KiD CuDi
At Union College
Saturday, April 3
Kid Cudi is not your traditional rapper. In the August/September issue of Complex Magazine, when asked, “Do you consider yourself a weirdo?” he thoughtfully responded with, “ ‘Weird’ itself, even in the dictionary, is just something that is different and unexplainable. A weirdo is someone who follows their heart. I’m definitely weird, ain’t nothing wrong with that.” Kid Cudi truly is an individual through and through. He first exploded onto the scene with his debut mix tape, entitled “A Kid named Cudi”. It blended alternative influences with hip hop to create a sound that truly is his own. So unique, in fact, that it has spurred a lot of creativity and even imitation. As many know, Cudi is credited with being a major inspiration and driving force behind Kanye West’s latest album “808s & heartbreak”. Besides being featured on “Welcome to Heartbreak”, he is also credited with helping to write “Heartless”, “Paranoid”, and “Robocop”—3 of the standout tracks from the album.
The real beauty behind Cudi is that you won’t hear him rapping about expensive cars, lavish homes, or gold chains but what you will hear is something you can actually connect with: real life emotions. In a world overpopulated with Lil Wayne wannabes and T-Payne auto-tune, it truly is a breath of fresh air. So where did Kid Cudi come from?
The man has a modest background. He grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio and attended Shaker Heights High School. His mother was of African-American descent and a middle school choir teacher. Scott’s father, a World War II Veteran of Mexican descent, was like superman to him. So when his father died of cancer it obviously deeply disturbed him. As Cudi put it, “My heart crumbled, I cried, but it wasn’t because I was sad, it was because I was pissed, like, ‘What the fuck?! Why?’”. Cudi was shaped more by his father’s death than perhaps any other event in his life. As a result of the suffering he endured following his father’s death Cudi developed night terrors, something that would become a central theme in his first major studio album. Moreover Cudi stated that after his father’s death was when he started to express himself through words and rhymes, as he explains, “Going through all that heartache and loss made me super-sensitive—not to where I want to cry all the time, but I’ll want to snap. There’s a lot of anger still in me, and it transforms into sadness through song.”
His first hit “Day N Nite (Nightmare)” which received generous radio play over the past year or so, and reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, was actually recorded back in 2006. The story behind “Day N Nite”, like most of Cudi’s life, is a far cry from the energy it brings to any venue or to the dance floors at parties across the country.
It was 2004, and the artist formerly known as Scott Mescudi had just recently left Ohio and moved to New York City to live with his Uncle in NYC, the last remaining blood relative to Scott’s father. Obviously, he was drawn to New York City to pursue his dream of a career in music, but the idea of living with his Uncle also held special value for Scott Mescudi. He brought with him a demo tape and $500; it was all he had. Luckily his Uncle put him up for free while he was getting on his feet. However, after some time passed and Scott had not improved his situation, or found alternate living situations, he and his Uncle got into a fight. When all was said and done, Scott was kicked out of the house and was not on talking terms with his Uncle. Sadly in 2006, Scott’s Uncle passed away.
“I never apologized for it, and that kills me.
That’s why I wrote ‘Day N Nite’.”
The general public never heard that demo tape Cudi brought with him until it was leaked in 2009, but it did catch the ear of Plain Pat and Emile, two producers behind Cudi’s first mix tape, “A Kid Named Cudi”. The demo tape featured samples from Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay”, as well as a plethora of deep, dark, and meaningful lyrics. The opening track to the demo tape, entitled “Do It Alone”, starts off with a spacey synthesizer and Kid Cudi yawning in the background. The synth layers and layers on top of itself, until it finally takes a backseat to the drums at the exact moment when Cudi begins his verse, exposing the inner turmoil and some of the reasons why he left Cleveland and moved to New York City.
Flash forward to 2010.
It is 10 p.m. in Schenectady, New York. A sweaty sea of college students eagerly awaits the self-proclaimed lonely stoner. It has been a long time since Cudi was dead broke, just trying to make a name for himself in New York City. The stage is dark when Cudi makes his approach, dressed in his usual: retro Jordan’s, APC Jeans, and a black BAPE Tee—oh and not to forget the Retro Super Future sunglasses. An outfit whose price tag Cudi could only dream of affording a few years ago. As the familiar beat begins to roar over the speakers, Kid Cudi reminds us with the hook to Jay-Z’s “Already Home” that he is here to stay. The DJ slows things down, and spacey sounds fill the air. Before Cudi starts the first verse of “Soundtrack 2 My Life”, he polls the crowd, “Do you all trust me?” and just like that the music is drowned out by and unwavering “YES!” And Cudi responds, “Good because I trust you too.” Clearly trust is something Kid Cudi values. He has been quoted saying, “I’m working on who I am through my music right now which is why you’ll hear a lot of personal records from me, just open up to me because I’m opening up to y’all.”
