Man on the Moon: The End of Day
(2009)“The debut that made loneliness a rap genre”
A five-act concept album narrated by Common, The End of Day turned Cudi's insomnia, isolation and dreams into hum-laden, synth-heavy rap that sounded like nothing else in 2009. Emile Haynie, Kanye West, Plain Pat, Jeff Bhasker, Dot da Genius and Ratatat built the soundscape, and "Day 'n' Nite", "Make Her Say" and "Pursuit of Happiness" became hits. It scored 71 on Metacritic, earned three Grammy nominations and is certified 4× Platinum, and Rolling Stone later placed it on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Why it ranks here
A five-act concept album narrated by Common, The End of Day turned Cudi's insomnia, isolation and dreams into hum-laden, synth-heavy rap that sounded like nothing else in 2009. Emile Haynie, Kanye West, Plain Pat, Jeff Bhasker, Dot da Genius and Ratatat built the soundscape, and "Day 'n' Nite", "Make Her Say" and "Pursuit of Happiness" became hits. It scored 71 on Metacritic, earned three Grammy nominations and is certified 4× Platinum, and Rolling Stone later placed it on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Context
His debut studio album, released September 15, 2009 through Dream On, GOOD Music and Universal Motown. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 104,000 copies sold.
Highlights
- Soundtrack 2 My Life
- Day 'n' Nite (Nightmare)
- Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)
- Solo Dolo (Nightmare)
- Up Up & Away
Weak Spots
- Pitchfork panned the writing as underwritten
- Rolling Stone found his rapping pedestrian next to the music
Production
Emile Haynie · Kanye West · Plain Pat · Jeff Bhasker · Dot da Genius · Ratatat
Influence
One of the most influential rap debuts of its era: its melodic, confessional approach runs straight through Travis Scott, Lil Yachty and much of the rap that followed.
Replay Value
Very high — the singles still hold up, and the deep cuts reward late-night listening.