Customer Reviews

Man on the Moon: The End of Day (Clean)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

KiD CuDi brilliantly combined hip-hop, classical, trance n electronica and he delivers lyrics full of determination and sympathy with a lazy but very exciting flow. This record is very creative, unique and futuristic... like a hybrid of Pink Floyd, Beethoven and Kanye West.
"The sky might fall" but this boy has this heart of a lion that it can't stop him from flying hyeeer and landing on the moon on a pursuit of happiness.

My top 5 (very hard to make a choice):
1. The Sky Might Fall
2. Enter Galactic - If you can't do what you imagine then what is imagination to you?
3. The Soundtrack to my life
4. As Simple as... (leaves you expecting another verse in vain)
5. My World / In my Dreams

I think he really thought outside the box and I applaud him because few artists can craft such a risky concept especially for a debut album. Hope he keeps innovating his music once he's done exploring the moon and comes back to planet earth... For now PRESS Enter Galactic and fly Hyeeer

I picked this album up on a whim because of its $3.99 first day release price, and I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not a fan of main stream hip hop, more the alternative stuff (the Roots, Talib Kweli, Common, etc.) but the production and overall story concept of this album was pretty interesting. The beats are sparse with a lot of spacey sounds but a lot of them are really catchy (hear "Alive"), and the interludes with Common are interesting because they narrate the story of a stoner, and all the songs fit into different acts within the album. This is the first hip hop album in a long time that is more enjoyable when you listen to the whole album in entirety, it's a steal at $3.99.

This album is so innovative that it almost seems before its time. Every track is perfect, and not only that, but the album is also expertly put together from start to finish (with Common's narrating). This genius album will no doubt get nominated for and win multiple Grammys, top most best of the year lists, and earn a spot on most best of the 2000's lists. If I could sum up the album in one word, it would be: FUTURISTIC!

The fact that this dude speaks what he feels, against beats that arent mainstream, speaks volumes. I like Biggie, 2Pac, Face, and early Jay-Z as well, but that's where it ends. There is no more Biggie and Pac, a new Face album is rare nowadays, and Jigga is on his way out the door. NOT TO MENTION the fact the alot of rappers who try to emulate these cats wind up one hit wonders, or even worse, they go commercial and perpetually release weak albums. I am a fan of 'real' hip-hop, and what I mean by that, to clear up the confusion, is when someone speaks about their own experiences. If you never sold dope, then don't rap about it, etc. Few successful hip-hop aritists can follow this motto, probably out of fear or whatever but it doesn't get followed by the vast majority IMHO.

I don't know if you heard A kid name Cudi, Kid Named Cudi, but that to me was tight too. Maybe being from the MidWest (DETROIT) I can relate more, but I definitely felt that one too, especially 'Cleveland Is The Reason'. I front to back both these albums faithfully.

Personally, HIP-HOP NEEDS A DRASTIC CHANGE. Period. It was stated in another review [...], Hip-Hop has always done 3 things, and the 1st point was that it painted a picture of urban/street youth. That's true, but I have a question for you, at what point did urban/street youth start riding Bentley's and wearing 20 carat's of jewlery and a new pair of shoes everyday? Exactly, maybe 1% of them, yo D-boys and kids D-men, but that's it. So, why is all the HIP-HOP you hear nowadays about that? The majority of the hood can't afford that crap, and the music isn't uplifting them, it makes them feel insecure b/c they don't have this stuff, and makes them wanna rob and steal to get it. My moral compass tells me that's not right, and to be honest I get sick of listening to most of it. If they were really servicing the urban/street youth, instead of servicing their wallets, they would talk about their weaknesses, the struggles they overcame, and not about their wealth and fame. This IS something that Big and Pac did, and Face does, and something Jigga used to do, but even for him it's rare nowadays('You want my old stuff, buy my old album.' ?!?! Can you say crossed-over?)

Don't get me wrong, I listen to Jeezy and some other gangsta rap, and am a fan of Jigga still, and like it, but at a point the music becomes counterproductive to what hip-hop was supposed to be.

