Category: Blog

Categories
Non-Music News

National Blood Donor Month

Written By Miranda

January has been observed as National Blood Donor Month since the 1970s in an effort to increase winter blood donations. The winter months, specifically following the holidays, are one of the most difficult times for blood donation centers to recieve needed blood donations. Inclement weather and seasonal illness often prevent donors from their donations, and thus winter is one of the most difficult times of the year to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients. 

Donating blood is extremely important and can save lives. Blood donations from a single person can save multiple lives. Donations are essential for trauma patients, transplants, chronic illnesses, and more. Less than 10% of eligible donors actually donate in the United States. Typically eligibility requirements include being above 18 years old and above 118lbs and free of any major diseases.  Personal benefits of blood donation include not only the satisfaction of providing blood to patients who need it and saving lives, but also finding out your blood type and receiving free blood tests and having reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. The blood donation process is regulated by the FDA. You can trust blood donation centers to maintain a safe environment for donations.

NC State students can call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment at the North Raleigh Red Cross Donation Center to donate blood, platelets, and plasma. Remember to ask about COVID-19 precautions being taken to ensure your and others’ safety. Be sure to also bring  a driver’s license or passport with you. The center is about a 20 minute drive from campus. Be sure to also look out for blood donation drives on campus in the coming year, if restrictions allow. 

Sources: I, II 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

A Tribute to MF DOOM

Written By Miranda

The face of underground hiphop since the 2000s was a man in a mask. Daniel Dumile, more commonly known as MF DOOM, had an immeasurable impact on hiphop and the entire industry. Dumile was born in London to Trinidadian and Zimbabwean parents and grew up in New York. Dumile’s first foray into the world of music began with the pseudonym Zev Love X, and his formation of the hiphop group KMD with his younger brother, among other artists in 1988. They were signed to Elektra Records, but just prior to the release of their second album, Dumile’s younger brother was tragically killed in a car accident. This incident sparked Dumile’s hiatus from music and also his relocation from New York to Atlanta. In the late 90s, Dumile returned to the music scene, producing and releasing three singles and then his first LP as MF DOOM: “Operation: Doomsday.” Four years later, he produced and released “Take Me To Your Leader” under the pseudonym King Geedorah, and a year later released “Venomous Villian” under the pseudonym Viktor Vaughn. Also in 2004, Dumile collaborated with the producer Madlib under the name Madvillian, and created the extremely notorious “Madvillainy.” This album came to be known as a masterpiece and likely the magnum opus of Dumile’s music career. Dumile continued to produce and release great albums throughout the 2000s, including working in the group Danger Doom and the album “Born Like This.”

Despite MF DOOM’s general rise to notoriety, he remained a mysterious figure within the music business. Part of his enigmatic nature comes from the fact that Dumile used the MF DOOM pseudonym as a character, or alter ego. MF DOOM’s character constantly wore a mask, and thus Dumile never performed or was photographed without it on. In an interview, Dumile explains that he began wearing a mask to shed focus more toward his sound and talent, rather than. He dons the mask in order to rebel against, and it fits in with his character as the Villian. “Villian represents anybody…anybody could wear the mask.” Dumile continuously kept up his act as MF DOOM, sometimes even sending impostors to perform at his shows. Sadly, MF DOOM passed away on October 31, 2020. The public was informed about Dumile’s passing through social media two months later. The news of his death spread throughout social media with multiple artists and celebrities paying tribute to him and offering well wishes to his family. This great artist who shaped modern hiphop and modern music will be remembered as long as time.

Categories
DJ Highlights

DJ Butter’s Record Collection

Inspired by DJ Mango’s vinyl collection blog, I’ve decided to show off some of my own! One of my favorite pastimes is hunting through heaps of used records to find some from my favorite artists, especially if they contain music that’s not been widely heard. Without further ado, here are some of my personal favorites!

Gilberto & Jobim – João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim

Can you believe I found this gem at the Cheshire Cat for only $1? Truly the best dollar I’ve ever spent. Originally recorded in 1964, this LP is a collection of Gilberto and Jobim’s finest works, including the famous “Corcovado” from “Getz and Gilberto.”

Angel’s Pulse – Blood Orange

This is one of the first LPs I ever bought for my old record player, a silly little Crosley Cruiser. Dev Hynes really puts it all out there on this one. It’s a deeply soulful album and the cover art is to die for.

