Nearly prophetic, the ending pledge from Kid Cudi’s debut release Man On The Moon: The End Of Day had Common suitably announcing, “The end is never the end. A new challenge awaits; a test no man could be prepared for. A new hell he must conquer and destroy; a new level of growth he must confront himself.” Overwhelming fame, drug abuse and a child later, the man born Scott Mescudi has found himself on a new journey that doesn’t include a new galaxy but rather a conquest that begins from within. Cue the creation of Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager, an album that delves deep into Kid Cudi’s psyche as he attempts to unmask his altered state, better known as Mr. Rager.
Whether it’s his heavy soul-searching on “These Worries” or the unraveling of his suppressed thoughts (including suicide) on “Don’t Play This Song,” it’s evident that he’s been carrying a lot on his mind. On the latter track, a sensory overload of synth percussions pulsate the immediacy of this internal pain as Cudi explains, “I’m in a maze, I’m in a daze, I’m losing it / I’m locking in my rocket ship, I’ll be a blip on your radar bitch / Feels like things can recover / Until the day I’m above myself hovered.” While most artists would use a record like “Marijuana” 
to celebrate their excessive use of green bud (think Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa), Cudi tactfully presents it as a relief to his mental distress. Blending in the proper backdrop, producer Dot Da Genius provides a Trip Hop melody that infectiously rides out even when Cudi is done musing about his remedy.
This is not to say that his latest offering doesn’t have its lighter moments. Take for instance “Mojo So Dope,” where Cudder’s carefree demeanor floats throughout the spaced-out melody. Separating his style from so-called peers he declares, “I live through words, not metaphors / So I pass to be the rest of the freshmen.” Cruising on brisk drums courtesy of The Cool Kids’ Chuck Inglish, Cudi treats “Ashin’ Kusher” like a down-to-earth version of “Cudi Zone.” Candidly going about his business, Cudi crassly admits, “Even if I do something unruly, I’ll be like, ‘Fuck a nigga I was probably zooted!’” A bit left field of his usual musical scope, “Erase Me” works from the straight pop-rock aesthetic to Kanye West’s venomous lyrics to Cudi’s vexing vocals due to the extensive verbal abuse from his ex.
What separates The Legend Of Mr. Rager from The End Of Day, besides theme, is the sheer intensity inserted into his new records. Whereas a track like “Pursuit Of Happiness” captured a blissful peak, “Wild’n Cuz I’m Young” aggressively shows off a darker side. Going into “fuck you” mode over a barrage of drums and trembling bass, the Cleveland native shows off his lyrical chops while staying within his element. Another standout track turns out to be “MANIAC” . Teaming up with underground Hip Hop icon Cage, the two artists’ vibe off an eerily dark concept that is as haunting as it is engrossing. Where many thought this collaboration wouldn’t work, the two artists execute controlled insanity effectively.
It becomes a disappointment then when the tail-end of the album doesn’t carry quite the same focus. With little regards to vocal pitch, the erratic approach on “GHOST!” is punctuated by an unharmonious melody that becomes irritating. Then, Cudi builds up the audacity to finish with “Trapped In My Mind.” Musically, the record has legs. However, when Cudi apathetically remarks being trapped in his mind is “not that bad at all,” this very statement sounds sarcastic considering the struggles he seemingly endured throughout the album.
A tortured soul, yes, but one with ingenious capabilities, Cudi has taken his progressive style and in just two albums has turned it into a sound that no one would dare replicate. And yet as revealing as he is on Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager, there’s no telling what creative elements his next project may hold. Rightfully so, even if Kid Cudi never traces back to Mr. Rager, the legend will still live on.
Dope!
best album.
And now i’m officially done with HIPHOPDX reviews. you cited 2 songs as flaws. the rest of the review was fucking critical acclaim, and it gets a 3 1/2. *ed lover* CMON SON, FUCK OUTTA HERE WITH THAT BULLSHIT!!! Im never reading another review from you guys again.
just awsome.
this album is greater than or equal to (>= for you math wizards) his 1st and cudi keeps to the same flow as he did in the previous album. artists tend to “change it up” when doing a new project but cudi keeps his listeners on edge with each track/adventure.
this is way less interesting than End of Day. I want to buy, but I bought Drake too.
