Kid Cudi's mixtape shows wit, promise

His new album will release at the end of summer.

By Tom Carbone

Published April 30, 2009

Anyone out there paying attention to hip-hop right now is probably well aware of the plethora of promising up-and-coming rappers such as Drake, Wale, Charles Hamilton and Kid Cudi.

All of these emcees have put out album-quality mixtapes in the last year and most of them have full-length albums coming out within the next year. Kid Cudi, a Cleveland native, will be releasing his first full-length album at the end of the summer, but for now, he has released a mixtape entitled Dat Kid From Cleveland to whet our appetites.

Cudi started gaining notoriety towards the end of last summer with his successful mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, and he was even featured on Kanye West's last album 808's and Heartbreak.

By frequently pairing up with better-known rappers such as West and Asher Roth, among others, Cudi has made quite the name for himself. His latest mixtape is no different. With a variety of talented guests and phenomenal production, "Dat Kid From Cleveland" will certainly satisfy fans.

"Daps and Pounds," released this year on April 20 as a DJ E-V exclusive, is a great start to the mixtape. Coincidentally enough, Cudi raps about one of his favorite topics: marijuana. "Launching away from the helipad/running outta' bud/re-up before I'm hella mad," he says in the song. This is a definite favorite of mine on the tape.

One track that has been getting a lot of play lately is "I Poke Her Face." The song features a sample of the recent Lady Gaga hit "Poker Face," as well as cameos from rap superstars Kanye West and Common. Kanye's verse is especially great on the song. "I got seniority with the sororities so that explains why I love college/gettin' brain in the library cuz I love knowledge / when you use your medulla oblongata," Kanye says, referring to Asher Roth's biggest track, "I Love College."

My favorite song of the year so far is the seventh track on this mixtape, "She Came Along." This song, featuring Cudi and written by L.A.-based producer Sharam, has a sound that can only be described as a unique fusion of country and surf rock. Think of the beginning sequence of a Quentin Tarantino film. The upbeat intro lasts for about two minutes and Cudi jumps in quickly and spits a few long verses.

The latter half of the mixtape focuses more on shorter tracks and assorted freestyles Cudi has laid down this year. Don't skip over the end of this mixtape; it's arguably cooler than the first half.

With all the new rappers sprouting up these days, it's hard to tell who's good and who's just like the rest of them but Kid Cudi stands above. Between his lyrical content and production quality, nothing Cudi is doing bores me in the slightest. If this mixtape, along with his previous efforts are indicators of what his full-length album will be like, fans of rap are in for a treat.