Jimi Hendrix at his Best Volume 1 – Jimi Hendrix & Saga Studios

Another great steal from the Cheshire Cat at a whopping $5, this Jimi Hendrix record only has five songs on it from his days before forming the Jimi Hendrix Experience. None of them are available on Apple Music or Spotify!

IGOR – Tyler, the Creator

“IGOR” is obviously a must-have, especially since the vinyl version contains “Boyfriend,” an unreleased song that wasn’t included in the digital soundtrack. Unfortunately, a lot of “IGOR” records were poorly pressed so they have some warping and surface noise (including mine).

Jimmy Page Special Early Works – Jimmy Page & Sonny Boy Williamson

I think I gasped audibly when I saw this, once again, in the Cheshire Cat. Jimmy Page is my favorite musician from the 60s/70s era so you can imagine my excitement. This little collection is back from his days before Zeppelin when he was a studio guitarist.

Con Todo El Mundo – Khruangbin

“Con Todo El Mundo” was gifted to me as a birthday present last year! It’s one of the most relaxing records I own and some of Khruangbin’s best work.

Stan Getz With Guest Laurindo Almeida – Stan Getz & Laurindo Almeida

This is another great Bossa Nova album that I picked up at Father and Son in Downtown Raleigh. It’s a bit more upbeat than the rest of Stan Getz’s usual work, but I adore it all the same.

Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin

This has to be the record I play the most out of my collection, being my favorite Zeppelin album. I think my next-door neighbors probably hate me because I blast it every Sunday when I clean my room.

4 Your Eyez Only – J. Cole

You can’t deny how powerful “4 Your Eyez Only” is as an album. I got this one at Nice Price my senior year of high school because it was my favorite at the time. I love the inside and cover art on this one too!

Fresh Air – HOMESHAKE

“Fresh Air” was the first vinyl I bought and I must’ve listened to it a thousand times the day I got it, reveling in the coolness of owning my own record player. Fantastic album, fantastic artist.

Hendrix in the West – Jimi Hendrix

Last but not least, I present to you the crème de la crème of my collection: “Hendrix in the West.” Not only does it include two LPs filled with live versions of some of Jimi’s best work, it also comes with a photobook containing pictures of bassist Noel Redding, drummer Mitch Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix himself.

I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into what a WKNC DJ listens to when they’re not in the studio!

– DJ Butter

Categories
Classic Album Review Miscellaneous Music Education New Album Review

Whole Lotta Leaks

WLR Album Art
Album Art credit to "arbitopi"

Well, it finally happened. After years of anticipation, memes, and leaks, the long-awaited album “Whole Lotta Red” finally dropped on Christmas morning. Playboi Carti had declared himself as Santa and donned a red appearance to match the theme of the album. However, and I say this as a true Playboi Carti fan, it turned out to be a whole lotta hype for a whole lotta garbage. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some good songs in there. “Place” was a classic throwback to the synth-style of Carti’s music and “Go2DaMoon” sent me to Pluto. But for the most part, the album was an evolution to a new style of rap that hasn’t entirely taken hold yet. Instead of sticking to his beloved dream-like style of music found in his first album, Carti is slowly transitioning to a more grunge, pop style of rap found in songs like “Poke It Out” in Die Lit. 

One of the most asked questions from fans concerning “Whole Lotta Red” is why none of the dozens of leaked songs were found on the album. To be honest, I feel like if Carti made an album entirely out of leaks it would have blown up. However, leaks such as “Kid Cudi” and “No Lie,” for as good as they may be, hinder Carti’s ability to actually release the songs. When a song is leaked by a fan it goes against how a rapper’s label may have intended to release the song. If it doesn’t gain enough popularity fast enough or in the right way, it may never release. So while it may be possible that some leaks could have been on WLR, since they were leaked they never made it on the album. 

Although the album wasn’t for everybody, it still had some pretty good songs on there and the new direction of Carti’s music warms up to you after a few listens. Hopefully fans are still willing to stick with him in the future and hopefully we can see less leaks and more legitimate songs. 

