So. As the world must know, I obtained my copy of Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager yesterday, the day it came out. As the world also must know, I love the shit out of Kid Cudi. That is one cool ass guy. And he's talented as shit. He's one of the only artists I respect enough to actually purchase an album. I'm just a little disappointed I wasn't home when this man decided he wanted to visit Chicago. But it's all good, because I still got the album :DThis, right here, is my in-depth, track by track analysis of what I think about this here piece of magic. And that's exactly what it is. Magic.
[If you're really not in the mood for lots of words, you can skip to the bottom to read the general summary of what I thought of the album as a whole.]
Track 1
Scott Mescudi vs. The World
feat. Cee-Lo Green
This track is a nice little introduction to the album. It starts with this soft, slight, cosmic commotion of sorts which leads to four notes taken from the intro track from the last album. If you're familiar with that album/track, it's the "you're in my dreams" part. I like how he did that; in a way, he's letting you know that the Moon Man is back at it. I read somewhere that the track was originally recorded with Cudi singing the chorus, and they sent it to Cee-Lo later, and he added his own harmony and fancy stuff to it. I think it was an extremely nice touch. Basically, it works as a first track, because I feel like it's a nice prelude to the deepness of the rest of the album.
Track 2
REVOFEV
This was one of the tracks I listened to before I got the album. I enjoyed it now, but I thought it would change up a little by the time I heard it on the album. I was expecting it to wind up like Sky Might Fall from MotM1, which I heard before the album was released and sounded slightly different when I heard the album cut. I preferred the ending on the leaked track than the album version. However, REVOFEV didn't follow this trend. Cudi did add some extra strings at the end of this one, but it was very subtle and it worked. The track wasn't much different from the first version of it that I heard. This was also a good one to put at the beginning of the album. For one thing, it just flows nicely after Scott vs the World. Also, it's a nice prelude of sorts that gets us ready before we plunge deeper into the story. This is one of the songs that I, personally, could see him performing. I don't know why... It just creates a visual of him on stage, in a leather jacket and shades, reaching out to the fans, like "Where will you be for the revolution," and trying to get as much hype and feedback as possible, like he's really talking to us in this one.
Track 3
Don't Play This Song
feat. Mary J. Blige
Alright. The message a lot of people got from this song was "don't listen to this song if you're sober." I personally think it's a little deeper than that.. I think he's saying that his thoughts get so deep when HE'S not sober himself, that, if you don't think you can handle it, you shouldn't listen to it, because he's about to get deep into those thoughts and tell us about all about it. I like it. It's like a warning. Like, this is just the beginning, if you can't handle this, you're not ready for the rest of the deep shit. One of the first lines I caught was something along the lines of him not giving a fuck about a scantron. Which made me chuckle. Just thought I'd share that. I feel that Mary J.'s appearance is kinda random. Like, she doesn't really match everything that Cudi's trying to do with this album, and she's in two songs. I feel like, in this song, sometimes she's just there, like she doesn't add anything to the track, and other times, she just sticks out with that soulful voice of hers. Like, I love Mary, just not really for this song. I think without that extra voice on this track, it would have sounded kinda boring, or like it was missing something; I just don't think Mary was what was missing.
Track 4
We Aight (Wake Your Mind Up)
This here really isn't much of a song. Lol it's like a little interlude, almost. It's just this trippy beat and Cudi saying "we aight, wake your mind up, we aight." It's actually not as annoying as one would assume, because the trippy beat is cool, and the crowd screaming faintly in the background kinda adds to the story aspect of it. Like, once again, it's another beginning of the album/before the serious stuff thing, and I feel like with this one, he's saying, at the end of the day, this is what's happening in my life and my mind. I don't know how to explain that further...lol. But I kinda get the feel of a roller coaster. Like, this is the part of the ride when you're getting to the very top of the first drop, and it's like, get ready, here we go. This track is right before the drop.
