A Kid Named Cudi
Kid Cudi showing off the tats and the talent.
Right off the bat, I have to say—the Michigan Theatre is a great venue for a rap concert. I walked into the Kid Cudi concert on Monday evening, slightly unsure of how I was going to like it. After all, I’m no Cudi groupie. I know a few of his main songs—Day ‘n’ Nite, Pursuit of Happiness, Soundtrack 2 My Life, Make Her Say. But, this alternative hip hop artist showed all Wolverines why he is one of the most talented, Grammy-nominated artists out there.
A Cleveland native, Kid Cudi (legally named Scott Tamon Seguro Mescudi), performed songs from his famous album Man on the Moon: The End of Day and his mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi. The crowd went wild—so much so, that the security guards spent the majority of their night pushing people out of the aisle and insisting that the concert goers put out their joints. A successful night, to say the least.
When asked what was most surprising about the concert, a Kid Cudi fan explained to me, “Kid Cudi is a very unique rapper in the sense that his raps are very personal. Unlike Flo Rida and a handful of other rappers who take beats with heavy basses, a catchy chorus, and cheesy rhymes about money and ho’s, Kid Cudi is not trying to make singles that can sell in the clubs and that will only last on the charts for a month or two. I didn’t think that his personal raps would be conductive for a high-energy concert, but he surprisingly rocked it. He really fed off the fans.”
The fans were on their feet the entire night, dancing, singing, and having a great time. I’ve been to a few concerts at the Michigan Theatre but this was, by far, the most energy I’ve seen in the place. Honestly, my margarita evening (pre-concert) lasted longer than expected and I, unfortunately, missed the opening acts: “One Be Lo” and “The Higher Concept.” But, I’ve heard from other onlookers that they helped rile up the crowd for Cudi. And DJ TJ made an appearance, spinning tracks and hosting a killer after party at Scorekeeper’s.
Cudi's newest album: Man on the Moon: The End of Day
In an era where hip-hop can be humdrum, Kid Cudi is a breath of fresh air. Young Money can make our “Beds Rock,” 50 Cent can preach about his “Babies By Me,” Drake can tell us about the “Best He’s Ever Had,” Jibbs’ “Chains Hang Low,” Pitbull goes “Krazy,” Ludacris tells us what his “Fantasy” is. The lyrics are catchy, they’re hits, they blast in clubs all over the globe, but they lack what Kid Cudi brings to the table: creativity and new sounds. Kid Cudi is honest about his life, his faults, his issues and he uses his experiences to create some of the most infectious beats the rap world has seen in years.
When asked why she was a Kid Cudi fan, one concert attendee responded, “I like Cudi because his sound is a little different from other mainstream rap artists. He doesn’t just rap about money and problems. I feel like I can relate more to him than other rappers.” And that’s just what Cudi’s goal is. In an interview with Virb.com, the Cleveland rapper said, “People like records they can relate to, even if you can’t relate to something I speak about, you’ll at least understand my mind, I won’t lose anyone. Even if they haven’t walked in my shoes, they’ll feel me for me.”
This Man on the Moon’s rocket has officially launched. The destination? All around the world. Before his January 11th show in Ann Arbor, Kid Cudi was performing in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Currently, he’s en route back to his home away from Cleveland, New York City, where he will be until he leaves for the international part of his tour, beginning in Australia.
Bottom line: Kid Cudi’s concert at the Michigan Theatre was a hit. He made us say: Oh Ah Oh Oh Oh Ah Oh. And, we certainly weren’t wearing our poker faces.
Alexandra Foster
This makes me want to be there~
You lucky… you. XD hahahaha I’m glad it was really good.