Kid Cudi, aka Mr. Rager, aka Scott Mescudi, aka the guy who thought "Speedin Bullet 2 Heaven" was the most important album of the last 10 years, is someone who I've always been very much so on the fence with. When it comes to his early career, I was much more welcoming to Cudi's cloudy, spacey, introspective brand of alternative rap. "Man On the Moon - The End of Day" was a rocky start for Cudi. While the album had great singles like "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Day 'n' Nite", so much of the rest of the project was filler. There were some super hip, nocturnal beats, but Cudi was in way over his head, as the concept of "Man On the Moon - The End of Day" engulfed Cudi. Nothing about the album seriously flowed smoothly, and half of the time he was forcing everything down his listeners throats. "Man On the Moon, Vol. II: The Legend of Mr. Rager" actually showed a little more hope for Cudi's unique brand of rap. He found himself on some classier beats, and he seemed much more confident in his grand concept for his "Man On The Moon" series. However, if you paid attention to Cudi's lyrics and the increasingly moody atmosphere, man was he ever going down a dark path. He seemed more reliant on drugs then ever, and the sheer amount of disconnect he felt from the rest of the world was just so evident. But still, while I wasn't CRAZY about these two first releases from Kid Cudi, I thought he put together some solid singles and he had tons of personality. Then, oh boy, THEN Kid Cudi released "Indicud". You know, the first few tracks on here really gave me tons of hope for Cudi. The beats were heavier and there overall was a much darker feel to everything. But as "Indicud" rolled on, I got less and less entertained, the beats got messier and the production got muddier, and I really began to worry about Kid Cudi's sanity. He left his emotions behind and started literally painting himself as some other worldly being. Then we have, "Satellite Flight", which once again showed some real promise for Cudi. The production here was actually done really well. The instrumentals were solid as well, some seriously getting closer to Cudi's spacey sound than ever, while others being genuinely beautiful. The only real problem with "Satellite Flight" was, Cudi himself. His other worldly rantings had reached an all time high, to the point where I couldn't follow him if i tried. And then it happened. And by "it", I mean "Speedin Bullet 2 Heaven". Kid Cudi thought it was a good idea to make a rock album. THAT I don't have a problem with. As a matter of fact, if you paid attention to Cudi's efforts leading up to this, there was more and more rock instrumentation on each release. But On "Speedin Bullet 2 Heaven", Cudi somehow began to think he was the reincarnation of Kurt Cobain. The instrumentals on this album more often then not were actually pretty solid. But Cudi's performance throughout everything going on here was beyond laughable. His singing was often completely out of tune, and with lyrics like "No more chicken sandwiches, yes I'll pay for the damages", how was I supposed to take it seriously. It was all fun and games until you seriously dove into the lyrics. I mentioned earlier Cudi was going down a dark path. And trust me I love dark music, but the material on "Speedin Bullet" was too real. Cudi was practically writing a suicide note. Then between all of this we got painful Beavis and Butthead sketches and a whole lot of other seriously unlistenable garbage. So yea, that's Cudi's career. Since then, he's been in rehab for a while, not too shockingly. But that hasn't stopped him from releasing this monstrously sized new album.
(Still a classic in my book)
"Passion Pain & Demon Slayin'" is split into 4 acts. Why? I'm fairly certain Cudi himself doesn't even know. Anyway, we're gonna break it down by acts, the first one being "Tuned". This "act" starts off with "Frequency". Right from the get-go were treated to more hip hop than all of "Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven". It's a nice, nocturnal sounding beat, the likes of which we haven't heard in a really long time from Cudi. As far as Cudi's opening bars though, they're actually pulled off nicely. No, Cudi still doesn't have the voice of an angel as he would like to believe, but this is certainly a whole lot more acceptable as far as he's concerned. Lyrically, Cudi is still out there, but he at the very least is sounding more sure of himself. Cudi is taking us into this deep, dark party atmosphere, which from him I'm not the biggest fan of. But to be honest, after hearing the borderline suicide note on his last album, it's refreshing to know that Cudi is at least getting out and about. It'a a cool atmosphere and all, I just wish Cudi was able to show his emotions just a little bit more. As an opening track though, "Frequency" does the trick, it gets me interested in Cudi again and makes me want to hear more. I can't even remember the last time I said that about Cudi, so that's a huge plus. Cudi here is admitting he has a lot of issues, he realizes that he's lonely and is acknowledging all the things we as listeners have realized about Cudi years ago. He's always seemed disjointed from the rest of the world, and now he's putting it out without sounding completely off the deep end. The synths that come in are sinister sounding, "Frequency" overall has a ton of dark undertones. Cudi sounds like he's back in control