Track 5
Marijuana
This song makes me think of Wiz Khalifa. For more reasons than one...lol. But it's not so much about how much of it he smokes, it's about its effect on him. And, listening to it now, I just realized there's a big chunk of instrumentals going on, where he doesn't say much of anything except for the occasional "ohhh marijuana." I dunno. I don't have too much to say about this one. It's not one of my favorites. It's not bad, but I don't think it's the best one. People were giving this one a lot of attention on iTunes, but I don't think it's as magically fantastic as people are making it out to be.
Track 6
Mojo So Dope
This is where I think the album starts to take a bit of a turn. Only slightly, though. Like, everything from here not only gets deeper into his mind and life and the story he's trying to tell, but it gets better. I like the sample that was used for this song. I think this was well put-together. There are some parts that are a little in your face ("give a fuck about a motherfuckin' lifestyle.") From my understanding, this is where he's just saying, this is me and my life, and that's that. Basically. There's not much to say about it. It pretty much just sounds nice. It's kinda mellow but kinda rough at the same time. And the sample is just dope. It's a nice turn-around from Marijuana. Like, after he smokes some weed, these are the thoughts that come from his high.
Track 7
Ashin' Kusher
Another pothead anthem...lol. I like this one better than Marijuana, and that's probably because it's more upbeat and fun and all-around enjoyable. It's like, the only fuck bitches, smoke weed kind of song on here, but it's not all kinds of rude and ignorant. It's just like, this is what I do. And it also just sounds nice. And he emphasizes random words, like JUDY, which really threw me off when I first paid attention to that. Basically, it's just a fun song to just bump when you're high on life. Or weed. Whatever you prefer.
Track 8
Erase Me
feat. Kanye West
The single. When I first heard this, I didn't really know what to think about it. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't know how to absorb it, if you will. It was basically a nice little rock ditty with a verse from Ye, and I had no idea if he was putting it on the album, because it was so different. This was the first indication that Cudi was doing some new shit, that was not straight hip hop. This man learned how to play guitar a few months ago. And it's not like he learned it and did a random riff on some real nigga song *coughLilWaynecoughLollipopcoughcough* Cudi is going in a direction that a lot of hip hop artists are afraid to go in, and that's one reason why I respect him so much as an artist. Also, this song is just catchy as hell. And Ye did a decent job on his verse. Also a fun song. I like it.
Track 9
Wild'n Cuz I'm Young
So. The beat for this song is like, super basic, as is the hook. It's not a hugely exciting track, but it goes kinda hard. I could hear this at like a cool ass party or at a fancy bar or something. With lots of strobe lights and such. Or maybe a bomb ass strip club. I don't know. It's just a mellowed out song saying fuck the bullshit, i like to party. The last 30 seconds or so give a feel of how fucked up he is after such partying. His words are played backwards, and there's this kind of melancholy, not quite tragic, lonely ass piano. That one part might be the first hint at how serious he gets on this album. Shit gets real, btw.
Track 10
The Mood
This is actually one of my favorites on the album. It's another kind of trance-y, mellowed, trippy song about the party scene and what he does when he's not so sober. I think It's like a part two to Wild'n Cuz I'm Young, because it kinda tells the same story. I just think it sounds doper. There's a slight echo and this really eerie laugh in the background that kinda makes me think of how he talks about demons he confronts and stuff.
Track 11
MANIAC
feat. Cage & St. Vincent
This. Right here. Is musical madness. This is another one of my favorites, if not my most favorite. Face it, this man is messed up. Lol, he goes through some things, and he has some scary ass thoughts. I'm not saying he's a legit maniac. I think he just feels that way sometimes. Like, this song is an example of the dark times he experiences in his life. We all have 'em, but can we all say we're as dark and twisted as Kudi and his thoughts? Not so much. The addition of Cage was kinda dope. Cage is pretty dope himself. He's kinda on the same dark page as Cudi, so I think he works for this song. I also think the St. Vincent sample takes this song even further, because her voice is kinda eerie, and she just repeats "make this black whole blacker." It really taps into the darkness aspect of the song. It. Is. Dope. [SN: There is talk of a video (AKA short film) being directed by Shia LaBeouf for this song? Are you excited? I'm excited. I ♥ Shia. And I love me some Cudi even more. So that should be tons of awesome.]