-The DJ Formerly Known as Chippypants 

Categories
Non-Music News

A Letter to the Audience

To WKNC’s audience,

Beginning Jan. 18, WKNC will begin airing our Underground format for a full 24 hours each Monday. This will be in addition to the Saturday and Sunday night Underground blocks beginning at 6 p.m. and our one-hour segment of Local Rap Lunch on Monday at noon. The adjustment to our schedule comes as a response to a sit-in protest that was held in WKNC’s studio in November 1992. The protest called upon WKNC’s staff to devote prime-time hours to Magic 88 (hip-hop, R&B and rap) which at the time only played from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. As reported by Technician (see attached article), 65 students filled WKNC’s studio and lobby to demand these changes. Although the segment was renamed “Underground” and eventually moved up to 9 p.m., along with a new gospel block on Sundays, the request for daytime hours was left unfulfilled. Thus, when WKNC’s current staff learned of this protest we decided that action must be taken to answer this call. The legacy of this 95-minute sit-in will continue through every subsequent Monday, indefinitely, to finally give Underground the prime hours it deserves. 

Dawn Gordon, an organizer of the sit-in of 1992, stated in Technician’s article, “[WKNC] is funded by student fees, and it’s the purpose of all radio stations to serve the public, not just those who like rock.” Gordon was right in 1992 and is still correct today. Though WKNC prides itself in broadcasting a variety of genre formats we must recognize the disproportionate focus on indie and alternative music on our channels. It is our hope that this schedule adjustment will be a strong step towards accountability and a recognition of past mistakes. Within the music industry, Black artistry has historically and continuously been discarded, overlooked and appropriated, yet Black musicians have founded many of the genres we play on-air. We recognize that Black creators exist within all genres and corners of the industry. Expanding Underground is just one way we can respond to the call of protesters from almost three decades ago. 

We would like to thank Underground Music Directors Makayla Mack and Assistant Music Director Kyle Vosberg for their efforts to increase our Underground libraries while preparing for this expansion. Without their curation we could not broadcast, as we say, music that matters. Now more than ever, their work is actively making WKNC a station of which we can be proud. Further thanks also go to Technician for publishing this article, our audience for their continued listenership and to the 65 protesters for challenging us to represent the interests of all students. 

Sincerely,

The Staff of WKNC

Categories
Non-Music News

Student Media Hosting Sidewalk Café

Join the team! NC State Student Media Sidewalk Cafe outside Witherspoon on Harris Field on Tuesday, January 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free coffee and cocoa while they last.

NC State Student Media will host a Sidewalk Café on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Harris Field.

Interested students can drop by this outdoor open house for free coffee and cocoa (while supplies last) and learn about entry-level paid and volunteer positions within Student Media. More than 300 students are involved with Student Media each year in writing, design, photography, videography, DJing, sales, social media and marketing roles.

Other Winter Welcome Week activities include:

  • Nubian Message Virtual Interest Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. over Zoom
  • WKNC DJ Interest Meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. over Zoom
  • WKNC DJ Internet Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. over Zoom
  • Technician Virtual Open House on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. over Zoom
  • Technician Virtual Open House on Friday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. over Zoom
  • WKNC Dance Stream on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. on WKNC’s YouTube channel
Categories
Miscellaneous

Book Review: Daisy Jones and The Six

Daisy Jones and The Six Book Cover

What better way to spend one’s winter break than reading? It’s been a relatively uneventful vacation for me, considering most of it was spent at home doing absolutely nothing, but reading helped make life a bit more interesting.

“Daisy Jones and The Six” was the first book I picked up over break, and I couldn’t put it down. Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, it tells the story of a fictional band from the 1970s called The Six. What’s fascinating is that it’s written like an interview, so the entire novel has a distinctive twinge of reality. In fact, I was actually under the impression that The Six was a real band up until halfway through the book when I googled them because I wanted to see what they looked like (needless to say I felt very silly).

Though the book is told just from the surviving band members’ personal recollections and quotes, Reid does an incredible job building the plot through the unique format. The story revolves around Daisy Jones, a troubled groupie-turned-songwriter, who begins her music career by joining forces with The Six, led by singer Billy Dunne. With a wife and kid at home, Billy struggles to balance the rock n’ roll lifestyle with fatherhood. Daisy, though talented beyond belief, can’t write a complete song and is hardly ever sober. Meanwhile, the other members of The Six have their own drama and exuberant personalities. But amidst the insanity, Daisy and Billy’s passion for songwriting, music, and each other drives the band towards fame.