Cudi painfully admits, “I got 99 problems, and they all bitches”, while hundreds of others scream the lyrics in unison. Those are interesting words to open up a concert with, let alone his debut album “Man On The Moon: The End Of Day”, but nonetheless they are words the audience connects with. The line is a beautiful spin-off of Jay-Z’s classic, “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one.” By making an ode to such a definitive song, Cudi makes a profound statement and truly sets himself apart from the pack. This is a man who is here to redefine the game. He took everything that specified what rap was, and turned it on its side. Cudi has stepped into interesting territory. Whereas much of rap music is establishing ones own credibility, and establishing one’s self as the best, or the most “real” and in touch with the hard life of the city and the streets, Cudi has gone in an entirely different direction. This is not to say it has not been done before. However Cudi has received more commercial attention for his efforts than most.
His entire album is set up like a theatrical event, complete with different acts and its very own narrator, Common. “Man On The Moon: The End Of Day” is the first installment of a trilogy which aims to tell the story behind Kid Cudi, the man on the moon. Each track represents a different experience, part of his life, or emotions he has experienced and is just one step of a long journey. It truly is a tour through the inner workings of his mind. Furthermore, Cudi keeps a consistent theme and the idea of this “Moon Man”, someone who is different than the rest, a loner, but with a purpose.
Later on in “Soundtrack 2 My Life,” Kid Cudi tells us, “I’m probably this close to going and trying some coke/ and the happy ending would be slitting my throat/ ignorance to cope man, ignorance is bliss/ ignorance is love and I need that shit.” These are obviously words from a man who has seen his fair share of pain. Nonetheless the words are true. Oftentimes, knowledge is a burden. Remembering that Cudi’s innocence was cut short by his father’s death provides further insight to this quote as well. Many of his songs reference drug usage, most commonly marijuana, as an escape from the reality or, as he perceives it, hell that he endures daily.
He raps about the lowest of lows, a childhood without a father and plagued by night terrors, depression, and at times suicide, yet he is not without his uplifting moments.
Songs like “Memories”, a collaboration he did with David Guetta, French house producer and DJ, not only lighten the mood but also turn the concert into a verifiable rave. With a quick paced and hard hitting techno beat, as well as a smooth genuine hook reminding the crowd that “All the crazy shit I did tonight, Those will be the best memories”, it becomes certain that this crowd loves to party and have a good time, just as much as they enjoy listening to Cudi’s deeper songs. Tracks like this one prove Kid Cudi’s versatility as an artist.
By the time, “Up Up and Away” roars over the speakers the entire audience is jumping up and down to the beat, as if they thought that if they jumped high enough they too could fly away. “Up Up and Away” is one of the more uplifting songs off of “Man On The Moon: End Of Day”, and certainly the most carefree, as evidenced by the end of the first verse: “Those happy thoughts/ in my head/I’m feeling like I’m peter pan/ minus the tights and the fairies/ happy to see how far I’ve come/ to the same place/ it began/ my dreams imagination/ perfectly at peace/ so I move along a bit higher.” Though he performed this song in the middle of the set, it actually is the last song on the album and is representative of the progress Kid Cudi has made, in terms of emotions and in terms of finally succeeding in life. Before this song was ever recorded Cudi had already made it, in one sense. Besides being an integral part of “808’s & Heartbreak”, Cudi was also called in to help out with Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3”.
When asked about his debut album, it is refreshing to hear Cudi say, “It wasn't about the money, because I really don't give a fuck about the money. Honestly, I don't even have to do music anymore, I can just live off of 808’s and Heartbreak checks and ‘Day N' Night’ checks and be good.” This quote just further illustrates the fact that Kid Cudi is here to express himself as an artist and as an individual, which is more than can be said about most rappers who seem to only be concerned with raw capital, possessions, females, and drugs. While these are obviously a part of his life, as they are a part of many peoples’ lives, they are not the end goal, rather just a by-product of being successful in the rap industry.
The lonely stoner fittingly decided to follow up “Up Up and Away” with “Cudi Zone” which narrates his view behind his rise to success and again provides more insight to who Scott Mescudi truly is. The hook again is illustrative of Cudi’s loneliness and detachment from society, and is escapist in nature. After triumphantly announcing, “sure bet my daddy proud”, he shows us a moment of weakness and a sad dependence on drugs: “Hide my soul? Naw homie not even/I’ma zone out till I lose feeling remember/I’ma be gone way past November/ even stay up there up there/ floating/ floating hoping/ I can find peace somewhere.”
He may be detached from society but the man still knows how to clue in to pop culture in order to make a hit. “Poke Her Face” featuring Kanye West and Common is the purest rap song on the album, with each rapper having a single verse separated by a chorus. It is one of the few songs on the album to not feature Cudi singing, however it replaces that with something that has a little more impact. For the chrous they sampled an acoustic version of Lady Gaga’s ever-popular “Poker Face”. Cudi and crew drastically change the meaning of the lines they sample, and turn the entire song into a sexual frenzy. Though stylistically it is unusual for Kid Cudi to release a song like this, it makes sense. It is his way of reaching out to the rap community and legitimizing himself in their eyes, and it also serves again to lighten the mood of the concert. Cudi does an excellent job of balancing emotional moments with raw old fashioned fun. Lastly, “Make Her Say” is a crowd pleaser, and sure to get the mood set right for any party. Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Common and Kid Cudi all on one track is an undeniable recipe for success.
