Kid Cudi, You’re Our Chosen One
The man on the moon is finally back. Almost a decade later, Kid Cudi dropped the final installment of his iconic trilogy, Man On The Moon III: The Chosen.
The first installments, Man On The Moon: The End Of Day and Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager, are easily some of the best, most iconic rap albums of our time and it’s an understatement to say that they changed many lives.
Man On The Moon III: The Chosen was well worth the wait. The 18-song tracklist revisits the internal battle with Mr. Rager, Cudi’s depressed, anxious alter ego, which he was still trying to control and navigate at the beginning of the trilogy.
“Mr. Rager embodies a battle of good and bad, between instinct and impulse.”
While we hear the more emotionally degrading story of Mr. Rager on the second installment, The Chosen discusses how we can revisit our worst nightmares, despite feeling happy and peaceful. The back cover of the album gives a brief glimpse into the storyline, sharing that Cudi has been to hell and back over the last 10 years.
“He found hope and overcame the darkness that was plaguing his life.”
Similar to the structure of the previous projects, Cudi broke the album into acts. The first act, Return 2 Madness, opens with “Beautiful Trip”; it’s is a smooth instrumental with Cudi’s legendary hum. On “Tequila Shots”, Cudi makes a stream of references to previous tracks that highlight the inspiration for this album. Cudi is still extremely open about his depression and coping mechanisms. In this story, its tequila. “Dive” also discusses his drinking, but the unease that alcohol can cause.
“She Knows This” is accompanied by a short film; it’s the first segment of a two-part narrative. In the video, the track follows Will Smith’s advice to “go pursue your destiny.”
Act 2, The Rager, The Menace, holds the plot of this project. “Damaged” and “Heaven On Earth” have melancholic undertones, which follow the fast progression of falling back into a depressed state. I hate to say it, but Cudi’s inner battles have led to his best songs. This trilogy just hits different than his other albums or collaborations.
“Show Out” with Pop Smoke and Skepta is a hype anthem for “showing out and showing up,” preaching endurance and victory.
I think “Mr. Solo Dolo III” is brilliant. It follows the same themes of “Solo Dolo (Nightmare)” from the first installment and “Solo Dolo Part II” on Indicud with Kendrick Lamar. Cudi is honest about his addiction as a result of his struggling mental health, but his personal isolation and loneliness define the theme of the whole trilogy. Rap and Hip-Hop have definitely bolstered the platform for men to be vulnerable about their emotions, but Cudi takes it further than others, proving once again that his twisted mind unleashes his genius.
Heart Of Rose Gold, the third act, really hits home. “Sad People” is a raw look into the sadness Cudi feels at night, and sometimes in his dreams. He depicts the waves of depression with really positive highs and extreme lows. Despite the lows, though, Cudi pushes his limits to “fly high.”
On “Elsie’s Baby Boy (Flashback)”, Cudi drops bars on his relationship with his mother and both the maternal and paternal influences she’s had. He touches on how his fathers absence, and later death, has affected his life.
“And a single-parent mother who
Worked her ass off, did the best she could”
“The Void” got some tears flowing during my first listen through the album. He details how he’s found ways to avoid falling back into a spiraling depression. At the end of the song, Cudi thanks his fans for continuing to join him on this bumpy ride.
No, thank YOU, Kid Cudi.
The third act is concluded with Phoebe Bridgers in “Lovin’ Me”. They remind us that self-love is an important step in finding happiness.
The final act Powers opens with the free spirit of “The Pale Moonlight”. Cudi has worked with electronic Duo Ratatat on collaborations before, and their production in this song adds a light beat that works nicely with Cudi’s message: when writing lyrics and making, he is carefree.
Trippie Redd and Cudi finally made some shit as Trippie Redd eloquently told Hot 97 in 2019. “Kid Cudi reached out. Me and him are gonna make some shit.” On“Rockstar Knights”, they reflect on their lives in the spotlight as rappers.
On “Soundtrack 2 My Life” in 2009, Cudi sang “I try and think about myself as a sacrifice just to show the kids they ain’t the only ones who up at night.” And 10 years later on “4 Da Kidz”, Cudi dedicates this song to those who have gone through similar battles and stuck by his side.
“Lord I Know” is the closing song to the album, and the whole trilogy. Sad.
It serves as a reflection of all his ups and downs through this storyline with Mr. Rager. The song suggest Cudi is at peace with his continuous message of perseverance. The project closes with his daughter, Vada, saying “To be continued” at the end of the song.
All I can say is that every second of The Man On The Moon trilogy is a blessing. Cudi went pretty hard on this album, and it’s a tough call as to which album is the best.
The creativity behind this whole project is mind-blowing, even aside from the fact that he produces incomparably good music. We were lucky to have experienced it.
Thank you, Cudi.