This is way better than B.o.B. tho
Good album. Not perfect, but good.
This and Mood Muzik 4 are the best albums of the year.
How is an album that is just “good” the best album of the year?
wow his kid is a moron.
the roots n atmosphere cds way better than this
^ what @chiefzs said
what about nas and damian marley!
big boi anyone??????
big boi’s albums was fuckin amazing. distant relatives was sick too. kutt calhouns raw n unkutt was phenomenal. as for cudi; every song is the same winey bullshit… effortless almost.
His last was definitely better in my mind. Bout a 3/5 and thats it. Like cudi but he can drop better than this.
granted, I only heard a preview of every song, but it doesn’t sound all that impressive. I’ll wait to rate it until I heard the whole thing, but doesn’t sound so good.
His first album was better but Mr Rager isnt bad either. I give it 3.5/5. Other than a few stand out tracks it all kinda blends together
terrible review.
all along was best song on the album, trapped in my mind is great and the concept theme he approached was phenomenal . cudder is the future
less rhyming n more singing equals disapointment 2.5
hahaha
NO ONE TALKS… LOST IN THE MOOD.
great progression in the MOTM series. I’ll definitely be gettin my copy
I am a huge kid cudder fan….i felt the 1st album was better, but not in terms of creativity, mosty in terms of just wordchoice, and less rapping. Ultimately its a dope album, and KC is just what hip hop needs at this point.
Just bought it (in the UK), and it is pretty impressive. I just like his music, end of.
I AM MR. RAGER!!!
He sounds like he was Hi through the entire Album recording. Honestly i luv cudi. but i dnt think this album is worth buying all the tracks. Thats just me..
fuck you bitch
god awful album.
I respect Cudi’s vision and his choice to rap about his personal struggles and the like. His first cd was amazing and i will be there for Man on the Moon 2. He’s a good alternative to alot of the bullshit “hip-hop” on the radio right now.
“With little regards to vocal pitch, the erratic approach… is punctuated by an unharmonious melody that becomes irritating”
That pretty much sums up Kudi to me!
And oh yea…aint nothing legendary about this mediocre rapper
haters gonna hate
Yup having an opinion makes someone a hater!
great album, cudi! way betta than n-e-thing flake’z gay monotone azz did diz year. next up, kanye wit MBDTF on nov 22. beat nickgay minaj-a-tois!
GOOD MUZIK! GOOD MUZIK! GOOD MUZIK!
He does it once again. For all you hip-hop heads, this might not be the best album ever, but CuDi continuously puts out unfiltered, straight to the point, music. If you disagree, go listen to your Waka Flocka’s and your Gucci’s… This man is what Wale and Wiz will never be.
Kid Cudi = modern Jimi Hendrix.
If you fools are complaining because there is less rapping, then you FOOLS are missing the whole point.
Cudi is something new and refreshing not only to Hip Hop but more towards music in general. One.
Thank you!! Damn somebody gets it.
I’m not hating on it because he don’t rap as much, I’m hating on it because I think he can do better. And c’mon…the next Hendrix? You obviously don’t understand the impact Hendrix had on music. Cudi is nothing compared to that man.
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whackness
MANIAC is probably my favorite song on the album
Cudi is real hip hop, amazing work, but not feeling a lot of these songs.
http://www.reverbnation.com/astacks1215
check this kid he’s real hip hop like Cudi, you won’t be disappointed.
dnt fuck wit cudi.