As “Make Her Say” fades out so do the lights, and once again silence moves over the masses. Taking a break from his new album, Cudi decides to kick it old school and perform “Man On The Moon (The Anthem)” off of his mix tape. Again Cudi speaks of people not understanding him, or his music. Obviously this song was recorded after his demo tape, and after some time spent in New York City promoting said tape. That little bit of knowledge sheds some light on the talking interlude that can be found approximately a minute and a half into the track, as well as the introduction to the track which asserts that he never cared what other people thought about him; he has always been doing his own thing. The hook is appropriate: “I be that man on the moon/ I’m that man on the moon/And imma do what I do/So do you hey hey.” This track is correctly subtitled “The Anthem”. It really is a declaration of who he is, and an expression of himself. Though it is a somber song, Cudi brings an extra energy to it when performing live. That extra energy evidences how important this song is to him and also serves to keep the crowd fired up and thriving off of his performance.
To continue the mood established by “Man On The Moon (The Anthem)”, “Simple As” was performed next. The beat is addictive, highly repetitive, and similar to beats like Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” and Jay-Z’s “On To The Next One” but it is less in your face, while still delivering the same energy.
With the crowd now at an all time high, Kid Cudi shocks everyone. He shouts, “THANK YOU ALL!” and makes a quick exit stage right. The crowd is not pleased, and plays right into Cudi’s plan. Chants of “ENCORE!” and “CUDI! CUDI! CUDI!” fill the venue. Just when it sounded like the crowd would riot if Cudi did not return, he did.
His reentrance is cool, calm, and collected. Cudi sooths the crowd with an a cappella version of an unreleased song entitled “Groovin”, which will be on Cudi’s new album, the name of which was recently changed to ““Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager”. Everyone listens intently, hanging on his every word. Their patience and intent listening is a testament to Kid Cudi’s talent as an artist and the respect he has earned. Getting several hundred college students to settle down and listen to an a cappella is no easy task.
Without a break he tears into “Pursuit Of Happiness”, the thirteenth track on “Man On The Moon: End of Day” and the third single off of the album. The track features MGMT and Ratatat, both highly respected and highly experimental bands. They give the track an electronic and alternative crossover feel. If the rest of Cudi’s songs are about him, his struggles in the now, and the ghosts of his past, then this song exhibits the maturity he has earned over the course of his journey and finally presents us with some optimism. That is, at least the first verse does.
The second verse again confronts demons that Kid Cudi is facing. He demands, “Tell me what you know about dreams, dreams/ Tell me what you know about night terrors, nothing’.” The verse closes with a few lines that suggest a difference between Cudi and others who are also dealing with inner turmoil, or, perhaps, he is contrasting himself: past and present. The lines read, “You don't really care about the trials of tomorrow/ Rather lay awake in a bed full of sorrow.” These lines suggest that rather than being complacent with misery, Cudi is trying to do something to better his life, and that is what this entire album is about. As Kid Cudi puts it he is, “livin’ [his] life, getting’ out dreams.” Pursuing our dreams, and true happiness is an emotion and a drive that is easily connected with, particularly for a younger crowd who still has their entire life ahead of them.
And just like that the concert is over; the dream is over, and it is back to reality, a reality that is now elucidated by Scott Mescudi’s words and emotions. With a potent haze of smoke in the air like a cloud over the audience, the crowd makes its way to the nearest exits. Despite having a formidable set list, most of the attendees still want more, apparently having an insatiable appetite for good music. One member of the audience even went on record to say, “Thanks so much Cudder, I wouldn’t last a day without your music.”
It is still early in his career, and Kid Cudi is very aware of that fact:
"My whole thing is to not to be as big as Kanye or Lil Wayne, but to be bigger. It's all about progression. If I just set the goal to want to be like Kanye and Lil Wayne, that's setting my shit to a limit and it's selling myself short. I'm pretty sure when Kanye was aspiring to do his music, he wasn't like, I want to be as big as Jay. He was like, Nah, I want to be bigger then Jay. It’s not necessarily saying that you are better than them, it's just setting that bar. If I never am better then Kanye, in my brain, I'm always going to be trying to be, forever and ever until the day that I die."
Only the future will tell what will become of The Man on the Moon. His heart and his head are in the right place, and that is a very big first step towards prolonged success. As long as he keeps putting out meaningful music, as long as he continues to touch us with his rhymes and melodies, then I am sure he will have a reserved place in all of our hearts and on all of our iPods.
References:
La Puma, Joe. "Inside Out: There's More To Kid Cudi Than What Meets The
Eye." Marc Eckos Complex Aug.-Sept. 2009: 44-48. Print.
"Kid Cudi Talks Wale, Reebok, Shia Labeouf & Being Bigger Than Kanye | Complex Blog." Complex Magazine | Buy.Collect.Obsess. | The Original Buyer's Guide for Men. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. <http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/03/24/kid-cudi-talks-wale-reebok-shia-labeouf-being-bigger-than-kanye/>.