Kid Cudi (née Scott Mescudi), a native of Cleveland, has been a big presence across multiple levels of popular culture ever since his self-published demo caught the ear of Kanye West in 2008. Cudi's spoken word/singing/rapping style has been hard to categorize, and with his deep gravelly voice added to it, he has an unmistakeably unique sound no matter where he turns up - which is in a lot of places. Besides his own catalogue of unique solo material, he has collaborated heavily with artists as varied as Kanye to Michael Bolton. His own musical projects have ranged from his trademark electronic sounds to rock n roll, and he has acted in both film and on TV. His charming smile and great sense of humor landed him the job of "bandleader" for the hilarious Comedy Bang! Bang! show in 2015.

Underlying this charm and outwardly upbeat nature has been a steadily growing darkness, however, which has been evident lyrically and sonically in his music since the beginning. Few knew the depth of it until last fall, however, when Cudi courageously tweeted that he was entering a facility for mental health because of suicidal thoughts and extreme depression. It was right around that time that he was supposed to release his new album, which directly addresses his battles both lyrically and in its title (Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin'), but he definitely comes off as optimistic, celebrating new, insightful attitudes and his 2-year sobriety. Not surprisingly to anyone who has suffered from depression, though, it was made clear that Cudi's reality was still bleak despite his attempts at pushing through.

There has been cause for optimism since that time, as Cudi released the new album while still in treatment, and despite not being able to promote it in person, the album debuted at number 11 on the charts and garnered positive reviews, with some critics calling it his best work ever. The album has been criticized for its length, but the compelling and unique emotional canvas that it paints seems to override this as an issue, at least to this critic ;) . Multiple major artists collaborated on the project, including Pharrell Williams, Travis Scott, and Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000 from the hip-hop supergroup Outkast, who put Atlanta rap in the spotlight in the 90's). "By Design", the first single from the new album, features Andre on the choruses and bridge, in top form. With this high-octane performance from Andre, the island vibe and infectious beat, and Cudi's Peter Tosh-esque vocal, the track is a truly brilliant and unique work.

More importantly, it appears that Cudi is doing well after leaving treatment in early 2017. He is planning a tour, and performed his song "Kitchen", featuring a string section, on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon two weeks ago. A recent feud with his original benefactor, Kanye West, has also been smoothed. Hopefully there will be continued cause for hope for this troubled and brilliant Clevelander.