One of my favorite hip hop artists is KiD CuDi; someone who is a very diverse musician since he has produced music, written raps, and been a part of a duet named WZRD with fellow producer Dot da Genius. He is on the top of my list because of the message he puts forth in his music.
He has released four albums as Kid CuDi, following a story that spans the course of all of the albums and more to come, and he has released the alternative rock album WZRD as WZRD. KiD CuDi talks about various problems in his life and problems that are faced by people in general. His music mixes the perfect blend of meaning and a carefree attitude, at least as an album as a whole. Each album he has released changes throughout the story of the album, but each song helps keep the story going.
He doesn’t just rap about drugs and money, but he finds a way to fuse his lifestyle with a real message, such as his song Brothers featuring King Chip and A$AP Rocky, which talks about how he wants to thank everyone in his life for how much he’s accomplished so far. The thing that makes this song unique from other songs about rappers’ “crews” is that CuDi respects all of the people he has worked with and praises them for how he has been able to gain as much success as he has. Yet he also acknowledges how people can get out of touch with each other and how it is important to recognize that while they may have not always been there, but if the did help you through a part of your life, it is important to remember them and try to affiliate yourself with the people you grew up with.
He raps about his perseverance in many of his songs including “Soundtrack 2 My Life”, one of his most famous songs, which is about his childhood perseverance, “Scott Mescudi vs. The World”, and “Mr. Rager”, which are songs that involve the perseverance of death and the journey involved in getting past the initial shock of dying. This take on death is a vital part of KiD CuDi’s album and how it relates to the story of the “Man on the Moon”, which is the overlying character of his albums. The official video is shown below:
The official video of Mr. Rager depicts Scott Mescudi as persevering through a mob of men, as he fights his way to something or someone. In the song, CuDi sings “I’m going to heaven”, which could mean that he’s trying to find a better place after he has died or after a part of him has died. This journey is shown through the video, which takes a surprising turn of events at the end, showing him completely fine in a therapist’s office. I still have many opinions on the video, but I would like to hear your comments and opinions on what you think the video might mean. If you want more background, you should check out the rest of the album so you can see the song in context of the other songs: Man on the Moon 2: The Legend of Mr. Rager.
Hip-Hop Maharaj 