Kid Cudi completes the trilogy he began over a decade ago with new album ‘Man On The Moon III: The Chosen.’ The first in the series, his debut, was released in 2009, and secured him cult status as a Hip Hop vanguard; notable for its sensitivity and creativity.
Eleven years on and ‘MOTM3’ is still creatively exciting, although this time around it takes inspiration from Cudi’s contemporaries, and sees him borrow elements from the ubiquitous Trap sound of the time. Given that Cudi’s influence on the current crop is undisputed, he can hardly be accused of biting.
Enough beating around the bush though; ‘Does it live up to its predecessors?’ is the question on every Cudi fan’s lips, and the answer is no, of course. In part this is surely because MOTMs 1 & 2 exist in a rose-tinted world of their own, but it’s also true in an objective sense; outside of obvious tracks like ‘She Knows This’ and ‘Show Out’ [ft. Pop Smoke & Skepta], there is a LOT of filler, while its features and sonic do quite often feel like Cudi trying to pander to today’s audience, rather than continue to innovate.
Make no mistake, it’s a privilege to have Cudi back, and an end to the ‘Man Of The Moon’ series that’s been so influential. MOTM3 may not be the jewel in the Cudi crown, but it’s substantially better than most releases you’ll have heard this year. Stream below via SoundCloud.
Province 