In 2008, Kanye West did something no one saw coming; he made a pop album. His pop/electro project 808s & Heartbreak took the music community by storm. Critics and fans alike were sectioned off into two categories; those who found it amazing that Mr. West would take on an endeavor so outside his comfort zone, and those who were so appalled at Yeezus’ willingness to make an album that would runaway from his original style. Either way, Kanye’s genre-jumping attitude had a major impact in the industry. This unfortunately, led to the musical equivalent of negligent homicide that was Rebirth, by New Orleans rapper/singer Lil Wayne. This ill-conceived misadventure into Rock n’ Roll was met with distain from nearly everyone who dared to listen to this cacophony of vile riffs, and magniloquent drum fills. Wayne’s eagerness to mess around in something that he so obviously had no business experimenting with set the genre bending attitude in rap back to a pre-808’s mindset.

Today, Cleveland native rapper/singer KiD CuDi, and producer Dot da Genius have come; to bring back a bit of that flare to the rapper turned rocker mentality with their collaboration band’s self-titled debut album WZRD. Mescudi met the Brooklyn producer when he was working on his rap debut mixtape A KiD Named CuDi, and was later aided by him in his solo debut Man on the Moon which included the hit single “Day n’ Nite” that would go on to peak at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. After reuniting for three tracks on his sophomore album, Man on the Moon II, the duo showed their chemistry, and knack for creating otherworldly music. But, to entirely shift gears and take on a task that neither is familiar with, is something that takes full dedication and a strong will to conquer.

WZRD captures much of these feelings. In the 11 track Lp CuDi shows a world of emotion, while still expanding his musical horizons. The album begins with the instrumental track “The Arrival” which sets the mood perfectly with its dark synthesizers and slow droning guitar. The alt-rock sounding “High off Life” tells of CuDi’s newfound sobriety. Viewed by most as the ‘Lonely Stoner’, his drug free attitude is not only a relief to some his fans but also his mother who, on occasion before publicly worried about her sons drug use, to which he quips, “Hey Mama I’m livin’ la vida, No need to worry about your baby no more”.

The album goes into cruise control mode on “The Dream Time Machine” featuring Australian electro duo Empire of the Sun, who provide backing vocals which coincide perfectly with Cudder’s voice. As in all experimental endeavors there will be some bumps in the road and this is evident with the post-grungy sounding “Love Hard”, which sounds like an idea a pair of fifteen year olds loved hard (not soft, for then they would have “already lost”) that contains a club banging breakdown which makes one wonder how it got onto the album. Luckily WZRD gets right back on the horse with the upbeat “Live and Learn” that describes CuDi’s past experiences as well as his future plans; this also is the first song to mention CuDi’s newest life achievement, his near two-year-old daughter Vada.

The record then kicks it into overdrive on the fifth track “Brake”, the acid rock sounding single that epitomizes what Mr. Rager set out for when beginning his rock journey. The album then turns in a love song with “Teleport to me, Jamie” whose sonic atmosphere and classic loner Cudder vibe “I can’t stand the times when I’m alone at night, and I feel the side of your bed and it’s cold” could be a hit in the making. Then CuDi takes on his biggest challenge yet, with a cover of the traditional folk song “In the Pines” and more specifically the rendition performed by Nirvana in their 1993 MTV Unplugged appearance. This tribute to the late Kurt Cobain is touching, seeing as he was one of the artists CuDi named as an inspiration for his rock transition, a list that includes ELO, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and The Pixies.

Thinking of a way to finish a work of art is challenging, WZRD however puts the nail in the coffin on its closing three tracks. “Efflictim” Mr. Solo Dolo’s version of an acoustic emo song sounds less like a melodramatic whiny version of Dashboard Confessional, in which he asks “How would you feel if you heard the news, that I was dead?” against a somber piano melody which bleeds emotion from every pore. The final two tracks that end WZRD also signify the beginning of what I hope to be the next step in Cudder's musical progression. “Dr. Pill”, a late addition to the album, whose subject matter could have easily been on any of his previous releases, features a fresh rap verse that feels like the most natural thing on the entire album. The conclusion “Upper Room” feels the most like a traditional CuDi song, with a sick beat and no guitar chords to provide that rock feel, it definitely brings a sort of nostalgic feeling with it to longtime CuDi listeners.

The great philosopher Jay-Z once said, if you “like my old s**t, buy my old albums”, KiD CuDi definitely projects that mindset saying, “Most people are [The second P in Naughty by Natures 1991 classic]” for not vibing with him. However, before this he sings, “I do believe in fate, I do believe in destiny”, which leads me to think maybe CuDi thought he was just fulfilling a prophecy by making an above-average mainstream rock album, and that may be the next step in his musical odyssey will take him to even larger, more creative heights.