I put 5 stars to boost the rating
4.3/5
Dope review Hiphopdx, maybe a 4 would be better, but well your review agrees with these sites also:
http://www.spin.com/reviews/kid-cudi-man-moon-ii-legend-mr-rager-gooduniversal-motown rating: 4
http://beat-town.com/2010/11/02/review-kid-cudi-man-on-the-moon-ii-the-legend-of-mr-rager/ rating: 3,5
Have to disagree on GHOST!, its one of the hotter joints to me *shrugs*. A quality album, those who think otherwise are stuck in the 21st century hip hop box!
hell yea thats bullshyt this album is amazn n GHOST! is my fav track on the album…they jus dnt understand kid cudder
GHOST! is one of the better songs IMO. Oh well, I think its better than the first album.
Just listened to the previews on iTunes and it sounds nice from what I’ve heard. Definitely picking up a copy this week.
KID CUDI – HIP HOPS THOM YORKE
My only beef with the cudi (along witha host of new artists) is lack not ahving talent. When you say they can’t rap, they say “i’m not a rapper. ” when you say the can’t sing, they say “i’m not a singer.” you say they beats is wack, they say “i’m not a producer” okay, i get it you’re an artists,b ut that don’t mean you don’t have to do something well. lol
Lack not having talent? If the lack not having talent then that would make them talented. Read what you say before you post it.
Cudi doesn’t have talent? I keep hearing that shit and I don’t get it. Is it because he sings, or because his wordplay isn’t as complex as other rappers’? Yeah, his wordplay isn’t the best and he is not the best singer, traditionally speaking but he is far from a traditional rapper in the first place. His true talent lies in his ability to convey deep emotions and stories in his lyrics, a skill that a lot of so-called emcees with witty wordplay can’t match up to nowadays. I was skeptical of this guy as well when he first came out, but I was silenced when I heard his first album.
Pac wasn’t exactly the best lyricist, but you couldn’t deny his ability to tell a story and keep your attention until the end of the track. That’s exactly what Cudi does, he injects his life experiences into his songs and creates art that can’t be compared to any other stuff that is out there today. His singing voice works perfectly with his dark message and beat selections. Even as a vocalist, creating cohesive work like this takes true talent. It’s not all about how witty you can be when it comes to your lyrics, but you also need to know how to get your message across.
Plus, have you ever heard Cudi freestyle before? He is nuts! Most cats nowadays (including J Cole and Wale) get on the radio and spit prewritten lyrics cause they don’t actually have the talent to spit off the top off their heads and sound nice. But Cudi always freestyles off the top and never has prewritten lyrics. Tim Westwood even gave him an fast house beat to throw him off, but he ran with it and totally trashed the mic. And he goes forever, switching cadences and flows and switching from mostly traditional rapping to singing. Check youtube my man, the guy is a machine. It’s alright if you don’t dig his music, but just don’t sleep on this guy’s talent. There’s a reason he’s on G.O.O.D. Music you know.
Hip-Hop heads, we need to start thinking outside of the box people! We can’t just keep looking at the 90s wishing that sound and era of music would come back. We need to look forward and open our minds and stop being close minded when people deviate from the traditional structure that the golden era created. Don’t compromise, but just give some of these upcoming cats more of a chance. Open your tastes up, we can’t keep listening to Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt forever. Hip-Hop in 2010 has been phenomenal year for me as a head, both in the underground and mainstream. Stop saying Hip-Hop is dead, it just shows how whiny we are as fans. We all sound like how our parents did back in the day when they said that Hip-Hop wasn’t really music. lol.
hes an artist in his own right just good chill music which is respectable doesnt have to be the best rapper, singer etc. hes got his own genre goin on and i aint hating
could not agree anymore @alex enuf said
His first album was like no other hip hop album I have ever heard, & it was a breath of fresh air to me. I have listened to all the tracks on the new album & to me this is better than the last. I have loved hip hop, but It’s great to get artists like this that are not like the rest.
Can’t wait to hear it. I could download it, but I’ve waited this long..so why not wait 1 more day haha.. will by this shyt tomorrow..
From what I hear, sounds dope as shyt.. If you don’t like it, just move on, Cudi’s not for everyone.