At first glance, “Daisy Jones and The Six” appears to follow the classic rock band narrative: Band starts off good. Band goes on tour. Band goes crazy. Band starts fighting. Band breaks up. In fact, Daisy Jones and The Six are actually loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. However, what makes this story so interesting is the complexity of the characters and their relationships with one another. There is no perfect love story or fantasy ending. It shows the messiness of human connection on full display without any apology. It’s captivating and real.

If you’re a geek for the 1970s rock era like I am, I cannot give you a better book recommendation. Apart from having a rich plot, it’s also a gratifying read for music lovers everywhere. The details Reid includes about the sound, depth, and meaning of each song Daisy and The Six write make you feel like you can actually hear them. The full lyrics for each one are even in the back of the book!

Seeking a cure for the wintertime blues? Look no further. “Daisy Jones and The Six” will for sure be the antidote you need.

– DJ Butter

Categories
Playlists

WKNC’s top tracks of 2020

WKNC's Top Tracks of 2020

We reached out to our DJs and staff members here at WKNC and here are their responses for their top 3 songs of 2020. Every song named was released in 2020 so there’s no better way to find new music than to skim through this expansive list. These songs have also been added to a playlist on WKNC’s Spotify account.

Laura/DJ Beowvlf; GM

  • Deftones – “Genesis”
  • Oneohtrix Point Never – “the Whether Channel”
  • The Garden – “Fool’s Expedition”

Jamie Lynn; Station Adviser
Jamie was allowed more than 3 songs but she only gave us 2. We’ll allow it. 

  • Kississippi – “Around Your Room”
  • Tune-Yards – “nowhere; man.”

Molly/DJ Cicada; Program Director

  • Arca – “La Chiqui (ft SOPHIE)”
  • Shygirl – “Freak”
  • Yung Lean – “Dogboy”

Erika/The Saw; Chainsaw Rock Music Director and Content Manager

  • Boundaries – “Behind The Bend”
  • Upon A Burning Body – “Chains of Agony”
  • Ingested – “Black Pill”

Becca/M’Lady; Promotions Director

  • Oklou – “Gods Chariots”
  • Oneohtrix Point Never – “No Nightmares”
  • Monolithic – “Alone With You (Computer Data Remix)”

Gab/Beefless Poison; Sponsorship Director and Assistant Afterhours Music Director 

  • Magdalena Bay – “Good Intentions”
  • Coco & Clair Clair – “TLG”
  • Jessy Lanza – “All The Time”

Liz; Afterhours Music Director and Graphic Designer

  • Magdalena Bay – “Airplane”
  • Planet 1999 – “Party”
  • Kitty – “12th House”

Makayla; Underground Music Director

  • Loving – “Nihilist Kite Flyer”
  • Thundercat – “Funny Thing”
  • Cookiee Kawaii – “Rather Be”

Maddie/Buzz; Daytime Music Director

  • Fiona Apple – “Shameika”
  • Mamalarky – “Fury
  • Arlo Parks – “Black Dog”

Romir/THE FUNKY BUDDHA; Local Music Director

  • Thundercat – “Dragonball Durag”
  • Jrusalam – “DN&”
  • Metallica – “All Within My Hands (Live)”

Chip/the DJ formerly known as Chippypants; Assistant Daytime Music Director and Content Creator

  • Sir Chloe – “Sedona”
  • Papi Shiitake – “Sleepwalk”
  • Felly – “Weak Hearts”

Miranda; Blog Content Creator

  • Freddie Gibbs – “Scottie Beam”
  • Amaarae – “HELLZ ANGEL”
  • Joji – “MODUS”

Kyle/DJ Mango; Assistant Underground Music Director and Content Creator

  • Gabriel Garzon-Montano – “Everything is Everything”
  • D’Angelo – “Really Love”
  • Mac Miller – “Everybody”

Minh/Cozy P – Multimedia Director

  • Spillage Village – “Ea’alah (Family)”
  • Phoebe Bridgers – “Savior Complex”
  • Woodkid – “Pale Yellow”

