A&E
April 25, 2013
13
Reviews by
John &Con: MTV Movie Awards
The streak of major music releases that have had large amounts of anticipation has continued with the most recent Kid Cudi album, Indicud. Cudi is following up his two massively successful Man on the Moon albums, which gained him a strong underground following and to be signed with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music Label. However, the Cudi we used to know is no more, trading in the emotional raps and singing about struggles he has faced for a new and brasher persona. The Cudi we now see is acting like he is out to prove something, trying to solidify his fan base while also lashing out at those who do not like him by trying to prove to them their negative opinion of him is wrong. He takes control by producing and writing the entire album, a feat he has never attempted to conquer. The strong points of Indicud are some of the best work Cudi has produced, not only due to the songs themselves, but the creativity Cudi puts into them. The first major standout is the incredible intro track, “The Resurrection of Scott Mescudi,” where Cudi utilizes dark synths and hard-hitting drums to create a dark and haunting mood, one that transitions well into the subject matter of the album. Cudi’s also at his best during the second half of the album, with songs such as “Immortal” and “Cold Blooded” which show off parts of the old Cudi we have Adam and Colleen Andrews Tim & Denise Bandel Doug & Janelle Banowetz Ron & Duetta Banowetz Mark & Janice Brady Tammie & Scott Brady John & Lora Breitbach Frank & Marge Breya Hannah Brown Rick & Heidi Brown Robert & Janet Brown Doug & Sheri Brunner Eric & Lisa Busch Larry & Marjory Bushaw Jeff & Michele Busse Lavern & Audrey Busse Colleen Camp Boba & Stacy Cataldo Ken & Janet Cave Austin Chute Mark & Sheryl Chute Matt & Tracie Chute Mr. & Mrs. Robert Chute Joe & Lisha Coffey Kelly Collins Patrick & Elaine Collins First Federal Credit Union Sandy Cummings Clark & Kathy Cunningham Cathy D’ Mello Jack Daubitz Luke De Ga Mike & Karen Delaney Mobile Demand David & Laura Diebold Brian & Terry Donnelly Mary Donovan Dave & Polly Draker Alicia Drown
come to love, along with the new ambitious one we will learn to like. The aspect of the album that hits its best and worst moments is the features. Cudi’s recent departure from G.O.O.D Music causes there to be a serious lack of the typical guests, such as Kanye West, Big Sean and Pusha T. Cudi does enlist several big time names, such as Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, and RZA, who all throw in some of their best work to date. If you need proof, listen to “BEEZ”, where RZA absolutely kills it on a strong Cudi beat, making the best song on the album by far. However, the other half of the features on the album are weird and forced, trying to incorporate obscure hipster singers into the album. This causes certain songs to just not click at all, including “Young Lady” and “Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends)”, which features hard rock turned singer songwriter Michael Bolton, creating one of the weirdest and unexpected portions of the album. While the album is great at times, his limitations as a producer and the redundancy of his lyrics prevent Indicud from reaching the classic status that Cudi guaranteed before the album was released. Check it out on iTunes for a worthwhile listen.
John Richardson Sports Editor
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