Similar to Lil Wayne in that, for whatever reason, he's gained the support and approval of the indie scene, KiD CuDi was perhaps 2009's biggest breakthrough hip hop artist, save (arguably) Drake. Although many became familiar with Mr. Mescudi with the stoner anthem "Day 'N' Nite," the Cleveland native has been grindin' long before he freed our minds at night. Even as far back as his demo, he's been proffering his laid-back, everyday struggle raps with their signature lunar flair. Also potentially in the footsteps of the ever-prolific Weezy F, CuDi is already at work on the sophomore follow-up to Man on the Moon, which will be entitled Cudder: The Revolution of Evolution. According to an interview with MTV, this album is "gonna' be the complete opposite of what Man on the Moon was. Man on the Moon was so serious. This one is gonna be more playful and fun. It's about having a good time." If we're about to get a full-length of "Up, Up, and Aways," then the hip hop game better buckle up. Now that you know where KiD CuDi's going, let's see where he's been with today's SOTD...
KiD CuDi: The Demo Tape [full mixtape]
Do It Alone [re-up]
I Hear Them Calling [re-up]
Follow Me [re-up]
UPDATE on 2.4.10 @ 11:08 AM EST: New links uploaded, since our bandwidth was pillaged once again...
12 comments:
I gotta disagree with you on this. Kid Cudi is, in my opinion, killing the "hip hop game." I don't really know how to account for his success; he's lauded by both by hipsters and people who don't know two shits about good hip-hop or good music in general. There's been a recent trend of "hip", "innovative" MC's who have been able to claim that they bring hip-hop's vital signs. And people are buying it. Cudi's been able to mask his complete lack of talent by rocking a pair of skinny jeans and reaching out to stoners everywhere who couldn't appreciate a Ratatat beat unless Cudi dumbed it down for them. He's got a good voice. He flows over spacey synths so smoothly that you don't even need to listen to what he's actually saying. Day 'N' Nite is a good song. The Crookers remix is sick. It's a catchy indie dance track, and most of the song's merit is because he repeats the same few lines for the entire song. But to call Cudi a good rapper (one of the best?!) is absurd. Cudi's rhymes make Gucci Mane look like Jay-Z. His metaphors are incredibly elementary and oftentimes meaningless. "Gray clouds up above, man/ Metaphor to my life, man." Every line Cudi drops sounds deep, emotional, trippy (call it what you like), and his flow is such that listeners get easily absorbed in his stoner world, which is, in reality, so mindless that they can't perceive it correctly. Accordingly, they become oblivious to his aimless rambling, and forget to ask themselves, "What the fuck did he just say?"
I agreed with you to some extent, but very little of what you just said was mentioned in the post.
Muzjiks is a very open forum, never be afraid to air your music grievances here. I have plenty of my own.
^ Valid. So valid.
But Cudi still is raw as hell. Coming though from a ginger girl from the suburbs of Chicago, currently listening to Neil Simon. If that doesn't prove ^ dude guy's diatribe, what does?
Cudi raw as hell? He is not really even a rapper. Raw as hell falls under Immortal Technique, or if you mean raw as in real then it falls under slug from atmosphere. Just examples.
nah anon1's comment is legit...ive always had these kinda thoughts in the back of my mind..like the music and flows tight..but lyrics? its kinda unimpressive.
he had some interesting rhymes in his mixtapes pre-album but it got really dumbed down and simplified.
sucks. let's hope same doesnt happen to BOB
I think cudis strength lies in his production and pop melodies. The overall 'feel' of man on the moon was great- really fully realised, evoking that 1950s b-movie feel throughout. But the best songs were those with a strong sense of melody like 'up, up away', 'easy as abc' etc. Songs that relies on his 'rapping' were quite poor as hes not a good flow or lyrics particularly. Its not hard to see why hes popular but you cant consider him a good 'rapper' so much
I feel that its an insult to call Cudi a "rapper"...it so doesnt justify what he does on the mic. I thought music was about good vibes, or evoking a particular emotion not asking myself "What the fuck did he just say?"... I understand "Gray clouds up above, man/ Metaphor to my life, man."....I rather be entertained rather than preached to about politics, how much dope i sold, how many records a sold, etc. like we hear so often in "real" hip hop
do you guys like french fries?
WOW. People need to relax. If you don't believe the hype, you have not been paying attention since Cudi first surfaced. And while Cudi hasn't revolutionized anything, the image and package he brings to the table is definitely in tune with the crossover tastes of the world right now. It's like Drake said, hipsters have to learn to get along with the hood fans. I've never seen such a different array of people take to a rapper like they take to Cudi. Regardless of how you feel about him, you are being too subjective if you treat him as a hack. The boy knows what he's doing, and his success is a measure of that. And if you compliment his voice but still find reason to criticize him, listen to Guru when he says, "It's all in the voice."
Just enjoy the music, or dont...
who cares?
"I [would] rather be entertained rather than preached to about politics, how much dope i sold, how many records a sold, etc. like we hear so often in "real" hip hop"
That's a fantastic point, sir.
Also, if you don't think the lyrics in the second verse of soundtrack 2 my life are fantastic, you're an idiot. The first time I heard this song, I felt like someone wrote a song about my life.
I'm super paranoid like a sixth sense,
since my father died I ain’t been right since,
and I tried to piece the puzzle of the universe,
split an eighth of shrooms just so I can see the universe,
I try to think about myself as a sacrifice,
just to show the kids they ain’t the only ones up tonite,
the moon will illuminate my room and soon i’m consumed by my doom,
Once upon a time nobody gave a f-ck,
it’s all said and done and my cocks been sucked,
so now im in the cut, alcohol in the womb,
my hearts an open sword and hope it heals soon,
I live in a cocoon opposite of Cancun,
where it is never sunny the dark side of the moon
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