Kid Cudi is an artist whose popularity is quickly spreading throughout the country. With his previous album, “Man on the Moon: the End of Day,” Cudi was criticized for selling out, and his response came in this new album “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.” Cudi uses his background in alternative hip-hop groups from his hometown of Cleveland to push this album to new heights.

Many of the songs are considered esoteric. People wonder why Cudi does certain things, like putting 40 seconds of bleak sounds at the end of “Wild 'n Cuz I'm Young.” What they don't realize is, when played backwards, this track reveals a message. In general, the good songs are great and the bad songs couldn't be worse.

“These Worries,” featuring Mary J. Blige, doesn't create the best contrast of voices because they both sound monotone. “Don't Play This Song” is also not a great track because of the strings in the background that don't seem to fit Cudi's one-of-a-kind voice. The dark images of the songs “The End” and “Wild'n Cuz I'm Young” are too much for one album too handle. However, the majority of the tracks give a new, soul/hip-hop feel to Cudi's style.

“REVOFEV” and “Mr. Rager” are two outstanding tracks. They are the most mainstream, but still keep a soul/hip hop feel with a jazz background. “GHOST,” “Erase Me,” and “Scott Mescudi vs. the World,” immediately catch in the listener's ear. “Mojo So Dope,” “Ashin' Kusher,” “MANIAC,” “All Along,” and “Trapped in My Mind,” are decent songs that truly give this album its heart and soul.

Cudi creates new, innovative sounds that contrast with the popular songs on the radio today. By using a mix of artificial and real instruments (including drums and violins), Cudi creates sounds no other artist has conceived of before.

The lyrics sound good, but when you dig deep into the soul of his words, it's apparent that there's more to them. Kid Cudi's lyrics often include metaphors or allusions to concepts or events, which makes his word play seem mysterious. This may confuse the listener at first, however, the great thing about Kid Cudi is that when you listen multiple times, the meaning starts to come clear.

These songs make up one of the most diverse albums of this generation.