of his life. Whether or not Cudi is making the right decisions is up for discussion, but already Cudi seems to be back on a great track. Up next is "Swim In The Light". From this intro, clearly Cudi is going super hard on these synths. Cudi once again almost instantaneously shows us that he's so much more conscious and not in this constant state of self destruction, as he sings "You can try to numb the pain but it'll never go away". Clearly, Cudi is far from the best singer, but his bars here at least are seriously heartfelt. Here, Cudi sounds like he's crying out for help in every which way, it's actually pretty heartbreaking. Not to mention the fact that since he recorded this album he's been in rehab makes this track so much more powerful. "Swim In The Light" as it continues on is dark and murky sounding, the minimal beats on these tracks really drive home the fact that Cudi does in fact feel alone in the world. All around, this track is seriously well done, it's almost hopeful as Cudi sings "When you're in love, swim in the light. Swim in your love, let's get well". Cudi though quickly is haunted by some of his own demons as we get into "Releaser". Cudi once again is SERIOUSLY into these synths, and I'm fine with that as it seriously brings out that old, nocturnal sound of his. However instantly Cudi feels the need to bring back his trademark moan, which quickly brings out my PTSBD (That's Post Traumatic "Speedin Bullet" Disorder"). The beat here is just alright, it's not nearly as encapsulating as the first few beats here. Cudi's verses here start to take a turn for the bizarre with him whispering almost seductively. Half the time, he's speaking in french, the other half of the time he's speaking in cryptic phrases like "You know where you'd fine me". Am I missing something? Kacy Hill's backing vocals are barely even around, however when they do stop by they're pretty haunting. "Releaser" is far from as bad as the music has been the last few years coming from Cudi, it's just on the boring side, and it seriously doesn't add much to the album. Like I said though, Cudi's past demons are slowly coming back, in this case it's the "length" demon. This track entirely didn't need to be here, and even if it was it didn't need to be this long. It does have it's redeeming moments though, and that last piano melody is actually gorgeous. "By Design" is up next, which has a refreshing, upbeat synth pop feel. To be honest, I can barely remember the last time I heard such a upbeat tune coming from Kid Cudi. As far as the lyrics go, Cudi is still in his own little world where he's king. But I'm even able to let that slide with this awesome groove going on. His vocals at this point may never really be on point, but "By Design" is at least a commendable performance. There's a slight dancehall feel here which comes off Ok, with that steel drum being a nice touch. By the time Andre 3000 comes in, he delivers a slightly less animated and wild verse than I've heard from him this year. It still comes off super skillful though, the dude has seriously been all over the place this year. "By Design" overall has sort of a Futuristic Pop sound to it, and just hearing Cudi not ranting and raving about nonsense on this great beat just makes me happy. "All In" starts off with some really super nice lapping water sound effects, transitioning into one of the smoother beats you're going to find here. Between the bouncy beat and those opening sound effects, oddly enough I almost get a Animal Collective's "Merriwether Post Pavillion" feel. When things get settled, we're dealing with another upbeat synth heavy track, all of these upbeat tracks from Cudi are seriously throwing me off. It's gltichy occasionally, and as far as Cudi's performance goes it's back on the heartfelt side. Slowly, I feel like Cudi might just be coming back down to this planet. There are some seriously sweet lines here, as Cudi is saying to whoever he's singing too "no one makes me feel secure except you". "All In" is sometimes hectic, and for Cudi this is ridiculously to the point. It's a short venture into a more Pop sound, but it's a solid one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEHNYkNodzs
Next up we have Act 2: Prophecy, which starts off with "ILLusions". First off I want to just say, Cudi you seriously have to watch yourself with some of these slower tunes, they're way too hit and miss. When you start off a track with those stupid moans, you're already pushing it. I'm not into it, and never will be. The beat here is one of the most bizarre you'll find here, why the hell do I feel like I'm listening to Cudi over the instrumental of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime"? While earlier tracks gave me SOMETHING to grap on to, "ILLusions" just floats by without leaving any impression. Earlier I felt like Cudi was being more heartfelt and working on making himself better. This on the other hand is the same bloated, confusing Kid Cudi I've puzzled over for years. We see him using these bizarre metaphors for his life, which I get what he's getting at trust me. But come on Cudi, there HAS to be another way. This track is literally everything I don't want to hear from Cudi. Up next is the surprisingly stunning "Rose Golden". This absolutely stunning introduction is quickly ruined though by some more moaning. I do have to hand it to Cudi though, that opening hook is catchy as hell. As far as lyrics go here, I feel like