Mr. Rager
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"Mr. Rager" is a song recorded by American rapper
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
, taken from his second studio album, '' Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager'' (2010). The song was officially released via digital download, on October 25, 2010, as the album's second single. The
semi-autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
lyrics were written by Cudi, while the composition was written by his frequent collaborator,
Emile Haynie Emile Haynie (born July 13, 1980), often credited simply as Emile, is an American record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, his range of production includes alternative rock, hip hop, indie and pop music. Haynie has worked with seve ...
, who also served as the song's producer. It is one of Cudi’s biggest songs. In 2021, Kid Cudi released an alternate version of the song, which originally premiered on
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's Prime Day Show. The alternate version was included on an
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
(EP) titled ''Prime Day Show x Kid Cudi'', issued exclusively on
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, on June 17, 2021. The original song was later included on Cudi's first
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album '' The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1'' (2022).


Background

Cudi took his persona of playing the part of a brooding
loner A loner is a person described as not seeking out, actively avoiding, or failing to maintain interpersonal relationships. There are many potential causes for this solitude. Intentional causes include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, reli ...
several steps forward on his second studio album '' Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager'' (2010). His second effort contains a five-part narrative following a character who attempts to act like the hip-hop star he has since become. Hence, he plunges into a world of bravado and after-parties, with their never-ending supply of drugs and women. In an interview with ''
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'' magazine, Cudi shed light on the title track's meaning. He explained "Mr. Rager" is about someone who is tired with reality and looking for thrills and excitement by any means. Cudi said, "It's just kind of how I was feeling at that point. I was just so angry. Doing coke revived me, and knowing I was so close to death every time intrigued me. I liked the thought of it." On October 20, 2010, ''Complex'' released a video, filmed while they were shooting Cudi's cover story, on where Cudi continued explaining the concept of "Mr. Rager". He elaborated, "The whole 'Mr. Rager' thing is not really like a split personality, it is i. However, it's just kinda talking about a certain mind state I was in, a very destructive mind state, where I wasn't thinking clearly. "Mr. Rager" is a song with a meaning that is close to Kid Cudi. His character embodies a battle between instinct and impulse, both good and bad, still coming to terms with. The song's lyrics are about Cudi's battle with drugs, with lines referencing about almost overdosing one time. Cudi acknowledged using cocaine during a Converse show back in July 2010, said he was going to be around until he was "old as fuck" and apologized to his fans for letting them down. Cudi said, "Every time I snap. I'm sitting there making songs like 'Heart of a Lion' and talking about getting through anything, and rising up, and I'm up here snapping and letting people break my shell. I have to practice what I preach. I get strength, and the kids use it." Cudi conceded that death was a recurring theme for him. He imparted, "...but I'm at a different point in my life, and I don't even like talking about that. I've been thinking positive and keeping my mind out of the clouds. You can't take things so seriously, but I gambled for a long time. Shit was intense, it was a journey." The concept of Mr. Rager was again revisited on Cudi's seventh album, '' Man on the Moon III: The Chosen'' (2020). In 2022, it was used as a plot point in his animated ''Entergalactic'' feature film; as a result, the character is referenced in its accompanying album as well.


Recording

The recording sessions for "Mr. Rager" took place at Nightbird Studios at The Sunset Marquis, California and Avex Studios in
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. The track was mixed at Larrabee Studios in Los Angeles, California. The song as well as its studio album, ''Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager'' musically and thematically expands on what Cudi had previously built, but with a closer look into his life. The record experiments with
crossover music Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audiences. This can be seen, for example, when a song appears on two or more of the record charts, which track differing musical styles or genres. I ...
, boasting flashes of rock guitars alongside marching production. Alongside guitar, the track features low bass, electro flourishes and ticking percussion. Regarding the song, Cudi stated,
he track He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
is very important to me… it made me switch the whole theme on my album. It was time to show off another side of me — a side that's more aggressive." Both the writing and recording of "Mr. Rager" was influenced by Cudi's former addiction to cocaine. He made his first attempted to record the title track around 2010. However, he could not hit the high
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s. so he decide to quit and try the song again months later.


