Oh, Kid Cudi…
From the moment he hit the music scene in 2008, Scott Mescudi has shown that he is not your everyday artist. He is famously known for his ventures in experimental hip hop with albums like Man on the Moon & its sequel, which have been considered classics amongst his fans and hip hop enthusiasts alike. Unfortunately his efforts into experimental rock have been rather unsuccessful, with his WZRD project merely producing a handful of memorable tracks. He returned to fuller form in alternative hip hop with Indicud and Satellite Flight, and has also been working on Man on the Moon III for quite some time. Until then, Cudi has returned to experiment even further with rock, releasing Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven; and to be honest: we wish he didn’t.
Instead of implementing synthesizers, like he even did with his WZRD rock project, Speedin’ Bullet only includes guitar with some minor drums. All we’re left with is some very fuzzy guitar-playing and some basic backbeats. Oh yeah, must we not forget about Cudi’s signature crooning taking it about 5 steps too far on most tracks. Even the loyalist fan has to be asking themselves as they listen to this project: What happened, Kid Cudi?
Yes, the album has some listenable tunes like its title track, ‘Adventures,’ and ‘Handle With Care.’ These tracks only standout because they have a hint of classic Cudi. Beyond that, you can leave this album alone and let it collect dust. It’s unfortunate to criticize such a great artist like Scott Mescudi here, but there’s just little to grasp onto here throughout its 26 (yes, 26) tracks. The man is a legend amongst many and his ability to be unique in the past has worked wonders. This time around, the majority of the project is one huge miss.
Much of Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven lacks any production value. The songs feel as if Cudi got into the studio with a guitar, possibly a drummer, some lyrics, and just winged the takes. The lyrics have substance, yes, but it’s hard to hear through all the moaning and rather weak instrumentals. It sounds like an attempt at a barebones type of project, but that is definitely not where Cudi shines. Whether its his, or someone’s else’s, Kid Cudi needs some production value in his tracks to make them classics. The album’s best work, of course, does have some actual production instead of just noise rock. Rest assured, there are no masterpieces like ‘GHOST!’ or ‘The Dream Time Machine’ on this project.
Once the final track comes to a close (at last), one word comes to mind: disappointment. Let’s just be glad Cudi got this out of the way before Man on the Moon III arrives. Hopefully, Cudi can redeem himself after baffling many of his fans and going way too far with Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven. For those who love everything Cudi, you might even be skipping this project and waiting for the next. As a day-one Cudi fan, this 90-minute experiment is mostly painful to listen to. The recommended tracks above are worth a listen, but that’s about it. If you didn’t like Kid Cudi before, this definitely isn’t going to help. Hopefully, this is just a phase.
GRADE: D -