there is a large part of Cudi that is still seriously full of himself with a bloated ego. He keeps going on and on about people not realizing his potential, as well as referring to himself as the "Chosen One". In the rap world though, that's actually pretty regular. If you look at the things that Cudi's ex-mentor Kanye West has said about HIMSELF over the years, these statements are actually quite tame. My problem with this though, is I honestly feel like Cudi probably believes it all. At the very least though, Cudi isn't tearing himself to shreds in front of our very eyes. Moving on, I actually like ALOT of "Rose Golden". I love the lighter, bouncier atmosphere of everything. Cudi once again is taking on some more pop production, but it's awful infectious and absolutely sticks with you. Even Willow Smith's backing vocals on the chorus are commendable. As the beat goes on, things get even more elaborate and more stunning. Kid Cudi may be occasionally still in his own little world, but you have to admit this is a gigantic improvement. But for every great track like "Rose Golden", there has to be an equally underwhelming track like "Baptized In Fire" featuring Travis Scott. My expectations going into this track were gigantic, I've heard Cudi and Travis on a track before, and I know they can work some real magic. We're back to a more nocturnal beat, but I can't help feeling like a lot of this is seriously rehashed. Literally, the beat here sounds like any number of tracks that have popped up earlier. Some of Cudi's one-liners here are so cheesy I couldn't begin to take them seriously if i tried. We have Cudi bringing up how women only want to date Kid Cudi and not the REAL him, something I've heard plenty of times in rap, but I feel like even these bars are half-assed. It gets even worse when Cudi starts to literally make up words. He expects me to take this seriously? Not on your life. Travis upon his arrival brings in some seriously well needed energy to "Baptized By Fire", I actually like his verses a lot and wish he did a little more. When Cudi comes back in for a second verse, things don't look much better. Cudi may be on to some great new things for his career, but man is he still haunted by his past. Then we have "Flight At first sight/Advanced" featuring Pharell Williams, another track I had HUGE hopes for. I wouldn't say that Cudi's gone pop on us, but this is certainly a more pop beat, which is fine usually. But the beat on "Flight At first sight/Advanced" is overall not a good beat. Cudi sounds so awkward and out of place on this almost dancehall beat, ESPECIALLY when he's rapping over it. Once again we see Cudi dropping these terribly cheesy lines, Cudi may be slowly getting back on track but he still has a ways to go. When the beat changes for the "Advanced" portion of this track, it's certainly an improvement, but it's still bizarre to hear Cudi on this. There's this weird, almost golden age hip hop feel all of a sudden, and Cudi's verses do get a little better, but man is it bizarre. "Flight At first sight/Advanced" to me, is a spectacle and nothing more. Yea, it's catchy and exciting occasionally, but I have nothing to really latch onto. This "act" (which still confuses the hell out of me) is concluded with "Does It". On this track, all of the different vibes Cudi's been searching desperately for come together perfectly. I feel like "Does It" IS the track Cudi's been working so hard to get across. As the track goes on, the already elegant beat becomes a stunning cosmic beat. All of these years Cudi has been trying to hard to get this space rap thing rolling, but this beat may just be his crowning achievement as far as that goes. These are some of Cudi's most hard hitting and aggressive bars, I honestly can't even remember the last time he was so on point as far as his flow goes. Cudi certainly is putting on his "tough guy" persona here, but the aggressiveness of his verses make it come off legitmate. Man is this album all over the place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tccAnqPZmtQ
Oh gosh, up next is my least favorite "Act", "Niveaux de l'Amour". To be honest though, outside of lyrical switch-ups, these acts seriously feel like they have a lot of the same tones. Up first for this act is "Dance 4 Eternity". Once again we're dealing with another upbeat track, and once again Cudi is sounding paranoid to no end. For the most part, Cudi sounds sweet here towards whoever he's singing too, and it sounds like he actually cares quite a bit about them. All of a sudden though Cudi throws all of that out the window and everything becomes an all out Sex-Fest. It's certainly not the worst thing I've heard here, but where is this even coming from? What's been going on in this dudes life that's made him write this? I mean call me nuts, but Cudi just went from UFO's and other worldly beings and all of a sudden is penning a steamy dance club anthem. You'll have to excuse my confusion. It's alright, and like I said it's far from the worst thing on this album. Speaking of "the worst thing on this album", "Distant Fantasies" is up next, and whoa nelly is this BAD. That opening beat though gave me so much hope though, it's easily the most sinister thing here. Then of course Cudi has to come in with his dumbass moaning and everything goes from super dark to borderline hilarious really quick. And let me tell you, if you thought "Dance 4 Eternity", just wait until you hear