Composition

"Mr. Rager" is an arena anthem tinged with
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
guitars that runs for four minutes and fifty-six seconds. The lyrics were written by Cudi while the music was written by Emile Haynie. The ghostly, hypnotic musical arrangement is driven by a teasing, descending
guitar riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based on ...
. An epic slow-jam, it has a glimmery, ticking background underscored with low bass and guitar. They are anthemic in nature, with Cudi intoning lines in a
sing-a-long Sing-along, also called community singing or group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing, sometimes with a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, kids' songs, spiritu ...
manner. The track features a repeated
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
, with Cudi wailing: "Mr. Raaggggeeerrrrrrrrrrrr." The song's lyrics address death,
escapism Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism also may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or general s ...
and the quest for excitement. "Mr. Rager" acts a dark, foreboding
theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
in which Cudi imagines himself an
anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
ic role model telling kids about his adventures. From the perspective of his errant title character, he softly about envy of the birds just "singin', flyin' around." Mr. Rager is a tall imposing figure who, upon being released from worldly restrictions, sets off on a cryptic journey. Upon asking their enigmatic anti-hero: "Mr. Rager, tell me some of your stories," a warped voice mysteriously replies, "I'm off on an adventure," to which Cudi pleads, "Can we tag along?" Cudi sings to himself, pleading, "Tell me where you're going…when will the fantasy end?" His lyrics ambivalently allude to rapture and death, singing, "I'm on my way to heaven."


Critical reception

''
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'' writers Steve Appleford, Matt Diehl and Gavin Edwards called the song an "infectious hit" and found it emotional. Simon Vozick-Levinson for ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' cites "Mr. Rager" as one of the best songs from '' Man on the Moon II''. He commented, "Eight-minute epic Mr. Rager, his spooky
theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
." Within the album's context, ''Spin''s Charles Aaron remarked, "'Mr. Rager,' a would-be arena anthem with a teasing guitar riff that never ascends, is the ingenious anticlimax." William Goodman, from the same publication, claimed that "the dark soul jam featured sinister electro flourishes, clacking percussion, and a repeated hook about partying too much — 'Mr. Raaggggeeerrrrrrrrrrrr' — that could find its way into the heads of rap fans worldwide."
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' likened the song's "ticking, tinkly foreboding" background to "
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" by
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. ''
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'' critic
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
stated, "The music struts (and flirts with
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acceptance, ala
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or
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
)." '' Respect.'' claimed that Cudi brought on a classic with "Mr. Rager." Robby Seabrook of '' XXL'' considered "Mr. Rager" one of the tracks from ''Man on the Moon II'' which are key to his career. He praised the song for its "sing-a-long factor and embodiment of Cudi's ethos." Ian Servantes of '' The Red Bull Music Academy'' deemed "Mr. Rager" Cudi's second best song. He stated, "Mr. Rager is an
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
just as necessary for Scott Mescudi as he is for us. Unbound by earthly shackles, he's off on a journey cryptic enough for anyone to project their own destination. ... It's an intoxicating message, an inspiring
decree A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...
, made only more enticing by the march of Emile's production." Andy Bustard from ''
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'' described the song as the parent album's "glimmering and wondrous centerpiece." He stated, "'Mr. Rager' is naturally a Kid Cudi song that resonates deeply with a lot of people. Just take the story of
Ben Breedlove Benjamin Daniel Breedlove (August 8, 1993 – December 25, 2011) was an American Internet personality from Austin, Texas, known for his vlogs on YouTube. On the night of December 25, 2011, he died from complications of hypertrophic cardiomyopat ...
, a teenager diagnosed with a severe heart condition who had a vision of hearing 'Mr. Rager' and meeting Kid Cudi, who he believed was his
angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
. That right there epitomizes the impact Scott Mescudi, and this song, has on peoples' lives." Calling the song "strangely hypnotic," ''
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''s Jason Lipshutz regards "Mr. Rager" as one song from Cudi's interim period that deserved more attention than it received.


