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Posted on Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 10:45 a.m.

Kid Cudi coming to Michigan Theater on Monday for sold-out show

By Kevin Ransom

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Kid Cudi

The year 2009 was a big one for rapper Kid Cudi, a relative newcomer on the perpetually-burgeoning hip-hop scene. His 2009 debut album, “Man on the Moon: The End of Day” was a certifiable hit, he snagged three Grammy nominations, he landed some acting roles — and until mid-December, he was opening for Lady Gaga on her attention-getting “Monster Ball” Tour.

The departure from the Gaga tour was not without controversy and accusations of thuggery, which should come as no surprise in the rap world.

Cudi’s camp said that he decided to take an early leave from the Gaga tour so he could “balance his schedule surrounding the recording of his next album and acting commitments.” But Rolling Stone reported that Cudi’s departure from the Gaga express came five days after he punched a fan in the face during a solo performance in Vancouver. In any case, Cudi now is free to do shows at comparatively more intimate venues, like the Michigan Theater — where he’ll be performing a show on Monday that sold out in a matter of minutes.

Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, is a Cleveland native who has collaborated in the past with such rap and rock notables as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Common, The Black Eyed Peas and The Killers.

Some of Cudi’s fans think he’s shepherded some innovations into a current rap scene that they feel has lagged, creatively, in recent years. He mixes hip-hop, alt-rock and occasionally R&B to create a distinct sound, and his fans dig his witty rhymes and autobiographical storytelling. For example, his first single, “Day N Nite” was a conscious effort to lay bare his faults and “discuss” how he deals with them.

Listen to a selection of Kid Cudi songs:

Brian Goldstein, 19, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, is a Cudi fan who says that, ever since the release of “Man on the Moon,” Cudi has become “the rapper of choice for me and many of my friends. His music is appealing to so many because of the range of emotions that his songs often evoke in us fans. The lyrics aren't all about girls and clubs, and the rhythms don't all sound the same. Cudi can be the perfect listen during a long drive, before you go to sleep, or even at a huge party.

“I’ve been personally drawn to Cudi because of how innovative his sound is, in comparison to so many hip-hop artists today,” adds Goldstein. “His super-smooth voice seems to effortlessly flow over the beats that he uses, and those beats are what keep me coming back for more.”

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For “Man on the Moon,” Cudi’s producers — Emile, Plain Pat, and Ratatat — were at the forefront, helping to build tracks that are sometimes dark, but still melodic. And many of the songs found Cudi in an introspective mood — a conceit that clearly is more influenced by indie rock than by most other rappers.

“I’m sure everyone has been in at least one or two of the scenerios I mentioned in ‘Day N Nite,’” says Cudi in an interview on his web site. “It was a record designed to let the people out there know, —Hey, we all have issues. But there’s ways to get through, and there’s always a brighter day ahead filled with answers to the toughest situations. We all get lonely sometimes — its life.

“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.”

By most accounts, Cudi had a rough childhood and teen experience. When he was 11, his father died of cancer. He soon displayed behavior problems, sometimes lashing out at his schoolmates.

Perhaps as a result, Cudi has become known as a solitary eccentric. When the rap mag Complex did a big story on him last year, the writer described a giant wolf statue that Cudi keeps in his apartment to “hold him down.” And even though he lives alone, his kitchen table is fastidiously set for 4.

In fact, the Complex writer mused that, if one were to “spend a few hours with (Cudi), he’ll crack jokes, maybe talk in odd voices. He’s a bundle of contradictions, enough to make you wonder which side of him you’re going to meet next. The lonely stoner or the people person? The class clown or the prisoner of his own paranoia?”

But back to the music. For his part, Ann Arbor’s Goldstein thinks that “Cudi seems to be the first mainstream rapper who has tapped in to the electronic sound that so many kids today are attracted to. I think that earlier in his career, some people may have been a little turned off by these computer-generated beats that you would never hear on another hip-hop track.

“However, after recent collaborations with MGMT and Ratatat, I'd say that this distinct sound is definitely growing on people.”

PREVIEW Kid Cudi Who: Young rapper whose 2009 debut album made him a break-out star. What: Witty rhymes and introspective lyrics set to a mix of hip-hop, alternative rock and R&B sounds. Where: Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty Street. When: Monday, January 11, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Sold out. Details: AnnArbor.com calendar listing or 734-668-8397.

Kevin Ransom is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at KevinRansom10@aol.com.