THIS. Cudi has never in my opinion been a "tough guy". On "Distant Fantasies", Cudi puts on his harshest, toughest face imaginable and I'd like to meet the guy that can take THAT seriously. If that wasn't enough we have Cudi trailing off into steamy, unrated, sleazy sex rhymes that I honestly have no clue who thought was a good idea. I would seriously rather hear Cudi go off on aliens again compared to this. "Wounds" starts off with some more awful Kid Cudi singing that certainly isn't doing him any favors. As far as the beat goes however, it's one of the most epic on here. The drums that dominate most of the beat are ridiculous, and as far as the atmosphere goes there's plenty to love here. Cudi drops some of his most emotional, soul searching rhymes here, as he brings up how he's going to "heal his wounds himself". It's an alright track, certainly not bad. Thankfully though, the last two tracks of this "act" really end this one on a good note. First, we have "Mature Nature" which instantly draws you in with one of the most solid beats here. Like "Does It" earlier, "Mature Nature" has the spacey kind of beat that Cudi has been reaching for for years, and it comes off great. Some of these late album beats end up coming off so elegant and lavish that I can't help but be seriously impressed. Lyrically, Cudi may have written this in the grand total of 5 minutes. While it's simple though, it doesn't come of half bad. It's hazy, it's beautiful, you just need to shut your mind off and enjoy. This act rounds up with "Kitchen" which is probably one of my favorite tracks on the album. The instrumental immediately is so warm and inviting, with some seriously gorgeous strings and woodwinds thrown in. Cudi may sound as heartbroken and desperately looking for love once again, but ironically he seems at peace with it, like it's not making him self destruct. The guy who earlier was hyping himself up to be an other-worldly being is now coming off super relate-able. The hook here is simple, but it's catchy and sticks with you. Sure, there are a ton of really awful, cringe-worthy tracks on here. But there are also a ton that I seriously can't wait to revisit, and I can't remember the last time I thought that about A Kid Cudi album.
Give A Listen To: "Swim In The Light", "By Design", “Kitchen”, “Surfin”
Overall Thoughts: You know, call me crazy but I dig a lot of what Cudi is doing here. Trust me this is FAR from a perfect album, and Cudi has just as many awkward moments here and there that have plagued him for years. The horrible singing, some bizarre instrumental choices, and don't even get me started on some of these lyrics. However, let's look at this in context. Cudi for YEARS has been going down one of hip hops most downward spirals. "Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin" may be hard to follow and far from flawless, but it's easily his most cohesive project since I can remember. Listening to the last few Kid Cudi albums was a chore, but there are tracks on here that I'm actually excited to come back to. At the end of the day, Cudi shows more promise here than anytime else in recent memory.
"Passion Pain & Demon Slayin'" is split into 4 acts. Why? I'm fairly certain Cudi himself doesn't even know. Anyway, we're gonna break it down by acts, the first one being "Tuned". This "act" starts off with "Frequency". Right from the get-go were treated to more hip hop than all of "Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven". It's a nice, nocturnal sounding beat, the likes of which we haven't heard in a really long time from Cudi. As far as Cudi's opening bars though, they're actually pulled off nicely. No, Cudi still doesn't have the voice of an angel as he would like to believe, but this is certainly a whole lot more acceptable as far as he's concerned. Lyrically, Cudi is still out there, but he at the very least is sounding more sure of himself. Cudi is taking us into this deep, dark party atmosphere, which from him I'm not the biggest fan of. But to be honest, after hearing the borderline suicide note on his last album, it's refreshing to know that Cudi is at least getting out and about. It'a a cool atmosphere and all, I just wish Cudi was able to show his emotions just a little bit more. As an opening track though, "Frequency" does the trick, it gets me interested in Cudi again and makes me want to hear more. I can't even remember the last time I said that about Cudi, so that's a huge plus. Cudi here is admitting he has a lot of issues, he realizes that he's lonely and is acknowledging all the things we as listeners have realized about Cudi years ago. He's always seemed disjointed from the rest of the world, and now he's putting it out without sounding completely off the deep end. The synths that come in are sinister sounding, "Frequency" overall has a ton of dark undertones. Cudi sounds like he's back in control of his life. Whether or not Cudi is making the right decisions is up for discussion, but already Cudi seems to be back on a great track. Up next is "Swim In The Light". From this intro, clearly Cudi is going super hard on these synths. Cudi once again almost instantaneously shows us that he's so much more conscious and not in this constant state of self destruction, as he sings "You can try to numb the pain but it'll never go away". Clearly, Cudi is far from the best singer, but his bars here at least are seriously heartfelt. Here, Cudi sounds like he's crying out for