To sum it up, I give this album 5 stars and encourage him, Lupe, and any up-and-coming artists to make music about what they feel and what happened in their life, not about what's 'the norm', cuz we all know there is no such thing as the norm.

On his much anticipated debut album, Kid Cudi truly 'brings the heat'. A conceptual album by nature, it takes a couple of listens for the true genius and beauty of this album to open up to the listener. While in the same vein as Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak, it easily trumps that album in construction and excitability of material. Odd and maybe sometimes too odd, there is an unrequited genius about Man on the Moon, even for the listener who may think Kid Cudi is simply mad. 'Mad' genius proves to be more accurate.

The album opens up with the 'sleepy-sounding' "In My Dreams", which proves to be nothing less than curious. Instantly, "In My Dreams" makes the listener think and question where Kid Cudi is going with the entirety of the album. The production is mystical and pleasing and something soothes the listener about this odd track. Great, confusing, minimalist, "In My Dreams" opens the album strangely, yet very captivating. A narration by rapper Common leads into "Soundtrack 2 My Life", a slightly more accessible track than "In My Dreams" (for the more 'straight-forward' listener). Kid Cudi's flow is great here and his sung vocals on the hook are equally enjoyable. "Soundtrack 2 My Life" proves to be one of many standouts on this filler-free album. Autobiographical, Man on the Moon could be the hip-hop interpretation of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon.

"Simple As" repeatedly loops 'A,B,C,' and '1,2,3' at the forefront, obviously affirming the title 'Simple As', ingeniously. Odd, spacey, stupid and/or brilliant, "Simple As" manages to captivate one's attention from start to finish. "Solo Dolo (Nightmare)" is definitely a valedictory performance from Man on the Moon. Exceptionally performed by Cudi as well as exceptionally produced, "Solo Dolo" is different, 'stream of conscious', and plain different. By all means, it is nothing less than brilliantly conceived. Mostly sung, though spoken in pitched vocals at specific times, there is something that connects with the listener within this mysterious fourth track.

"Heart of a Lion" finds a slightly more hardcore Kid Cudi, obviously representative of the title 'Heart of a Lion'. The song lays as a tone poem lays within the orchestra trying to convey a portrait musically. Cudi excels with flying colors. "My World" featuring Billy Cravens again confuses, shocks, and impresses the listener with more autobiographical information about Kid Cudi. "Day N Nite", the left-field smash hit that helped propel Man on the Moon to a #4 bow on the Billboard Charts remains timeless here. It could be argued its the album's best track, but with so many interesting, cutting edge cuts, it proves to be just one of the best of Man on the Moon.

"Sky Might Fall" is equally as captivating as anything else. "Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part 1)" proves to be as strange as the oddest tracks ("In My Dreams", "Solo Dolo", etc.), but is also as solid as everything on this fine album. "Alive (Nightmare)" featuring Ratatat, is catchy and accessible - well as accessible as this conceptual album goes. "CuDi Zone" is another production showcase and also another solid performance from Kid Cudi, though it is showstopping proceeding tracks "Make Her Say" and "Pursuit of Happiness" that are stronger. "Make Her Say", which lifts an obvious Lady GaGa sample ("Poker Face" from The Fame, features an all star cast (Kanye West and Common). Ingenious, it has the distinction of being one of the best from Man on the Moon. Similarly, the MGMT featuring "Pursuit of Happiness" is haunting, strange, and beautiful. Along with "Make Her Say", "Day N Night", and "Solo Dolo", it is among the best of Man on the Moon.

The rest of the album ends strongly. "Hyyerr" has a smooth, soulful quality to it while "Up Up & Away" closes the strange yet interesting narrative that Cudi has so intricately developed on Man on the Moon.

Overall, Man on the Moon: The End of the Day is a brilliant album, deserving many accolades. It is one of few hip-hop albums of today that stretches the boundaries of the genre past lyrics about clubs, women, and drugs. Conversely, it can be argued this album transcends hip-hop and isn't truly a 'rap/hip-hip album'. All trivializations aside, this is one brilliant album that I personally will be playing for years and years to come.