Track 12
Mr. Rager
This song is what this album is all about: Mr. Rager and his travels and adventures. It's lighter than the previous few tracks, like, it's a lot more upbeat. He's asking Mr. Rager where he's headed and can he tell us some of his stories, to which Mr. Rager says he's off on an adventure, "I'm on my way to heaven," which kinda makes me think "pursuit of happiness?"And when he asks about the telling of the stories of his travels, it's like, this is what this album is about. I honestly feel like this track should have been placed earlier in the album, but I guess it's a nice relief from the heavy tracks before it.
Track 13
These Worries
feat. Mary J. Blige
This track is kinda heavy. I know they said Kudi confronted his cocaine addiction on the album, and I'm wondering if this is where he does it. Because this song is heavy, man..lol. Also, before he starts every verse, there's this slight lull, and then a big ignorant sniff. So. *shrugs* I actually kinda like Mary on this track. Kinda. Like I still don't feel like she was necessary for this album, but I prefer her on this track to Don't Play This Song. When neither Cudi or Mary are singing, the background noise is, once again, sort of eerie. For lack of a better word, I think it's an interesting song. Like, you actually have to listen to every part of it to get a real feel for it.
Track 14
The End
feat. GLC, Chip the Ripper and Nicole Wray
I like this song for so many reasons. This song is the most hip-hop-y, if you will. Like, you almost forget this man raps until this song. And he's decent. And it's so chill. And I'm also fans of GLC and Chip. So this song is just a win for me. Except the Nicole Wray girl kinda annoys me... But overall, this is a nice one. [Just a heads up, Cudi's verse is last, so, it'll be a while before you remember he raps...lol]
Track 15
All Along
Just like the first three tracks introducing the album effectively, the last three tracks are nice endings to MotM2. This song is a bit of a self-analysis. The emotion is evident all up and through this song. I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. You just have to hear it. It's the strings and the mellowness of his voice that give it that emotion. I dunno. Just listen.
Track 16
GHOST!
This is also up there on my list of favorites. This was another one I heard before I got the album, and we all know how people on youtube like to screw things up a bit. So the first version I listened to was in a higher pitch and was a little faster. And I fell in love with it. Then I got the album, and it was lower and slower, and I lost a little bit of love for it. It wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as it was initially, but it's growing on me. It's still a decent song. At first, I thought this was the song where he confronted the cocaine, and so, for a while, I had dubbed it the coke song. Now, I have no clue what it's about. But it's heavy and eerie and full of emotion. Like, it's the last big bang of dark, eerie emotion before the last track, which is kinda light like All Along. More about that later. The first few notes of this song are insanely creepy. Like, I don't know if the title of the song has anything to do with it, but it gives me a bit of a chill. It's just such a crackin' song. The end of it is kinda random though. Again, random ass piano, some extra vocals. Cold song. It's quotable, deep, eerie, and just nice.
Track 17
Trapped in my Mind
This is the real track that says "the end :D hope you enjoyed the show!" It's certainly not as heavy as some of the others. But, like he says, he's trapped in his mind. Like, he went deep in there to give us this magical piece of artistry, lol, and he says "it's a gift and a curse," like, he gets some real, creative shit from that scary place, but it's still a scary place. He can't get away from it, but he's learning to make the best of it. When the song starts, it kinda sounds like one of those songs you hear thinking it's a new, complete song but when you listen to it, it's like a live version of something he just started working on. Like, it's not bad, it just has this raw, unfinished sound to it. But it's catchy. I like the twinkly bits. They make me feel good.
DAMN that took a long time to write.
