Kid Cudi Magazine Ad

The name of the artist in the magazine advert is Kid Cudi which derives from the stars surname ‘Mescudi’. His mix tape ‘A kid named Cudi’ where he found his first taste of fame lent inspiration to the name. As he is a rapper, Cudi has to have a stage name like his counterparts; ‘Scott Mescudi’ wouldn’t sell. A stage name also allows artists to take on a new persona whilst they perform.

The font on the advert is best described as standard; it also looks like an American College Alumni type font. This suggests that Cudi feels that his latest album is in the higher leagues of hierarchy. Also the ‘A’s’ are missing the middle line, which makes them look like triangles, this would please the trendy ‘hipster’ fans. ‘Kid Cudi’ is wrote in the stars branded font and is instantly recognisable to his fans, the use of the little ‘I’s’ is the brand we all know. The lettering is done in white which offers a contrast against the almost black background, the advertisers ensure that we consumer the vital information. The simplistic styling of the ad presents Cudi as a stylish artist.

This stylish theme continues with Cudi’s attire, the suit and tie demonstrate the success of his first album as he can afford this expensive suit. Cudi has his head down in the picture which suggests a sense of humbleness; Cudi is saying that although he is big he is still ‘down to earth’. The theme of fame and success is reminiscent in the track listing, the album is split up into five acts, just like a Shakespeare play. Cudi is offering us a journey as the album is presented as a mass production and we are the audience.

The most dominant aspect of the ad is the writing; this is because this is the most important part. We need to get the information about the release date and the name of the album so we the audience, can go and purchase it. Just like the positioning of Cudi on the ad, the image is a side thought and as Cudi is a global star; all we need is his name to know who he is.
The name of the album is ‘Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager’, this is a continuation of the story of Cudi’s first album Man on the Moon: The End of Da. Just as the title suggests, this album has a darker theme than the last with it even exploring Cudi’s former cocaine addiction. As Cudi is sitting in front of the galaxy, there is a suggestion that he has moved on to bigger things as he now has the universe behind him. This image compared to the 1st album, where Cudi’s face is merged with the moon suggest Cudi is now on a higher level.

This album was produced by Kid Cudi, which appeals to the audience as they feel they’re getting the true sound of the artist as he was part of each creative process. The other producers include Emile, Plain Pat, and Dot da Genius who was behind ‘Day ‘n’ Nite’, Cudi’s biggest mainstream release. The four record label logos feature on the advert near the bottom corner. Universal Motown, which is party of Universal is a contemporary incarnation of the infamous Motown Record label, GOOD Music was founded by Kanye West and features stars of alternative hip hop. Island Records consists of legendary artists such as Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse and Dream On is Cudi’s own record label. All these labels suggest that Cudi will be a megastar as big companies are involved; it also means the best people will work on the album.

Kid Cudi fits into his alternative hip hop genre as the advert suggests. His name fulfils his hip hop credentials and the image fulfils the alternative part. Cudi is presented as stylish rather than thuggish; this is atypical of other rappers. The stars on the cover as also associated with more indie artists such as the Friendly Fires. Cudi’s album fits into his genre and target audience as he is the ‘stoned and alone rapper’ whose music is ‘as consuming and intoxicating as the lifestyle Cudi describes’ (Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune). Kid Cudi’s target audience, who are older teens and young adults would firmly agree with this ethic.