Say what you will about Kanye West the person, but Kanye West the rapper and producer has changed the Hip-Hop game for the better. His unique flow and ear for diverse beats, samples and live instrumentation have influenced a new generation of up and coming wunderkinds and his protégée Kid Cudi is near the top of that new generation. Originally noticed for his ground breaking 2008 free mix-tape A Kid Named Cudi, West recruited Cudi to help write and produce four tracks for West's polarizing 808's and Heartbreak album and one of those tracks, "Heartless" became a worldwide smash, ushering Kid Cudi into the realm of next big thing status. Early this summer Cudi's single "Day n Nite," a track from his mix tape about a lonely stoner who frees his mind at night, inexplicably reached #1 on the charts catapulting Cudi's status further even though he still didn't have a proper debut album released. With all the hype surrounding him, it's no surprise that his long awaited debut Man on the Moon: The End of Day will have its share of haters, jealous types and naysayers, but don't listen to them because Kid Cudi is the real deal; a young up and comer with talent to back up all the buzzed about hype.

One thing that is shockingly different between Man on the Moon and Kid Cudi's mix-tape is the overall tone between the two. Whereas the mix-tape was for the most part a fun time party album, Man on the Moon is wildly moody and at times, quite depressing. The honesty and candor that Cudi portrays throughout is incredibly refreshing. Where most mainstream rappers would boast about how great they have it with their fancy cars, stacks of cash and mini-mansions, Cudi informs us on "Soundtrack 2 My Life" that "I got 99 problems and they all bitches, wish I was Jigga Man, care free livin'" which pokes fun at Jay-Z but dig deeper and you hear a Kid still mourning the death of his father when he was a pre-teen and "all of these emotions are pouring out of me." Don't let the serious subject matter however make you think there aren't carefree moments to be had on Man on the Moon. "Simple As…" is one of the best produced Hip-Hop tracks of the year (which can be enjoyed ten-fold with a solid pair of headphones so you can revel in all the stellar layering being done on that track) and "Make Her Say" (featuring Kanye West and Common) brilliantly samples Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and turns it on its ear to make it something entirely his own. At times, Man on the Moon can be overly self-indulgent and bipolar to say the least, but that's half its charm and over the next few years I think it'll be one of those albums that people look back and say that it really changed the landscape of Hip-Hop.