But, yeah. Overall, I think it's an awesome album. He got real creative with it, and did some things that threw people off, but I think it's more about accepting the off-ness of it, and learning to like something different. That's what I think he was going for with this, a bunch of different things that you have to feel instead of just hear. I like that you could really feel the emotion throughout most of the album, and he wasn't talking about one thing. He gave an interesting view of his life and the way he's living it, and it's not just the glamorous parts. He's giving us the more personal, dark side that you really have to be ready for. You can't go in expecting it to be like MotM1. It's not the same at all. I think both albums are great for different reasons. But I think this one is an acquired taste. I was not disappointed. Kudos, Cudi. Can't wait for the third one. :)
♥
Track 1
Scott Mescudi vs. The World
feat. Cee-Lo Green
This track is a nice little introduction to the album. It starts with this soft, slight, cosmic commotion of sorts which leads to four notes taken from the intro track from the last album. If you're familiar with that album/track, it's the "you're in my dreams" part. I like how he did that; in a way, he's letting you know that the Moon Man is back at it. I read somewhere that the track was originally recorded with Cudi singing the chorus, and they sent it to Cee-Lo later, and he added his own harmony and fancy stuff to it. I think it was an extremely nice touch. Basically, it works as a first track, because I feel like it's a nice prelude to the deepness of the rest of the album.
Track 2
REVOFEV
This was one of the tracks I listened to before I got the album. I enjoyed it now, but I thought it would change up a little by the time I heard it on the album. I was expecting it to wind up like Sky Might Fall from MotM1, which I heard before the album was released and sounded slightly different when I heard the album cut. I preferred the ending on the leaked track than the album version. However, REVOFEV didn't follow this trend. Cudi did add some extra strings at the end of this one, but it was very subtle and it worked. The track wasn't much different from the first version of it that I heard. This was also a good one to put at the beginning of the album. For one thing, it just flows nicely after Scott vs the World. Also, it's a nice prelude of sorts that gets us ready before we plunge deeper into the story. This is one of the songs that I, personally, could see him performing. I don't know why... It just creates a visual of him on stage, in a leather jacket and shades, reaching out to the fans, like "Where will you be for the revolution," and trying to get as much hype and feedback as possible, like he's really talking to us in this one.
Track 3
Don't Play This Song
feat. Mary J. Blige
Alright. The message a lot of people got from this song was "don't listen to this song if you're sober." I personally think it's a little deeper than that.. I think he's saying that his thoughts get so deep when HE'S not sober himself, that, if you don't think you can handle it, you shouldn't listen to it, because he's about to get deep into those thoughts and tell us about all about it. I like it. It's like a warning. Like, this is just the beginning, if you can't handle this, you're not ready for the rest of the deep shit. One of the first lines I caught was something along the lines of him not giving a fuck about a scantron. Which made me chuckle. Just thought I'd share that. I feel that Mary J.'s appearance is kinda random. Like, she doesn't really match everything that Cudi's trying to do with this album, and she's in two songs. I feel like, in this song, sometimes she's just there, like she doesn't add anything to the track, and other times, she just sticks out with that soulful voice of hers. Like, I love Mary, just not really for this song. I think without that extra voice on this track, it would have sounded kinda boring, or like it was missing something; I just don't think Mary was what was missing.
Track 4
We Aight (Wake Your Mind Up)
This here really isn't much of a song. Lol it's like a little interlude, almost. It's just this trippy beat and Cudi saying "we aight, wake your mind up, we aight." It's actually not as annoying as one would assume, because the trippy beat is cool, and the crowd screaming faintly in the background kinda adds to the story aspect of it. Like, once again, it's another beginning of the album/before the serious stuff thing, and I feel like with this one, he's saying, at the end of the day, this is what's happening in my life and my mind. I don't know how to explain that further...lol. But I kinda get the feel of a roller coaster. Like, this is the part of the ride when you're getting to the very top of the first drop, and it's like, get ready, here we go. This track is right before the drop.
Track 5
Marijuana
This song makes me think of Wiz Khalifa. For more reasons than one...lol. But it's not so much about how much of it he smokes, it's about its effect on him. And, listening to it now, I just realized there's a big chunk of instrumentals going on, where he doesn't say much of anything except for the occasional "ohhh marijuana." I dunno. I don't have too much to say about this one. It's not one of my favorites. It's not bad, but I don't think it's the best one. People were giving this one a lot of attention on iTunes, but I don't think it's as magically fantastic as people are making it out to be.