help in every which way, it's actually pretty heartbreaking. Not to mention the fact that since he recorded this album he's been in rehab makes this track so much more powerful. "Swim In The Light" as it continues on is dark and murky sounding, the minimal beats on these tracks really drive home the fact that Cudi does in fact feel alone in the world. All around, this track is seriously well done, it's almost hopeful as Cudi sings "When you're in love, swim in the light. Swim in your love, let's get well". Cudi though quickly is haunted by some of his own demons as we get into "Releaser". Cudi once again is SERIOUSLY into these synths, and I'm fine with that as it seriously brings out that old, nocturnal sound of his. However instantly Cudi feels the need to bring back his trademark moan, which quickly brings out my PTSBD (That's Post Traumatic "Speedin Bullet" Disorder"). The beat here is just alright, it's not nearly as encapsulating as the first few beats here. Cudi's verses here start to take a turn for the bizarre with him whispering almost seductively. Half the time, he's speaking in french, the other half of the time he's speaking in cryptic phrases like "You know where you'd fine me". Am I missing something? Kacy Hill's backing vocals are barely even around, however when they do stop by they're pretty haunting. "Releaser" is far from as bad as the music has been the last few years coming from Cudi, it's just on the boring side, and it seriously doesn't add much to the album. Like I said though, Cudi's past demons are slowly coming back, in this case it's the "length" demon. This track entirely didn't need to be here, and even if it was it didn't need to be this long. It does have it's redeeming moments though, and that last piano melody is actually gorgeous. "By Design" is up next, which has a refreshing, upbeat synth pop feel. To be honest, I can barely remember the last time I heard such a upbeat tune coming from Kid Cudi. As far as the lyrics go, Cudi is still in his own little world where he's king. But I'm even able to let that slide with this awesome groove going on. His vocals at this point may never really be on point, but "By Design" is at least a commendable performance. There's a slight dancehall feel here which comes off Ok, with that steel drum being a nice touch. By the time Andre 3000 comes in, he delivers a slightly less animated and wild verse than I've heard from him this year. It still comes off super skillful though, the dude has seriously been all over the place this year. "By Design" overall has sort of a Futuristic Pop sound to it, and just hearing Cudi not ranting and raving about nonsense on this great beat just makes me happy. "All In" starts off with some really super nice lapping water sound effects, transitioning into one of the smoother beats you're going to find here. Between the bouncy beat and those opening sound effects, oddly enough I almost get a Animal Collective's "Merriwether Post Pavillion" feel. When things get settled, we're dealing with another upbeat synth heavy track, all of these upbeat tracks from Cudi are seriously throwing me off. It's gltichy occasionally, and as far as Cudi's performance goes it's back on the heartfelt side. Slowly, I feel like Cudi might just be coming back down to this planet. There are some seriously sweet lines here, as Cudi is saying to whoever he's singing too "no one makes me feel secure except you". "All In" is sometimes hectic, and for Cudi this is ridiculously to the point. It's a short venture into a more Pop sound, but it's a solid one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEHNYkNodzs
Next up we have Act 2: Prophecy, which starts off with "ILLusions". First off I want to just say, Cudi you seriously have to watch yourself with some of these slower tunes, they're way too hit and miss. When you start off a track with those stupid moans, you're already pushing it. I'm not into it, and never will be. The beat here is one of the most bizarre you'll find here, why the hell do I feel like I'm listening to Cudi over the instrumental of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime"? While earlier tracks gave me SOMETHING to grap on to, "ILLusions" just floats by without leaving any impression. Earlier I felt like Cudi was being more heartfelt and working on making himself better. This on the other hand is the same bloated, confusing Kid Cudi I've puzzled over for years. We see him using these bizarre metaphors for his life, which I get what he's getting at trust me. But come on Cudi, there HAS to be another way. This track is literally everything I don't want to hear from Cudi. Up next is the surprisingly stunning "Rose Golden". This absolutely stunning introduction is quickly ruined though by some more moaning. I do have to hand it to Cudi though, that opening hook is catchy as hell. As far as lyrics go here, I feel like there is a large part of Cudi that is still seriously full of himself with a bloated ego. He keeps going on and on about people not realizing his potential, as well as referring to himself as the "Chosen One". In the rap world though, that's actually pretty regular. If you look at the things that Cudi's ex-mentor Kanye West has said about HIMSELF over the years, these statements are actually quite tame. My problem with this though, is I honestly feel like Cudi probably believes it all. At the very least though, Cudi isn't tearing himself to shreds in front of our very