This album is good and all but music (as is any other form of art) truly for the consumer. I prefered the upbeat, happy, ass-kicking The End of Day. Cudi is pouring out his soul, ok i get it but im notfeeling the music as much. I would really like a 3rd album where Cudi takes the Mr.Rager role in a good way without all of the dark and deep problems (maybe after he overcomes them and gets back to living life). That’s what I think but I still love his music. I just like End of Day better than Legend of Mr. Rager…
You are the first one I have ever heard say that End of Day was and upbeat and happy album. lol. Are you sure you weren’t listening to A Kid Named Cudi? I loved the dark nature of the first album and I was happy when I heard that the second one was gonna be darker. His music is best when it’s filled with dark emotional issues and a somber beat. I guess it’s just a difference in taste but he is definitely satisfying the consumer here.
First album is better, but still not to bad of a sophomore album..better than most!
Man! I love Real Hip Hop and Cleveland needed Kid Cudi to represent us! And this album is dope!
really a solid album. solid artist. not really groundbreaking, but i love poppin it up and rollin one up to it.
First Album 1,000 time better but i still fucks with this one too!
BK all day!
All I’ve heard from the album so far is Erase Me and The End and if the album has songs like The End, then I’m buying it.
Kid Cudi’s new album rivals his first album. Brilliance is displayed by kid cudi on his second album.
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Very good album, not as good as his first, but to be honest thats my favorite album of all time. Doesn’t have a track that really stands out, if so it would be a 5 for me.
people just love cudi
liked before he was a coke hea d smh wat happen cuz
This album was so Creative thats the one thing that makes it stand out amongst all others. CREATIVITY!
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1 of the best album of the year !
One thingg about Cudder is that he has originality..soo the chances of jocking is flow is impossible
Timeless. No one is like Cudi.
Agreed.
Amazing album. Original.
unique,real, magnificent, brilliant!
An immaculate sophmore album – picking up seamlessly where the first album left off. Cudi’s in a class of his own.
This album is not very good at all. ‘Day and Night’ was a one hit wonder of a song and cudi’s career will never recover from this horrible record.
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Better than his last album. Great songs with great beats. If you dont like this go listen to waka and soulja boy
HIPHOPDX!!! No offense but the “30 reviews in 30 days” is kinda stupid.
Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Joell Ortiz and maybe T.I. are the only reviews I care about.hahah
Yalewolf?? PitBul? Soujah Boy? Nelly? Flo Rida? WOW!! These 30 Days are going to be HUGE!
I, for one loved Cudi’s last album, and this one doesn’t disappoint. He’s not a lyrical wizard, rather creates a mood that merge between hip-hop and spaced alternative, which is props enough in raps homogenized culture. It’s worth your time & money. Props to substance based music.
this is my shit right here
This album is awesome!!! Not as good as his first but still amazing top 5 album of the year! Hes one of the best artists ever!
DOPE
as
Fuck
this is a classic. PURE GENIUS
Thank you Scott yet again you have blessed us with a masterpiece
The Legend Of Mr. Rager
Better than his last album. More variety of good songs. Although Day & Night and Pursuit of Happiness will always be classics.
this album is trash! no where near as good as the first one. its a weed plate!
not as good as the first
Liked his first one better but still enjoyed this one. Best of the year, now way. Distant Relatives, IMHO, is probably one of the best albums of the past decade.
Could not agree more. I feel like Distant Relatives was just completely slept on. That album has more replay value than anything any major artist has put out for years
Cudi brings something new to the table; both on his first album and Man on the Moon II. The new album is much darker in my opinion and you really feel the dude on this. I personally love BOTH albums and am happy to see a young artist like Cudi inject art into his sound… unlike many of the cookie cutter artists on the radio these days. It is definitely worth your money!!
very good, but not as good as the first imo
I loved Cudi’s first album… but after my first listen of this new one I gotta say I’m VERY disappointed. Maybe it’ll grow on me but my initial feeling is meh…
It was awwwesome
Forget what ‘genre’ he’s in, I’m sick of people putting everything Ina box….it’s dope music u can vibe to! Just as good as his first album! Support by copping it!
Awesome
Classic
Open your mind…
NONONO!!