Jaylan; Podcast Content Creator

  • The Weeknd – “After Hours”
  • Nothing But Thieves – “Phobia”
  • Pop Smoke – “Got It On Me”

Raney/DJ Butter; Blog Content Creator and Graphic Designer

  • Frank Ocean – “Dear April”
  • Greta Van Fleet – “Age of Machine”
  • Mac Demarco – “Here Comes The Cowboy (demo)”

Leeann/DJ Psyched; Content Contributor

  • Hayley Williams – “Pure Love”
  • Declan McKenna – “The Key to Life on Earth”
  • Rina Sawayama – “XS”

Caitlin; Content Contributor

  • Phoebe Bridgers – “I Know The End”
  • Rilo Kiley – “A Better Son/Daughter”
  • Maggie Rogers – “Dog Years”

Joey; DJ

  • Des Rocs – “Wayne”
  • Penelope Scott – “Dumpster”
  • Penelope Scott – “Lotta True Crime”

Three Bears in a Coat; DJ

  • Midnight Club – “Close Your Eyes”
  • Glass Cactus – “Anatasia”
  • Waters – “Hypocritical”

Patches; DJ

  • Viagra Boys – “Creatures”
  • Flatbush Zombies – “Afterlife”
  • JPEGMAFIA – “Rough 7”

DJ Sumatra

  • Gorillaz – “Pac Man”
  • Mac Miller – “Hand Me Downs”
  • Car Seat Headrest – “Deadlines”

Juhi; DJ

  • Sofie – “Guest”
  • Momma – “Habitat”
  • Jayda G – “Both of Us”

Museum Maddie; DJ

  • Sun Room – “Just Yesterday”
  • Fleet Foxes – “Can I Believe You”
  • Phoebe Bridgers – “Halloween”

Yung Mattro; DJ

  • 100 gecs – “hand crushed by a mallet remix”
  • Osees – “Scramble Suit II”
  • Aquiles Navarro; Tcheser Holmes – “NAVARROHOLMES”

Flowers McPowers; DJ

  • Habibi – “Angel Eyes”
  • Jeff Rosenstock – “Scram”
  • The Dune Sea – “Summers Over”

T -Time; DJ

  • Touche Amore – “Reminders”
  • Pinegrove – “The Alarmist”
  • snake eyes – “skeletons”

Squat Johnson; DJ

  • 100 gecs – “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (Remix)”
  • SLIFT – “Umoon”
  • Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – “Cars in Space”

Rainbow Riot; DJ

  • The Lemon Twigs – “Live in Favor of Tomorrow”
  • Mapache – “Me Voy Pa’l Pueblo”

Delusional Melodrama, DJ

  • Yves Tumor – “Gospel For A New Century”
  • Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B – “WAP”
  • Porridge Radio – “Sweet”

Sycamore Slim, DJ

  • Loma – “Ocotillo”
  • Joy Crookes – “Anyone But Me”
  • HAIM – “Don’t Wanna”

Cookie Cutter, DJ

  • Joywave – “Mr. Eastman”
  • Glass Animals – “Heat Wave”
  • The Strokes – “Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus”

Two -Tone, DJ

  • Hatari – “Klamstrakur”
  • Tupperware – “Blue Sky”
  • Linea Aspera – “Redshift”

Big Sam, DJ

  • RMR – “RASCAL”
  • U.S. Girls – “4 American Dollars”
  • Tame Impala – “It Might Be Time”

Big Hoss, DJ

  • Taylor Swift – “Mirrorball”
  • Bob Dylan – “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)”
  • Beverly Glenn-Copeland – “River Dreams”

DJ Traffic

  • Slow Leaves – “Half of the Bed”
  • Lil Uzi Vert – “Baby Pluto”
  • Tennis – “Need Your Love”

DJ Head Hunter

  • Jessie Ware – “Spotlight”
  • Thundercat – “Dragonball Durag”
  • Roisin Murphy – “Jealousy”

White Tiger, DJ

  • Cub Sport – “Drive”
  • Pinkish Blu – “Watermark” 
  • King Princess – “Pain”

DJ Scratch n Sniff

  • Glass Animals – “Your Love”
  • Sir Chloe – “Too Close”

Lil Witch, DJ

  • Yaeji – “Waking Up Down”
  • Coco & Clair Clair – “TLG”
  • adrianne lenker – “anything”