Music video

Kid Cudi first spoke of the
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
on March 5, 2011, via his
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feed, when he announced: " he
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horror short will be released on
halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
, rager short this summer,
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video this spring. I got you guys, no worries." The music video for "Mr. Rager" was directed by Jeremie Rozan of Surface to Air Studios. Rozan had been behind the EMA-winning video for Justice x Simian's " We are Your Friends". Kid Cudi collaborated with his studio's fashion line to create an exclusive line of jackets. His video screened at Surface to Air's Fashion Night Out Party in New York on September 8, 2011. It debuted on a Thursday afternoon, almost ten months after the release of his second studio album. The video arrived in support of the new line of jackets by Kid Cudi's clothing boutique Surface to Air. The music video for "Mr. Rager" took the form of a six-minute
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
. It displays Cudi fighting his way through hordes of gritty yet well-dressed gang members. Situated in a post-apocalypic life, Cudi engages in battle with a gang of violent psychopaths. For a time, Cudi performs quite well for himself and lands a myriad of blows against his opponent; until he's gutted by his evil doppelganger. The video features a
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
from Cudi's mentor,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
.


Live performances

Kid Cudi provided a live rendition of "Mr. Rager" during a concert held at the University of Illinois'
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in
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. The concert was the second stop on a mini-tour of colleges leading up to the release of his third studio album, ''
Indicud ''Indicud'' is the third studio album by the American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on April 12, 2013, by GOOD Music, Wicked Awesome Records, and Republic Records. It was the first album of Cudi's solo career to not be an installment of his ...
''. The emotional performance was accompanied by audiences holding
lighter A lighter is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as cigarettes, butane gas, fireworks, candles, or campfires. A lighter typic ...
s. Cudi performed "Mr. Rager" for a set held at
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in
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during his extended his fall "Cudi Life Tour" on March 22, 2015. A few of his prior shows from the tour had been cancelled and rescheduled due to his illness. Cudi performed atop a stage that featured a prickly, frigid-looking cave. He wore his "Satellite Academy Space Suit," a matte grey neck-to-toe 'fit is that is of a variant of Iron Man's uniform. After a groaning rendition of " Soundtrack 2 My Life", Cudi closed the song with a brief story about his cocaine addiction and how it negatively affected his singing years ago. He then segued into "Mr. Rager," during which Cudi wailed the song's chorus and humorously said, "Say no to coke!" Kid Cudi gave a live performance of "Mr. Rager" before a crowd of 90,000 fans for the annual
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...
held at the
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in
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, in the
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in the
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. With a grin on his face, Cudi leaped across the stage and sang the song wearing a red cut-off T-shirt matching his microphone. He cheerfully told the audience, "Let's get through this, I want to go catch
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after this." His performance was cited as one of the fifty greatest moments of Coachella by Rolling Stone staffers, who labeled him, "Happiest First-Timer." They wrote, "It's one of the Coachella rituals: performers from Los Angeles announce how many years they attended the festival as fans before they got tapped to play, while first-timers from out of town declare how excited they are to be there. But nobody seemed happier to be making his Coachella debut than Kid Cudi."


Legacy

American
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Ben Breedlove died from his life-long heart condition shortly after making a
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tribute to Kid Cudi. Kid Cudi, who Breedlove had said came to him in a vision during YouTube videos he posted before his death, was among the millions touched by his memory. Upon coming across Breedlove's story, Cudi was moved by his strength. Cudi broke down after watching the two-part YouTube video the young fan posted. Shortly afterward, Kid Cudi wrote a heartfelt letter on
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dedicated to Ben Breedlove expressing his condolences.


Use in media

'' The Cleaning Lady'' Season 1, Episode 9, "Coming Home Again" featured the song at the closing of the episode. “Mr. Rager” is also the entrance song for
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
Ranger Suárez Ranger José Suárez Gomez (born August 26, 1995) is a Venezuelans, Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Phillies signed Suárez, a native of Pies de Cuesta, as an internatio ...
.


Charts


Certifications


References


External links

* {{authority control 2010 songs 2010 singles Kid Cudi songs Songs written by Kid Cudi Song recordings produced by Emile Haynie GOOD Music singles Songs written by Emile Haynie Universal Motown Records singles Rock ballads American alternative rock songs Song recordings produced by Jeff Bhasker Song recordings produced by No I.D.