eyes. Moving on, I actually like ALOT of "Rose Golden". I love the lighter, bouncier atmosphere of everything. Cudi once again is taking on some more pop production, but it's awful infectious and absolutely sticks with you. Even Willow Smith's backing vocals on the chorus are commendable. As the beat goes on, things get even more elaborate and more stunning. Kid Cudi may be occasionally still in his own little world, but you have to admit this is a gigantic improvement. But for every great track like "Rose Golden", there has to be an equally underwhelming track like "Baptized In Fire" featuring Travis Scott. My expectations going into this track were gigantic, I've heard Cudi and Travis on a track before, and I know they can work some real magic. We're back to a more nocturnal beat, but I can't help feeling like a lot of this is seriously rehashed. Literally, the beat here sounds like any number of tracks that have popped up earlier. Some of Cudi's one-liners here are so cheesy I couldn't begin to take them seriously if i tried. We have Cudi bringing up how women only want to date Kid Cudi and not the REAL him, something I've heard plenty of times in rap, but I feel like even these bars are half-assed. It gets even worse when Cudi starts to literally make up words. He expects me to take this seriously? Not on your life. Travis upon his arrival brings in some seriously well needed energy to "Baptized By Fire", I actually like his verses a lot and wish he did a little more. When Cudi comes back in for a second verse, things don't look much better. Cudi may be on to some great new things for his career, but man is he still haunted by his past. Then we have "Flight At first sight/Advanced" featuring Pharell Williams, another track I had HUGE hopes for. I wouldn't say that Cudi's gone pop on us, but this is certainly a more pop beat, which is fine usually. But the beat on "Flight At first sight/Advanced" is overall not a good beat. Cudi sounds so awkward and out of place on this almost dancehall beat, ESPECIALLY when he's rapping over it. Once again we see Cudi dropping these terribly cheesy lines, Cudi may be slowly getting back on track but he still has a ways to go. When the beat changes for the "Advanced" portion of this track, it's certainly an improvement, but it's still bizarre to hear Cudi on this. There's this weird, almost golden age hip hop feel all of a sudden, and Cudi's verses do get a little better, but man is it bizarre. "Flight At first sight/Advanced" to me, is a spectacle and nothing more. Yea, it's catchy and exciting occasionally, but I have nothing to really latch onto. This "act" (which still confuses the hell out of me) is concluded with "Does It". On this track, all of the different vibes Cudi's been searching desperately for come together perfectly. I feel like "Does It" IS the track Cudi's been working so hard to get across. As the track goes on, the already elegant beat becomes a stunning cosmic beat. All of these years Cudi has been trying to hard to get this space rap thing rolling, but this beat may just be his crowning achievement as far as that goes. These are some of Cudi's most hard hitting and aggressive bars, I honestly can't even remember the last time he was so on point as far as his flow goes. Cudi certainly is putting on his "tough guy" persona here, but the aggressiveness of his verses make it come off legitmate. Man is this album all over the place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tccAnqPZmtQ
Oh gosh, up next is my least favorite "Act", "Niveaux de l'Amour". To be honest though, outside of lyrical switch-ups, these acts seriously feel like they have a lot of the same tones. Up first for this act is "Dance 4 Eternity". Once again we're dealing with another upbeat track, and once again Cudi is sounding paranoid to no end. For the most part, Cudi sounds sweet here towards whoever he's singing too, and it sounds like he actually cares quite a bit about them. All of a sudden though Cudi throws all of that out the window and everything becomes an all out Sex-Fest. It's certainly not the worst thing I've heard here, but where is this even coming from? What's been going on in this dudes life that's made him write this? I mean call me nuts, but Cudi just went from UFO's and other worldly beings and all of a sudden is penning a steamy dance club anthem. You'll have to excuse my confusion. It's alright, and like I said it's far from the worst thing on this album. Speaking of "the worst thing on this album", "Distant Fantasies" is up next, and whoa nelly is this BAD. That opening beat though gave me so much hope though, it's easily the most sinister thing here. Then of course Cudi has to come in with his dumbass moaning and everything goes from super dark to borderline hilarious really quick. And let me tell you, if you thought "Dance 4 Eternity", just wait until you hear THIS. Cudi has never in my opinion been a "tough guy". On "Distant Fantasies", Cudi puts on his harshest, toughest face imaginable and I'd like to meet the guy that can take THAT seriously. If that wasn't enough we have Cudi trailing off into steamy, unrated, sleazy sex rhymes that I honestly have no clue who thought was a good idea. I would seriously rather hear Cudi go off on aliens again compared to this. "Wounds" starts off with some more awful Kid Cudi singing that certainly isn't doing him any favors. As far as the beat goes however, it's one of the most epic on here. The