Track 6
Mojo So Dope
This is where I think the album starts to take a bit of a turn. Only slightly, though. Like, everything from here not only gets deeper into his mind and life and the story he's trying to tell, but it gets better. I like the sample that was used for this song. I think this was well put-together. There are some parts that are a little in your face ("give a fuck about a motherfuckin' lifestyle.") From my understanding, this is where he's just saying, this is me and my life, and that's that. Basically. There's not much to say about it. It pretty much just sounds nice. It's kinda mellow but kinda rough at the same time. And the sample is just dope. It's a nice turn-around from Marijuana. Like, after he smokes some weed, these are the thoughts that come from his high.
Track 7
Ashin' Kusher
Another pothead anthem...lol. I like this one better than Marijuana, and that's probably because it's more upbeat and fun and all-around enjoyable. It's like, the only fuck bitches, smoke weed kind of song on here, but it's not all kinds of rude and ignorant. It's just like, this is what I do. And it also just sounds nice. And he emphasizes random words, like JUDY, which really threw me off when I first paid attention to that. Basically, it's just a fun song to just bump when you're high on life. Or weed. Whatever you prefer.
Track 8
Erase Me
feat. Kanye West
The single. When I first heard this, I didn't really know what to think about it. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't know how to absorb it, if you will. It was basically a nice little rock ditty with a verse from Ye, and I had no idea if he was putting it on the album, because it was so different. This was the first indication that Cudi was doing some new shit, that was not straight hip hop. This man learned how to play guitar a few months ago. And it's not like he learned it and did a random riff on some real nigga song *coughLilWaynecoughLollipopcoughcough* Cudi is going in a direction that a lot of hip hop artists are afraid to go in, and that's one reason why I respect him so much as an artist. Also, this song is just catchy as hell. And Ye did a decent job on his verse. Also a fun song. I like it.
Track 9
Wild'n Cuz I'm Young
So. The beat for this song is like, super basic, as is the hook. It's not a hugely exciting track, but it goes kinda hard. I could hear this at like a cool ass party or at a fancy bar or something. With lots of strobe lights and such. Or maybe a bomb ass strip club. I don't know. It's just a mellowed out song saying fuck the bullshit, i like to party. The last 30 seconds or so give a feel of how fucked up he is after such partying. His words are played backwards, and there's this kind of melancholy, not quite tragic, lonely ass piano. That one part might be the first hint at how serious he gets on this album. Shit gets real, btw.
Track 10
The Mood
This is actually one of my favorites on the album. It's another kind of trance-y, mellowed, trippy song about the party scene and what he does when he's not so sober. I think It's like a part two to Wild'n Cuz I'm Young, because it kinda tells the same story. I just think it sounds doper. There's a slight echo and this really eerie laugh in the background that kinda makes me think of how he talks about demons he confronts and stuff.
Track 11
MANIAC
feat. Cage & St. Vincent
This. Right here. Is musical madness. This is another one of my favorites, if not my most favorite. Face it, this man is messed up. Lol, he goes through some things, and he has some scary ass thoughts. I'm not saying he's a legit maniac. I think he just feels that way sometimes. Like, this song is an example of the dark times he experiences in his life. We all have 'em, but can we all say we're as dark and twisted as Kudi and his thoughts? Not so much. The addition of Cage was kinda dope. Cage is pretty dope himself. He's kinda on the same dark page as Cudi, so I think he works for this song. I also think the St. Vincent sample takes this song even further, because her voice is kinda eerie, and she just repeats "make this black whole blacker." It really taps into the darkness aspect of the song. It. Is. Dope. [SN: There is talk of a video (AKA short film) being directed by Shia LaBeouf for this song? Are you excited? I'm excited. I ♥ Shia. And I love me some Cudi even more. So that should be tons of awesome.]
Track 12
Mr. Rager
This song is what this album is all about: Mr. Rager and his travels and adventures. It's lighter than the previous few tracks, like, it's a lot more upbeat. He's asking Mr. Rager where he's headed and can he tell us some of his stories, to which Mr. Rager says he's off on an adventure, "I'm on my way to heaven," which kinda makes me think "pursuit of happiness?"And when he asks about the telling of the stories of his travels, it's like, this is what this album is about. I honestly feel like this track should have been placed earlier in the album, but I guess it's a nice relief from the heavy tracks before it.
