Mike Nussbaum ’11
Web Managing Editor

Kid Cudi’s sophomore album “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager” is a head-turner, although it may not seem so at first.

Cudi’s lyrics mixed with his unique beats make for an enjoyable experience that is so revolutionary and so different from his last album.

But before diving into what makes this album successful and different, it’s interesting to compare the hit single “Erase Me” with the rest of the album.

“Erase Me” is a typical radio-hit song.

It is catchy, with an easy-to-follow chorus— the kind of song that will eventually be butchered by disc-jockeys all over.

Holistically, it really isn’t the best song on the album— as a matter of fact, it isn’t even close.

If you are trying to get the overall picture of the album, and get a real feel for it, don’t just listen to “Erase Me.” It is the outlier on the album.

The majority of the album features Cudi “spittin’ fire,” which is not as prominent in “Erase Me.”

What I mean by “spittin’ fire” is that the song features a fast paced beat with many words that add density to the song.

Cudi uses this style all throughout the album.

He is a talented rapper because he can do so while maintaining emotion.

Cudi is one of the best rappers out there because he can spit fire in a way that not too many rappers can.

There is no better example of Cudi applying this technique than in “Ashin Kusher.”

In this song, Cudi seamlessly connects words in a natural way. He also enhances the song by utilizing his vocal inflection to make the song the kind that you always want to give your undivided attention to.

Besides straight up fire, Kid Cudi has a few songs that will resonate, but won’t be ones that DJs can butcher.

“REVOFEV” has a simple catchy message that is repeated throughout the song. The song first premiered on a VEVOGoShow at the Bape Store in New York City.

“REVOFEV” is genius because of its simplicity and head-turning beat. I am pretty confident any singer could cover that beat and it would still sound cool.

Another song that resonates is “All Along.” This song shows neither Cudi rapping nor is it simply a catchy song, but rather a song that shows Cudi’s versatility.

The chorus for the song goes, “All along, all along, I guess I’m meant to be alone.”

When said aloud, “along” and “alone” sound pretty similar, but mean completely different things.

These are small things that might not catch a listener the first time they listen to the song, but add style and depth to it.

Depth in a song is one of the most important factors in choosing a favorite song.

My favorite song in Cudi’s new album is, without a doubt, “Scott Mescudi vs. The World (feat. Cee-Lo Green),” because Cudi works best with someone else. The contrast between Cee-Lo Green and Cudi creates a balanced song that has all the elements of an instant classic.

According to Cudi himself, his first two albums are completely different from this one. He intended for his first album to show his “dreams and nightmares,” while his new album is meant to show his “reality.”

What that means is up to interpretation, but what Kid Cudi does differently in this album, stylistically, is his beats.

On his previous album, he used beats that were intended to be catchy— and you can’t blame him for wanting to get into the mind of his audience— while this album uses his beats to showcase and highlight Cudi’s rapping ability.

Kid Cudi’s new album is going to turn heads because every second, I find new aspects and new beats that make the album more enjoyable.

It’s going to take some getting used to because it has such a unique sound compared to Cudi’s first album, but if you‘re looking to satisfy your eardrums for a while, sit back and relish in Cudi’s fire.