drums that dominate most of the beat are ridiculous, and as far as the atmosphere goes there's plenty to love here. Cudi drops some of his most emotional, soul searching rhymes here, as he brings up how he's going to "heal his wounds himself". It's an alright track, certainly not bad. Thankfully though, the last two tracks of this "act" really end this one on a good note. First, we have "Mature Nature" which instantly draws you in with one of the most solid beats here. Like "Does It" earlier, "Mature Nature" has the spacey kind of beat that Cudi has been reaching for for years, and it comes off great. Some of these late album beats end up coming off so elegant and lavish that I can't help but be seriously impressed. Lyrically, Cudi may have written this in the grand total of 5 minutes. While it's simple though, it doesn't come of half bad. It's hazy, it's beautiful, you just need to shut your mind off and enjoy. This act rounds up with "Kitchen" which is probably one of my favorite tracks on the album. The instrumental immediately is so warm and inviting, with some seriously gorgeous strings and woodwinds thrown in. Cudi may sound as heartbroken and desperately looking for love once again, but ironically he seems at peace with it, like it's not making him self destruct. The guy who earlier was hyping himself up to be an other-worldly being is now coming off super relate-able. The hook here is simple, but it's catchy and sticks with you. Sure, there are a ton of really awful, cringe-worthy tracks on here. But there are also a ton that I seriously can't wait to revisit, and I can't remember the last time I thought that about A Kid Cudi album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDvp6lXmmG8
Finally we’re brought to the final act, “It's Bright and Heaven Is Warm”, and it has a bit of a rocky start. I mean this act starts out with a track literally called “Cosmic Warrior”, and if you’re a fan of Kid Cudi you can tell this is going to get ugly really fast. We start off here with another dark, spacey synth lead. The beat is nice and you’d think Cudi would be right at home on this beat. But when those vocal harmonies come in, shockingly they are seriously terrible. Tracks like this need to end soon, and don’t even get me stared on those Eagle sound effects. As far as the verses go, they beat remains smooth. But between the moaning and awkward vocal moments Cudi seriously needs to stop this, because I can’t take this seriously. Even the later moments when the beat switches up a little bit turn out to be epic, its just everything else that completely flops. And in between all of this we have these ridiculous song topics, I don’t even know what the guy is going for anymore. Thankfully Cudi bounces back quickly with “The Guide”, once again featuring Andre 3000. The beat here is done perfectly, building up for quite a while before seriously hitting. Cudi here seems to be more in rap mode, but to be honest after all of the moaning and poor singing I’ll take it. However, on that second verse Cudi sounds so much better and his performance comes off great. The pacing on this track makes everything come together though, it’s executed perfectly. Here Cudi lets Andre 3000 take care of the vocal harmonies, and boy is that ever refreshing. The beat on “The Guide” is a little over the top, and certainly a little goofy, but I feel like Cudi’s having some fun on it, which is a huge plus. I always got the feeling over the years that Cudi has always 100% believed the things he’s said in his songs. But here, he just seems like he’s really enjoying himself. When Andre’s verse comes in, it’s just as cool and abstract as you would think it would be. Overall, “The Guide” is pretty damn awesome. Consistency though continues to seriously bring Cudi down. “The Commander” starts off with these vocal melodies that to be honest aren’t too terribly bad. But why the hell are tracks like this even existing anymore in Cudi’s discography? As far as the verses go, they aren’t terribly bad either. Mostly it’s the atmosphere itself bringing this one down. Personally, I though some of the darker tracks have seriously dominated this album. “The Commander” on the other hand is just a little too glitzy and hopeful for my liking. And while the verses are ok, there are still plenty of awkward moments, like that ridiculously cringe-worthy acoustic breakdown. Finally, an hour and 20 minutes later (Cudi we seriously have to talk about the length of these albums cause this is exhausting), we reach the finale, “Surfin’”. This track, also featuring Pharell Williams is a total shot out of left field in every way. ESPECIALLY for this point in the album. We start off with this beat centering around these wild, tribal drums and a heavy bass groove. If Cudi has some grand narrative for this album, I’m seriously scratching my head as to where the hell “Surfin’” fits in. This track is like no other one here, the fact that this is even a Kid Cudi song is mind-blowing. The beat is great, the horns are triumphant, and Cudi actually sounds like he’s putting in effort into his vocals. This may be the most important track here as far as Cudi and his sanity goes. His verses sound rejuvenated, Cudi himself almost comes off as reborn. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time Cudi was this coherent and easy to understand. I have no idea where “Surfin” came from, but for Cudi’s sake he needs to return to this sound some more.