Track 13
These Worries
feat. Mary J. Blige
This track is kinda heavy. I know they said Kudi confronted his cocaine addiction on the album, and I'm wondering if this is where he does it. Because this song is heavy, man..lol. Also, before he starts every verse, there's this slight lull, and then a big ignorant sniff. So. *shrugs* I actually kinda like Mary on this track. Kinda. Like I still don't feel like she was necessary for this album, but I prefer her on this track to Don't Play This Song. When neither Cudi or Mary are singing, the background noise is, once again, sort of eerie. For lack of a better word, I think it's an interesting song. Like, you actually have to listen to every part of it to get a real feel for it.
Track 14
The End
feat. GLC, Chip the Ripper and Nicole Wray
I like this song for so many reasons. This song is the most hip-hop-y, if you will. Like, you almost forget this man raps until this song. And he's decent. And it's so chill. And I'm also fans of GLC and Chip. So this song is just a win for me. Except the Nicole Wray girl kinda annoys me... But overall, this is a nice one. [Just a heads up, Cudi's verse is last, so, it'll be a while before you remember he raps...lol]
Track 15
All Along
Just like the first three tracks introducing the album effectively, the last three tracks are nice endings to MotM2. This song is a bit of a self-analysis. The emotion is evident all up and through this song. I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. You just have to hear it. It's the strings and the mellowness of his voice that give it that emotion. I dunno. Just listen.
Track 16
GHOST!
This is also up there on my list of favorites. This was another one I heard before I got the album, and we all know how people on youtube like to screw things up a bit. So the first version I listened to was in a higher pitch and was a little faster. And I fell in love with it. Then I got the album, and it was lower and slower, and I lost a little bit of love for it. It wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as it was initially, but it's growing on me. It's still a decent song. At first, I thought this was the song where he confronted the cocaine, and so, for a while, I had dubbed it the coke song. Now, I have no clue what it's about. But it's heavy and eerie and full of emotion. Like, it's the last big bang of dark, eerie emotion before the last track, which is kinda light like All Along. More about that later. The first few notes of this song are insanely creepy. Like, I don't know if the title of the song has anything to do with it, but it gives me a bit of a chill. It's just such a crackin' song. The end of it is kinda random though. Again, random ass piano, some extra vocals. Cold song. It's quotable, deep, eerie, and just nice.
Track 17
Trapped in my Mind
This is the real track that says "the end :D hope you enjoyed the show!" It's certainly not as heavy as some of the others. But, like he says, he's trapped in his mind. Like, he went deep in there to give us this magical piece of artistry, lol, and he says "it's a gift and a curse," like, he gets some real, creative shit from that scary place, but it's still a scary place. He can't get away from it, but he's learning to make the best of it. When the song starts, it kinda sounds like one of those songs you hear thinking it's a new, complete song but when you listen to it, it's like a live version of something he just started working on. Like, it's not bad, it just has this raw, unfinished sound to it. But it's catchy. I like the twinkly bits. They make me feel good.
DAMN that took a long time to write.
But, yeah. Overall, I think it's an awesome album. He got real creative with it, and did some things that threw people off, but I think it's more about accepting the off-ness of it, and learning to like something different. That's what I think he was going for with this, a bunch of different things that you have to feel instead of just hear. I like that you could really feel the emotion throughout most of the album, and he wasn't talking about one thing. He gave an interesting view of his life and the way he's living it, and it's not just the glamorous parts. He's giving us the more personal, dark side that you really have to be ready for. You can't go in expecting it to be like MotM1. It's not the same at all. I think both albums are great for different reasons. But I think this one is an acquired taste. I was not disappointed. Kudos, Cudi. Can't wait for the third one. :)
♥
[btw, Today, I am thankful for Kid Cudi and the music he makes. In case you couldn't tell. ;D]
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