“I am the smartest man alive.”
This quote made famous from the Adam Sandler film “Billy Madison” is an appropriate way to describe the new direction of Scott Mescudi, also known as Cleveland, Ohio artist, Kid Cudi. The quote is also used in the song “Immortal,” which also describes Cudi’s new feelings going forward with his music. He feels that he is a genius and his musical styles will be untouched. While this may be a brash and self-centered statement; it is a feeling that comes across throughout his third solo album, “Indicud.”
His first two albums, “Man on the Moon: The End of Day” and “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager,” followed the same format. Both albums told a story that focused on the trials and tribulations of Mescudi’s personal life, mainly through his lyrics that described everything from relationship issues to drug addiction. But “Indicud” steps away from this format and effectively displays the vast amount of talent Mescudi possesses. One of the surprising aspects of the album is Mescudi produced the entire album by himself. Rather than using music from various producers, he was able to create his own sound specifically for his album, something that is rarely seen in today’s musical world.
Mescudi’s sound doesn’t fit into only one genre. He can combine pieces of rock, hip-hop, soul and alternative genres throughout the album. Songs such as “Young Lady” and “Burn Baby Burn” have a rock ‘n’ roll base to them while Mescudi raps and sings infectious hooks. Other songs feature more of a hip-hop influence and mix in other musical elements. He also highlights his creativity on songs that don’t have lyrics. “Indicud” also feature short instrumental interludes throughout. “The Resurrection of Scott Mescudi,” “New York Rage Fest,” and “The Flight of The Moon Man” don’t have any lyrics in them, but they are able to keep the overall tone of the album.
On top of creating his own sound for “Indicud,” Mescudi was also able to obtain a vast amount of features on the album that makes it even better. The album features rappers A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, RZA, Bay Area rapper Too $hort and frequent collaborator King Chip that blend well into Mescudi’s overall sound. The album also features singers that other artists may not even think to collaborate. Among these artists are folk singer Father John Misty, indie pop group Haim, and even legendary singer Michael Bolton. Yes, you read that correctly. The 60-year-old crooner lends his high vocal range to the song “Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends),” a standout song on the album due to its change of tempo midway through and its use of 80s-esque synthesizers.
Overall, “Indicud” stands alone amongst other recent releases, much like Kid Cudi himself. This is his first release since leaving Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label, which he had signed to in 2008. Cudi has been one of the most consistent artists since then and “Indicud” continues his streak of releasing great music.