I Frikin waited for this album for like a month and i am sorry to say this is trash. It is nothing unless you smoke weed and do crack everyday. I guess ill just stuck on to the first album untill he makes decent music.
I think it’s funny how so many People are quick to talk sh*t about Kid Cudi and his Music without taking it in. I respect Kid Cudi because he’s always himself and he doesn’t put on a front like 90% of the Artist in the Game today. When you listen to Mr Cudi’s Music he talks real things and sometimes you can relate to it which is good too. Maybe some of y’all wanna buy records that are 60 mins long and everything is about Guns, Hoes, Rimz, Ice, Cribs, Drugs and how many Cars they have as for me no thanks. I grew up in the 80’s – 90’s so I’m about cats that do their own thing for ex: A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, RUN DMC, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kanye, KRS-1, MC Lyte, De la Soul, Mobb Deep, Scarface, Slick Rick, Wu Tang, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, NWA etc. Anyway back to Mr Cudi the albums isn’t as good as his first one but it’s still worth picking up and supporting. So for ya’ll that wanna support all those weak ass Rappers with horrible names, corny lyrics and wack new dances you do that I’ll go cop “Man on the Moon 2”
Peace
This album is FUCKING GARBAGE. Kanye is big upin’ this cat, and the album is a bunch of rants from a coke head. It’s a mess. He hardly spits the whole time, and when he does rhyme he doesn’t say ANYTHING. I tried to get into this album…zone out…I listened twice. And NOTHING grabs me. This is one of those albums you have to be crack head to get. I’m not a crack head.
Wow, you’re an idiot. Kanye’s album is sick but cudi’s is pretty damn good as well. You have to be a crackhead to get this?!? probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.. You’re ruining this website with your idiocy. smoke a god damn bowl and blast this album and get the rocks out of your head dipshit!
Hahaha. It’s called an opinion cock sucker. The beauty is, you can listen to the album all you want and love it…You can have mine if you want. I don’t have to like a single song on the disc, and I don’t. I’ve been listening to Hip Hop a looong time, and I understand and like plenty of different styles, I just don’t relate to Cudi. I don’t have to like this album. But you don’t have to be butt hurt about it either. What’s your address so I can mail you this shitty disc.
I will give you one thing…The crack head comment was out of line. That was fucked up. I’ll give you that. But I still don’t get this album. I’ve tried!! I wanted to like this album. I just don’t. What can I say??
ive always felt you either like cudi or hate him. i personally like him. i can understand how people wouldnt tho.
BOOM!
dope, stop hating because hes creative
No one hates because he is creative, people hate because they dont like his sound. This album wasnt as good as the first one
haha average user rating is 4.20
LOVE IT!!!
“Cudi has taken his progressive style and in just two albums has turned it into a sound that no one would dare replicate.”
What about 808 and Heartbreaks? That entire album was a rip-off of Kudi’s sound and Kanye’s all but admitted it.
wtf are you talking about nigga, 808’s came out before any of kudis albums.
a kid named cudi was released in july 08, with 808s and heartbreak was released in november 08. cudi wrote heartless and also song the hook for welcome to heartbreak. not saying scotts right, just saying lol is deffinetly wrong.
I can understand how people may not like this album at first… I didn’t love his first album at first but it grew on me soo much and now I LOVE CuDi. This Album is absolutely greatt.
weak
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BACKLOADING AN ALBUM! IT MAKES LISTENING TO THE ALBUM UNEVEN AND CAUSES THE GOTTA GROW ON ME EFFECT. LOVED TRACKS 9,12,&15.
This album damn near put me to sleep the first time I heard it. I like CuDi so I gave it a second listen and now I’ve played it all the way through atleast 25 times. I love this album. It’s so much different from “The End of the Day”, yet it’s still amazing.
WTF WOAAH WOAAH WOAAH Cudi Been talking about smoking
I lol’d that the average user rating is 4.20
5 stars
the album is poetic as fuck.
and heres a strong fuck you to whomever downloaded this shit… FUCK YOU!.
you cant see it. but im giving you the finger.
