Image via Kid Cudi/YouTube
It’s official: Kid Cudi’s Man On the Moon III is landing this week. After hinting at a possible revival of his Man on the Moon series throughout the year, Cudi confirmed on social media Monday that he will be releasing the third and final installment on December 11. Man on the Moon III: The Chosen will arrive ten years after he released the second edition, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, in 2010. The first album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, dropped on September 15, 2009.
As we near the release date, we looked through the breadcrumbs for all the information we could find and rounded up the most important details you need to know. From the project’s themes to collaborations and visuals, here’s what you need to know about Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon III: The Chosen.
It’s the third and final installment of the 'Man on the Moon' trilogy series
Man on the Moon III will mark the end of an era for Cudi. The back of the album cover confirms this will be “the final installment in the Man on the Moon trilogy.” To commemorate the moment, Kid Cudi shared a nostalgic trailer (seen above) with the caption, “the trilogy continues.” In the brief video, Cudi revisits old footage from music videos like “Day ‘n’ Nite” and concert reels. After walking down memory lane, the video ends with an image capturing Cudi smoking while gazing at a red moon.
Mr. Rager returns
Mr. Rager is making a comeback. In 2010, Kid Cudi told Complex that Mr. Rager was his alter ego that “embodies a battle of good and bad between instinct and impulse,” which he was still coming to terms with. While Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager delves into this internal battle, it sounds like the conflict on the third installation will reach a new high. On the back of the album cover, Cudi details the project’s origin story. After noting 10 years of inner turmoil, he “found hope and overcame the darkness that was plaguing his life.” But just as things were getting better, more obstacles came his way. “Happiness isn’t forever. What he thought was peace turns into a nightmare,” the summary reads. “In one night, he must face himself again and fight to win back his soul from the evil Mr. Rager.”
Cudi wasn’t in a rush to make a third ‘Man on the Moon’ album
Man on the Moon III wasn’t always promised. In a 2016 interview with Billboard, Cudi expressed doubt in continuing the series because he was at a different point in his life. “Guys, you have to realize: I came up with Man on the Moon when I was a young man. People change their vibe!” Cudi said. “We can follow the same template and do the five-act split. Sonically, I’m still going to be where I’m at.” While he stated that he was “ready to live up to the obligation and do Man on the Moon III,” he said the poor response to his fifth studio album Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven “tore [him] up” and shook his desire to move forward with the series. In the same interview, the rapper also noted that the album probably wouldn’t live up to expectations. “People say, ‘Do Man on the Moon III!’ Yeah, I could’ve done that. But it wouldn’t have been anything anyone liked,” he added. “It would’ve been forced. I’m not in a rush. I have six major-label albums. Artists don’t get that anymore, especially with the weird shit that I do. We have been blessed to be in the game eight years later.”
He's reuniting with his original production team
Man on the Man III will serve as a reunion of sorts. The back of the album confirms the project will be “the return of the team that helped start it all.” That team includes producers like Dot Da Genius, Mike Dean, Plain Pat, and musician Emile Haynie, who heavily guided the sound of the first editions of MOTM. The album’s executive producers are Cudi and Dot Da Genius. Dennis Cummings is listed as a co-executive producer.
There are visual previews of the album's energy (and a music video is on the way)
Ahead of the album’s release, Kid Cudi has shared two visuals. The first was a one-minute trailer, but the second is a more detailed look into the rapper’s dark universe. The video, directed by Nabil, opens with a series of close-up shots of Cudi’s face and a wide shot of a massive hillside mansion. It then cuts to thrilling images of Cudi crawling across the granite floor of the mansion and speeding down a winding road in a black sports car. The clip suggests the album will be dark, mysterious, and theatrical. After taking a break from music videos, Cudi also revealed that this album will have visuals. “Video for ‘Show Knows This’ directed by the genius Nabil droppin Thursday,” he tweeted on Monday. Then he added, “First music video in 4 years. Ready for yall to see this madness.”
The album cover was painted by Sam Spratt
The album cover is very striking and definitely falls in line with Kid Cudi’s aesthetic. The artwork, which was painted by Sam Spratt, is an abstract portrait of Kid Cudi. While half of his face is an accurate depiction of what the rapper looks like in real life, the other half appears to be melting away into a galaxy. His eye has also been replaced with a full moon, and there is a male figure falling by his cheek. This year, Spratt also made album covers for Logic and 070 Shake.
'MOTM3' has a handful of exciting guest features
Man on the Moon III will include a handful of features. Pop Smoke will have a posthumous verse on the album. Trippie Redd, Skepta, and Phoebe Bridgers will also make appearances. Prior to the tracklist dropping, Cudi showed an appreciation for Bridgers’ music on Twitter, sharing a screenshot of a single from her recent album. Bridgers quickly responded, inviting the rapper to “hum” with her.
There are still other albums in the works
While his focus is currently on Man on the Moon III, Kid Cudi hasn’t stopped working on other musical projects. In August, Travis Scott confirmed that he and Cudi had enough music to make a collaborative album. And Cudi is also working on a new project called Entergalactic. The album will accompany his upcoming Netflix animated series, which the rapper will executive produce and star in. The rapper has not given an update on the album’s release timetable, but he previously told Complex that he is looking to “push the envelope, sonically.” “It’s still gonna be like everything that people love about Kid Cudi music,” he said. “The only difference is that it’s gonna be told from a different perspective.” He added, “Some songs, not all songs. I have some songs where I’m just rapping—it’s just Cudi having fun again, and I think people miss that side of me. I used to do that a lot on my mixtape, so getting back into that was fun, and I think people are gonna be into it. I think this [album] is my perspective on love, and people haven’t really heard that. I’m not somebody who makes R&B music, and I’m not somebody who makes lovey-dovey songs like that. I’ve just never really had much luck in relationships, so I’ve never had anything to write from. And if I did write about my relationships, it would’ve been all disasters, so I needed something to inspire me to get me there, to wanna write about relationships, and this show did it for me.”