Kid Cudi has truly arrived with his debut album Man on The Moon: The End Of Day. Kid Cudi was the subject of much hype this year after his contributions to Kanye West's 808's & Heartbreaks and when DAY N NITE became so successful. Much weight was being put on his shoulders to not only become the next hip hop star but also to push the genre forward into boundaries it had never been.

Well I'm here to tell you that Kid Cudi has definitely delivered. This album is everything a fan of hip hop and music in general could want. This album is different sonically as well. The sparse production, never overproduced, the use of silence and space. The tracks are sequenced into 5 Acts to give the listener a feeling of a story being told but succeeds in creating a certain atmosphere that is unmatched. That feeling is dark, moody, deep, futuristic and unique. It's hard to exactly say why this album is so good but it really literally is GENIUS. Kid Cudi also has great lyrics. Some people may not feel his lyrics because they only pay attention to technique but he drops lyrics for the mind about life, feelings, emotions etc that grown people can relate to. The album is very mature and wise beyond his years. Kid Cudi combines a unique flow and delivery with a semi-singing/talking approach that works extremely well for him.

Man on The Moon: End Of Day is a crowning achievement and one of the best debuts in recent memory. Sonically the album is amazing (reminds me of ATLiens), Cudi has perfected his style. The album creates an atmosphere from the unique album cover and presentation of the album to the movie-esque back cover. He takes us on a journey with his music and is one of the rare times when an album is more enjoyable as an album rather than a collection of songs. What I mean by that is that the individual songs are great indeed but the sum is greater than it's parts. This album should be enjoyed and listened to straight through (like a movie...) to fully appreciate its creativity and purpose.

I HIGHLY recommend Kid Cudi's debut album as it is undoubtedly and easily one of the great albums of the year. Standing Ovation. Instant Classic.

*also included is a poster,DVD, and lyrics inside the book. The DVD is decent...nothing really noteworthy or prolific about it...just a bonus DVD. Also I bought mine from BB and there aren't any bonus tracks on the cd as it suggests on the cover...a big FAIL for the deception and whichever goofball messed up is fired or should be*

Kanye West's protege KiD CuDi finally releases his debut album proper (after releasing some mix tapes) and it is a sprawling ambitious project featuring CuDi's laid back sing song rapping style set to a bleak futuristic soundscape.

A concept album of sorts, interspersed with narrations by Common and broken into five "acts", the album opens with the trippy sounding ballad "In my dreams" ("Welcome, you're in my dream now" says Cudi), followed by the woozy rap "Soundtrack 2 my life". "Solo dolo (Nightmare)" is a stripped affair that sounds bleak and beautiful, while "Heart of a lion" is a genty pulsing number, while "My world" is a dreamy melancholic sounding song laced with tender piano.

The bleep-filled spooky sounding "Day N night (Nightmare)", the lead-off single has already hit the US and UK top 10 (and is also available in the excellent upbeat British-sounding Crookers Remix), while picking up the pace somewhat is the superb Kanye West produced "Sky may fall" (which reminds me of Kanye's "Welcome to heartbreak"). "Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)" is a galloping Disco-tinged song and is one of my favourites.

"Alive (Nightmare)" features electronic music duo Ratatat and has a synth/Rock feel, while "CuDi zone" has techno-style strings set to a slowed down beat. "Make her say" is the current single and features Kanye and Common, as well as a sample from Lady Gaga's "Poker face". It sounds like a nursery rhyme set to "Golddigger"-style beats and it works. "Pursuit of happiness (Nightmare)" is another swirling synth/Rock number, this time featuring MGMT. "Hyyerr" featuring Chip tha Ripper is a string-swathed ballad that sounds like some seventies soul classic, and closing is the pulsing guitar-driven "Up Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song)".

Experimental, and accessible at the same time, I would say CuDi has more than lived up to all the hype. This album should shoot his star well into the stratosphere.

