The Rundown: Kid Cudi, Indicud

A track-by-track look at the elusive singer-rapper's new LP.

The Rundown: Kid Cudi's Indicud - With his third album, Indicud, which drops today, April 16, Kid Cudi's hoping to punctuate a month of bad news with a good album. Cudi surprised fans a couple weeks ago when he announced he was leaving G.O.O.D. Music, one of rap's most powerful and creative imprints. A little later, the release date for Indicud had to be rushed up a week to combat an early leak. But did Cudi put all this drama behind him musically? Click on to find out with our track-by-track review of Indicud.  —Alex Gale (Photo: G.O.O.D. Music)
“The Resurrection of Scott Mescudi” - The album starts with the sounds of crickets at night, which is fitting. The entire record, which Cudi produced himself, definitely has a desolate, nighttime feel, and the spooky synths—another common sonic theme throughout—that begin creeping in on this hazy instrumental intro set it off. (Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Landov)
“Unf--kwittable” - More gloomy synthesizer swells announce the album's first true song, "Unf--kwittable." Kid Cudi made a left turn on Indicud by taking on the production himself, and this is one of his finer moments, with driving, sparse drums underlying the electric guitar melody that recalls the better moments of his WZRD rap-rock side project. Ironically, it's Cudi's bread and butter—his trademark blend of singing and rapping—that causes problems here, with the off-key adlibs derailing the triumphant hook right when it's about to get catchy. (Photo: Aaron Gilbert / WENN.com)"Just What I Am" feat. King Chip - A brutally honest addiction confession hiding as a get-high anthem, "Just What I Am" is an album highlight. King Chip opens with a strong verse—as he does throughout the album—and the huge, vocodered hook ("I need smoke) will have people singing along even as Cudi explains he needs to numb the pain. "These damn pills ain't working, fam," he raps.(Photos from left: Rob Kim/Getty Images for Samsung, Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images)

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The Rundown: Kid Cudi's Indicud - With his third album, Indicud, which drops today, April 16, Kid Cudi's hoping to punctuate a month of bad news with a good album. Cudi surprised fans a couple weeks ago when he announced he was leaving G.O.O.D. Music, one of rap's most powerful and creative imprints. A little later, the release date for Indicud had to be rushed up a week to combat an early leak. But did Cudi put all this drama behind him musically? Click on to find out with our track-by-track review of Indicud.  —Alex Gale (Photo: G.O.O.D. Music)

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