Kid Cudi seriously needs to stop doing interviews. His new album just dropped and all anyone is talking about is how he bangs rails to get through interviews or how he called Perez a “fuckhead”. In any event, he’s getting a serious wave of attention as he releases a darker, more off the map piece of work. This particular album has had more than a few re-dos. First it was called “Cudder”, then “Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution, until he settled on ‘Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager’. Mr. Rager has been hailed as revelation, a whole new era of Kid Cudi. This album has seriously reshaped the Kid’s sound. His music is the product of a newer, harder, newly starved Cudi, all bets are off and he’s picking up beef left and right. It is no secret that he and Kanye fancy themselves untouchable in the music world; this album may clinch the title. The album includes a narrative track that outlines how an idealistic artist can get trapped in the Narnia-like world of hip hop, and then takes a side trip into a 90’s rock vibe, accompanied by jittery beats designed to disorientate. There is a spiraling fight for a firm hold on the control of Cudi’s desire to outlet his confessions. “Horizon” kicks off the album, asking “where will you be for the revolution?” and then launches you into a space age swirl that segues into Cudi’s attachment to drugs and sex. “All Along” felt like a forced smile, a little too bouncy to not be sarcastic. The chorus “All along, I guess I’m meant to be alone” anchors the song with the angst that it deserves. The bubblegum veneer doesn’t completely gloss over Cudi’s palpable isolation, we hear him battling his demons, which is comforting if you’ve ever considered yourself a lonely person. It is not until “Groovin”, “Mojo So Dope” and “Maniac” that the album really gets intense. It’s comparable to partying with a super volatile buddy, the night goes on and they get drunker and more out of control until they’re throwing chairs off of a balcony. I felt that there was a lot of uncompromising and decisive reflection on this album. If all his other two album were machine guns, this one was a high powered sniper rifle—to the point with deadly precision. All in all, this cd is listenable all the way through, a tough sell in these modern days. Cudi’s mini fall from grace allowed him some “time out” opportunities that yielded some of his most interesting work. Some thought this would be his huge comeback special, his first run after such a weird year. However, there was no gesturing cock of the walk attitude. Kid Cudi has proved more thoughtful and sincere than that—he kept it real.