I picked this up on a whim. Can't say "Day and Nite" or "Make Her Say" showed me anything about Cudi that make me think he would drop a solid album, but the "concept" idea and his dedication made me take a chance.

Your liking of this album will be largely dependent on how you enjoy the diversity and experimentation Cudi partakes. This is not a rap record - point blank. Cudi raps on some tracks, but musicially this is a very diverse genre-blending affair. We have some rock roots, house, dub, techno, electronic roots, etc. The music is dope throughout, but Cudi's singing and slow talking are what really make or break the CD.

If you can vibe with his so-so voice (singing wise) and enjoy the reflective spoken word then this will be a record you greatly appreciate. If you want more of a standard rap record, this CD will likely leave you scratching your head.

I like Cudi though and this CD left me pleasantly surprised.

Kanye West's protege KiD CuDi finally releases his debut album proper (after releasing some mix tapes) and it is a sprawling ambitious project featuring CuDi's laid back sing song rapping style set to a bleak futuristic soundscape.

A concept album of sorts, interspersed with narrations by Common and broken into five "acts", the album opens with the trippy sounding ballad "In my dreams" ("Welcome, you're in my dream now" says Cudi), followed by the woozy rap "Soundtrack 2 my life". "Solo dolo (Nightmare)" is a stripped affair that sounds bleak and beautiful, while "Heart of a lion" is a genty pulsing number, while "My world" is a dreamy melancholic sounding song laced with tender piano.

The bleep-filled spooky sounding "Day N night (Nightmare)", the lead-off single has already hit the US and UK top 10 (and is also available in the excellent upbeat British-sounding Crookers Remix), while picking up the pace somewhat is the superb Kanye West produced "Sky may fall" (which reminds me of Kanye's "Welcome to heartbreak"). "Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)" is a galloping Disco-tinged song and is one of my favourites.

"Alive (Nightmare)" features electronic music duo Ratatat and has a synth/Rock feel, while "CuDi zone" has techno-style strings set to a slowed down beat. "Make her say" is the current single and features Kanye and Common, as well as a sample from Lady Gaga's "Poker face". It sounds like a nursery rhyme set to "Golddigger"-style beats and it works. "Pursuit of happiness (Nightmare)" is another swirling synth/Rock number, this time featuring MGMT. "Hyyerr" featuring Chip tha Ripper is a string-swathed ballad that sounds like some seventies soul classic, and closing is the pulsing guitar-driven "Up Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song)".

The deluxe edition, when you can get it, has a DVD of live footage, and 4 bonus tracks ("Day N night (Crookers remix)", "Man on the moon", "Is there any love" featuring Wale, and "T.G.I.F" featuring Chip The Ripper), the last 3 available on CuDi's 2008 mixtape "A kid named CuDi".

Experimental, and accessible at the same time, I would say CuDi has more than lived up to all the hype. This album should shoot his star well into the stratosphere.

I heard this album a long time before i actually started to like it, mostly beacuse I'm a hip hop head. Not an underground junkie or a mainstream slave...I'm a hip hop head. And when i heard this album i seriously had no clue what to think. Well actually i thought it was a bunch of bs just singin not enough Rap for me. But the more i heard the songs unwillingly (my cousins cudi on a daily basis) the more I felt a change of heart for this abstract album. I'm pretty sure that this album and BOB's (sorry don't care enough about that fools music to want to spell his name right) album came out the same time and so i prolly heard them at around the same time and 3 years later let me tell you this.....BOB is a puppet (he used to make good music but turned in his mic just so a bunch of teenage girls would like him) and Cudi is the start of something revoluotionary. Defintly not hip hop (but pays his respects on songs like Hyyerr,Simple As.., and Soundtrack 2 my life) but almost a new type of music. I would say Pop art but really I have no clue what that means, but my guess is that it is popular music that is truly a piece of art and guess then it's a perfect fit. I love this album but totally understand why some people won't but to me is one of the best albums of recent MUSIC. SO check it out if you are ready for a revolution in mainstream music.