Man on The Moon...

Cleveland is the Reason…
written by K. Billy

I love hip-hop. I think anyone who knows me or has read any of my posts knows that my appreciation for it is far-reaching and there are aspects of it that consistently appeal to me, far beyond just the lyrics and the beats. What I have come to appreciate more and more about it is the diversity of the sound that has been injected into the genre. This is because of a variety of different reasons, but I find that region plays an instrumental role in the cultivation of a hip-hop sound. I’ve been on a little bit of a hiatus for a minute, due to some other responsibilities in my life, but I had to throw something together to big up Kid Cudi, a Cleveland-based artist that I was just put on to (big ups to my homegirl Jane!).

He just threw an album release party over at LOVE to celebrate the dropping of his new mixtape “A Kid Called Cudi.” Like many of the Midwestern artists that are permeating the scene nowadays, his flow is calculated and often, pretty cerebral with a heavy dependency on complex, yet simplistically-sounding tracks hearkening back to the sounds of the late-80’s. What’s interesting about him is his heavy incorporation of the techno-synth sound that’s been making a more pronounced appearance in hip-hop in the Midwest (think Kid Sister’s “Beeper” or Kanye’s “Flashing Lights”). In fact, his sound is very reminiscent of Outkast’s progressive musical tastes. To be sure it’s not for everyone, but I think everyone can appreciate what he’s trying to do with his music and with the genre on the whole.

The lead single from his forthcoming LP “Man on the Moon” (titled “Day N Nite”) is burning up underground spots from N.Y. to Chicago and he’s already been cosigned by artists the likes of Mr. Kanye West himself. This is the type of thing I love, PTM-ers. Big ups to new artists who are doing what they can to not only advance the genre, but advance the sound. Download his mixtape “A Kid Called Cudi” below and check out his bio and the “Day N Nite”remix here.

Download the mixtape here.