Rating: 7.1/10Finally we’re brought to the final act, “It's Bright and Heaven Is Warm”, and it has a bit of a rocky start. I mean this act starts out with a track literally called “Cosmic Warrior”, and if you’re a fan of Kid Cudi you can tell this is going to get ugly really fast. We start off here with another dark, spacey synth lead. The beat is nice and you’d think Cudi would be right at home on this beat. But when those vocal harmonies come in, shockingly they are seriously terrible. Tracks like this need to end soon, and don’t even get me stared on those Eagle sound effects. As far as the verses go, they beat remains smooth. But between the moaning and awkward vocal moments Cudi seriously needs to stop this, because I can’t take this seriously. Even the later moments when the beat switches up a little bit turn out to be epic, its just everything else that completely flops. And in between all of this we have these ridiculous song topics, I don’t even know what the guy is going for anymore. Thankfully Cudi bounces back quickly with “The Guide”, once again featuring Andre 3000. The beat here is done perfectly, building up for quite a while before seriously hitting. Cudi here seems to be more in rap mode, but to be honest after all of the moaning and poor singing I’ll take it. However, on that second verse Cudi sounds so much better and his performance comes off great. The pacing on this track makes everything come together though, it’s executed perfectly. Here Cudi lets Andre 3000 take care of the vocal harmonies, and boy is that ever refreshing. The beat on “The Guide” is a little over the top, and certainly a little goofy, but I feel like Cudi’s having some fun on it, which is a huge plus. I always got the feeling over the years that Cudi has always 100% believed the things he’s said in his songs. But here, he just seems like he’s really enjoying himself. When Andre’s verse comes in, it’s just as cool and abstract as you would think it would be. Overall, “The Guide” is pretty damn awesome. Consistency though continues to seriously bring Cudi down. “The Commander” starts off with these vocal melodies that to be honest aren’t too terribly bad. But why the hell are tracks like this even existing anymore in Cudi’s discography? As far as the verses go, they aren’t terribly bad either. Mostly it’s the atmosphere itself bringing this one down. Personally, I though some of the darker tracks have seriously dominated this album. “The Commander” on the other hand is just a little too glitzy and hopeful for my liking. And while the verses are ok, there are still plenty of awkward moments, like that ridiculously cringe-worthy acoustic breakdown. Finally, an hour and 20 minutes later (Cudi we seriously have to talk about the length of these albums cause this is exhausting), we reach the finale, “Surfin’”. This track, also featuring Pharell Williams is a total shot out of left field in every way. ESPECIALLY for this point in the album. We start off with this beat centering around these wild, tribal drums and a heavy bass groove. If Cudi has some grand narrative for this album, I’m seriously scratching my head as to where the hell “Surfin’” fits in. This track is like no other one here, the fact that this is even a Kid Cudi song is mind-blowing. The beat is great, the horns are triumphant, and Cudi actually sounds like he’s putting in effort into his vocals. This may be the most important track here as far as Cudi and his sanity goes. His verses sound rejuvenated, Cudi himself almost comes off as reborn. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time Cudi was this coherent and easy to understand. I have no idea where “Surfin” came from, but for Cudi’s sake he needs to return to this sound some more.
Give A Listen To: "Swim In The Light", "By Design", “Kitchen”, “Surfin”
Overall Thoughts: You know, call me crazy but I dig a lot of what Cudi is doing here. Trust me this is FAR from a perfect album, and Cudi has just as many awkward moments here and there that have plagued him for years. The horrible singing, some bizarre instrumental choices, and don't even get me started on some of these lyrics. However, let's look at this in context. Cudi for YEARS has been going down one of hip hops most downward spirals. "Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin" may be hard to follow and far from flawless, but it's easily his most cohesive project since I can remember. Listening to the last few Kid Cudi albums was a chore, but there are tracks on here that I'm actually excited to come back to. At the end of the day, Cudi shows more promise here than anytime else in recent memory.
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