For the most part, Cudi supplies only two verses to each song, feeling no pressure to create a third verse that may not even fit with the song’s theme. He’s even gone on record say he enjoys writing hooks better, as it appears evident throughout the album.
Just like his debut LP, The Legend of Mr. Rager is split into five acts: The World I Am Ruling, A Stronger Trip, Party On, The Transformation, and You Live & You Learn. The record features in Mary J Blige, Cee-Lo Green, and Kanye West as well as other rappers and performers.
The album’s opening song “Scott Mescudi vs. the World” features Cee-Lo Green’s smooth vocals on the hook to accompany Cudi as he raps his welcome. “What up? How is everyone doing?/you are now in the world I am ruling/take a minute to adjust for the wondrous/clusterf--k of fun and enchantment.”
Cudi then contrasts the happiness in his world to the grim side. “Lost in the wind, I’ve lost all my friends/maybe they were never meant to be acquainted/money seems to make everything tainted/everybody mad cause they stuck/one less/took what I wanted and I did it all blunted/oh oh.” It’s a true yin and yang feeling.
“Revofev” (Revolution of Evolution) is a guitar backed chant with a capturing howl for a hook, comprised of oh’s and woah’s. It’s his invitation for you to stand alongside him. “Let go, life does get tough/no need to stress/hold you back too much/let's go, I heard they found the solution/where will you be for the revolution?”
Of course the Day ‘n Nite rapper has a song entitled “Marijuana” dedicated to his favorite herb. The piano and percussion ridden beat is highly entrancing. You can hear his passion for the plant in his course that takes up the majority of the song: “Pretty green bud/all in my blunt/oohh I need it/we can take off now/oohh Marijuana, yeah/I know you wanna… smoke.” The song only has one verse, as Cudi would rather vibe out using repetition. He ends the song repeating as it begins to fade out, “Marijuana had my back” and “Never left me lonely.” He also makes sure the song is exactly four minutes and twenty seconds long.
The first single from the album, “Erase Me,” discusses the after effects of a breakup. No matter how much the two parties my want to forget about each other, sightings and memories prevents this from happening. This song features Cudi as a singer on a rock-ballad style song. “It's like I'm her new nightmare/she ain't escaping/it makes me feel a bit complete/yeah/knowing someone you love/don't feel the same way about ya/memories, they soon delete/hmmm.” Kanye West supplies the song’s last verse, explaining his experience with a girl named Aria that disturbed him to his creative process. His verse incorporates clever word play, as well.
Sampling St. Vincent’s “The Strangers,” Cudi attacks “Maniac” with an intense focus on his dark side. The beat makes you want to bop your head as you join in with the chant of “I am a maniac!” Cudi ends his verse on the song with, “I love the darkness yeah/I’d like to marry it/it is my cloak, it is my shield, it is my cape/I love the dark, maybe we can make it darker/give me a marker.”
Cudi also allows rapper Cage to supply the second verse to the song with an equally chilling vibe. “I am the maniac, I am the fool/I found a monster in me when I lost my cool/it lives inside of me eating what’s in its web/put black spray paint on my windows during the day/wanna spend time with it, I think I’m losing it/or I found it and I’m using it.”
“Mr. Rager” is easily the anthem to the entire album, appealing to a generation of people constantly finding their place in the world. He approaches us in a sort of sing-talk kind of voice. “Birds seen flying around/you never see them/too long on the ground/you wanna be one of them.. (Yeah)/you wanna be one of them.. (Yeah).” The most captivating section of the song is without the chorus. It is here you hear all of Kid Cudi’s emotion. “HEY! Mr. Rager! Mr. Rager!/Tell me where you're going!/Tell us where you're headed!/I'm off on an adventure/Mr. Rager!/Tell me some of your stories/Tell us of your travels.”
“All Along” is sung to the effect of “This is what I’ve learned from my travels.” The hook sums up his sense of loneliness. “I know all along, all along/I know I'm meant to be alone/it’s crazy but all along, all along/I knew I was meant to be alone/out there on my own, yeah.” His verses explain why. “When the weeks change/the rumors change too/I'm addicted to highs/would you like to know why?/when the months change/so do my love point of views/I don't want what I need/what I need hates me/what I need hates me.” Anyone can relate to this.
“Trapped in My Mind” closes out the album, with a confused Cudi, unsure of where to go but seemingly fine with it. “You see the sun seems to shine/when I am not looking/oh he's seen the trick every time./Things do get out of hand/once in a while inside my mental/hey, I'm taking a hell of a ride./When my ego is soaring and/no, I am not lucky/hey, I like to pat my own back./Now it's a gift and a curse since my birth/I'm in a prison/oh, I'm happy right where I'm at.” He finds it as a comfort as he elaborates in the hook. “You see I'm trapped in my mind/and I know it's crazy/hey, it's not that bad at all/when you think of the world/I know it's crazy/hey, I'm not that bad at all.” Overall, no matter how out of wack everything might seem, it’s manageable.
Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager is raw emotion. The G.O.O.D Music artist has put out a record that is arguably better than his first and certain to interest any lover of hip-hop and true feelings.
No comments:
Post a Comment