This shit is fire
GO buy the album support the artist this shit go hard
This shit really grew on me. Wasn’t feeling it at first but now I’m really into it. Good album.
G.O.O.D MUSIC
This album is crazy. I really like this shit.
Absolutely incredible
who can do it beside cudi. listen and relate
interesting…the first time i heard man on the moon i hated it, second and third time, still hated it… then randomly one day i went for an L ride with a friend and he sort of broke down his appreciation for the album, attempting to sway my opinion.. as we drove, i listened (and smoked) and i actually started to really like some of that album…
now just the other day, my same friend who had previously been sooooo enthusiastic about kudi comes to me like….”yo, that new kid cudi is garbage…what the fuck?”…..
now i’m reading the review and the comments and it seems like this new cudi album is definitely a love it or absolutely fucking hate it type of thing….very interesting…
It wasnt as good as man on the moon one but its better than most other albums out these days & 10x better than soulja boys album
This album becomes addicting after just a few listens.
Im gonna give my honest opinion on this…. it was shit. I am not a Cudi hater. I listen to End of Day all of the time. One of my fvorites all time albums. That was the Cudi I liked. This Cudi was different. And some of you may like it but I hate it. The whole album’s about marijuana and depression. His first album was much lighter, the production was 50X better, and the lyrics were 100X better. The only time Cudi was emotional was when he was moaning about weed. It’s hard to believe the guy who wrote this album also made songs like My World and Pursuit of Happiness. It’s sad how much he fell of on this piece of trash. And I still like Cudi, a lot of artists have a terrible album then come back, but I refuse to listen to this shit. I guess he’s gotta supply everyone and this album was mainly for the stoners and potheads. He’s releasing a mixtape though so hopefully he can show the original side of Cudder or else I give up with him. This was the biggest disappointment of 2010 for me. Even more than Luda’s album. I guess I’ll just have to keep bumpin MOTM: End of Day until he makes a comeback, if he does.
At first me too I disliked this second album, but after a couple of listens (expecially when u’r tired or a lil’ bit drunk and you bump it loud in your headphones) it grew on me more and more, untill I completely love it. I still think that End of Day was a lil’ bit better, but just ‘cuz it was easier, but this is amazingly innovative. Something completely new. Give this album another try, and listen to it deeply, I’m sure you will at least appreciate it a lil’ bit more 😉
da best
This album was by far one of the greatest albums to this date by any hip/hop or rap artist out there. Kid Cudi has definitely hit home with this album, like Cudi in the past his lyrics are something that everyone can relate with. This being his second major album was definitely a perfect follow up to his first album of the man on the moon part 1. This album is a perfect listen for every hip-hop/rap fan out there who just want’s to ‘chill out’
Either you love it or you hate it as someone said before. I personally really like this album, not on the same level as his debut but still very good. Some people though really seem to dislike it. Worth checking out in my opinion.
G.O.O.D. right dere
A Folk hip hop genius
Separates the men from the boys.
A good album, but it’s not good as the debut. I liked every song on the debut, this one doesnt finish as strongly as MotM1, but its proof that Cudder’s career is not a fluke
wen i first heard this album i thought it sucked compared to man on the moon 1 but this grew on me and ive realised u cant compare the two they are completely different , man on the moon 2 has a darkness place feel to it and its beautifully crafted .
yea spot on
You haft to go thru what cudi went thru to REALLY understand this album, have a out of body experience then you will really understand what he’s talking about
Kid Cudi is unique and his music still rides. Good Combo. 5/5
agreeing with htown below, you really do have to go through it all to truly understand this album. cudi describes his journey through the good, bad, and ugly of his life here, and you cant exactly feel him on this, but if you’ve had a similar experience(s), then you know how tough and how beautiful life may be. I love the whole album, and could listen through any time of any day. 11/10
Timeless and beautiful, ’nuff said
It’s Kid Cudi trying something new from his first album, and I’d say it payed off pretty well. I really enjoyed the album, and its dark mood on some songs.