Deeanthony Jayanthony, DJ

  • Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi Bi – “WAP”
  • Mac Miller – “Good News” 
  • Clipping. – “Say The Name”

young iowa, DJ

  • Lil Uzi Vert – “Bean (ft. Chief Keef)”
  • Loathe – “Broken Vision Rhythm”
  • Deftones – “The Spell of Mathematics”

Lomain, DJ

  • Sylvan Esso – “Rooftop Dancing”
  • Anderson .Paak – “JEWELZ”
  • eevee – “Serenity”

Clearly, the tastes of our staff are all over the place. In all honesty, we originally intended to highlight a few albums that popped up several times across the spectrum, expecting a few to do so. This… did not happen but it’s actually rather exciting to see how far spread our genre influences are (wonderful for students working at a radio station). However, it should be noted that both Phoebe Bridgers (“Punisher”) and Mac Miller (“Circles”) were listed three times with Deftones, 100 gecs, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Hayley Williams following with two acknowledgments each. With 39 contributing students and 118 songs total this playlist is sure to cover every major genre and have hidden gems tucked in every corner. Give it a spin, let us know what you think on social media (@wknc881 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). Cheers to the New Year with hopefully another great line-up of releases to come.

Categories
Non-Music News

WKNC provides winter clothing to Raleigh non-profits

Multiple boxes and bags donated to WKNC's Winter Clothing Drive on Jan. 3.

In support of its local community, WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 held a winter clothing drive on Jan. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. Donations were dropped off at the Women’s Center, located at 400 S. West Street in downtown Raleigh.

All items collected in this drive were distributed between Healing Transitions and the Wake County Women’s Center on Jan. 4. Healing Transitions is a center aimed at assisting homeless, uninsured and underserved individuals struggling with alcoholism and drug addictions on the road to recovery. The Women’s Center has helped women for over 40 years by providing resources and assistance in breaking the cycles of abuse and homelessness. 

Thanks to WKNC’s audience, the drive was able to collect four XL boxes of women’s apparel, three XL boxes of men’s clothing, another box of children’s supplies, seven containers of blankets, four sleeping bags, and an excess of hats, gloves, socks, shoes, bras, scarves and bags/backpacks. More information on how these nonprofits serve their client populations, with the aid of community donations, can be found at WCWC.org and Healing-Transitions.org. 

“The success of this event comes largely from the generosity of our audience members,” says WKNC General Manager Laura Mooney. “We are also grateful to the staff of Healing Transitions and the Women’s Center for their assistance with event coordination and the use of the warehouse at the Women’s Center.” 

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: Man On the Moon III: The Chosen by Kid Cudi

Album art for Man On the Moon III: The Chosen by Kid Cudi
Album art for Man On the Moon III: The Chosen by Kid Cudi

ALBUM: “Man On The Moon III: The Chosen by Kid Cudi”

RELEASE YEAR: 2020

LABEL: Republic Records

BEST TRACKS: “Tequila Shots,” “Dive,” “Heaven On Earth,” “Show Out,” “Solo Dolo, Pt. III”

FCC: Every Track

Since hitting the mainstream more than 10 years ago, Scott Mescudi has become something of a legend in the hip-hop scene. “Day ‘N’ Nite” was Kid Cudi’s first success and is still racking up streams to this day. That was in 2008, when he started the Man On The Moon trilogy.

12 years and several albums later, Kid Cudi has just released the finale to the Man On the Moon trilogy: The Chosen. It’s clear he’s still fighting the same demons he was on The End of Day, as the album is no stranger to themes of isolation, depression, and despair. Also like its predecessors, the final track “Lord I Know” serves as a triumphant denouement for our hero. After the intro track, “Tequila Shots” is the first taste of what the album has to offer, and its woozy synths and catchy chorus are the perfect appetizer. “Heaven On Earth” is the first act’s climax and finds Cudi in full Rager mode, backed by tinny synthesizers and a growline bassline.

Kid Cudi has always been renowned for his emotional vulnerability and willingness to wear his heart on his sleeve, not to mention his therapeutic singing voice. Man On The Moon III stays true to all of these accolades and gives us an updated insight into the mind of Kid Cudi. If you are a fan of hip-hop music, I recommend you give The Chosen a listen.

– DJ Mango