual debut, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Kid Cudi made quite a name for himself and told the story of his life. Now, after his recent release of his sophomore album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, Cudi is deciding to take a new direction with his music and the latest attempt shows hints of that.

Not quite as pungent as his debut, Mr. Rager lacks that great hip-hop element we heard in The End of Day. It also lacks Common’s poetic voice as narrator and collabos with Ratatat and MGMT. Another thing that can’t be found on this album that the listener will miss is its own versions of the great, upbeat “Enter Galactic (Love Connection, Part 1),” “Make Her Say” and “Up, Up & Away” tracks that we heard in his debut. The closest we come in this latest attempt is “Ashin’ Kusher” and the album’s weak and rock-infused single, “Erase Me” (not even Kanye could save this track).

Though “Erase Me” is incredibly Weezer-esque and is a total turn-off, this may be where we see Cudi headed next, as he’s been quoted as saying that he’s over hip-hop and wants to seriously pursue a career in rock ‘n’ roll.

Like Mailo, I’m not a fan of the excessive drug references because it’s such a big part of his life that it becomes repetitive for the listener (unless you’re really into ‘shrooms, too). Mr. Rager continues those themes with songs like “Marijuana” (which conveniently clocks in at four minutes and 20 seconds), “Don’t Play This Song” (“Wanna know what I sound like when I’m not on drugs/Please, please don’t play this song/Tryna get my mind right/People think they really bein’ helpful/By tellin’ me ‘please be careful’/Yeah right, please don’t play this song”) and “These Worries” featuring Mary J Blige. But even if you are turned off by the references, you’ll find that the musical aspect of the song and Cudi’s flow keep you tuned in.

Mr. Rager, though it’s considerably weaker than his debut, takes time to grow on you but will eventually get there. The End of Day was an up and down roller coaster of songs, emotions and dance moves but Mr. Rager is a very mellow disc and hardly contains thumpy beats, focusing more on darker themes mirroring the last year of his life. He does still rap in the album, but his flow sounds a lot more melodious, giving the album a more sing-songy feel at times. If you’re looking for classic “Day n Nite” Cudi, you’re better off with his debut because with Mr. Rager you’re going to find a much more personal and darker disc.

Other Highlights: “Wild’n Cuz I’m Young” and “Scott Mescudi vs. The World (feat. Cee Lo Green)”

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Here are some more pages on ETS that you might like:

• Album Review – Man on the Moon: The End of Day by Kid Cudi
• Best of 2009
• Album Review – Teflon Don by Rick Ross
• Kanye West Premieres “Runaway” Short
• Album Review – Nothing by N.E.R.D.