Kid Cudi Slams Label

Kid Cudi thanked fans for supporting his side project and to badmouth his label, Universal Republic, for shipping what he considers to be a low number of physical copies of the album.

"Ok so just a heads up, my weak ass label only shipped 55k physicals cuz they treated this like some indie side project tax right off ," Cudi posted."So i apologize on behalf of my weak ass major label. And I apologize for the lack of promo, again, my weak ass major label."

Cudi also claimed that Universal Republic "tried to rush me thru this so i can just give em another MOTM  but guess what? Fuck that, next album is WZRD. MOTM3 on hold til 2014." He later added, "Im lettin Universal Republic have it, fuck it. What they gon' do, spank me?? hahahaha."

While 55,000 is a small shipment in light of the fact that his previous album, However, the rock-based new LP represents a dramatic stylistic shift from the hip-hop of his first two albums.

"He is accurate that Universal shipped about 55,000 units, but this album is not in the vein of his prior releases," a source told Billboard.

Industry experts told Billboard that the label's CD shipment should be more than enough to meet demand.

The album has been at the top of the iTunes album chart for most of Tuesday.

Kid Cudi Previews New Album 'WZRD'

Kid Cudi unveiled his debut collaboration with producer, Dot Da Genius, "WZRD," at a NYC listening party. It was evident he had a few things to get off his chest.

"I'll root for anybody that steps out of their comfort zone to do something different," the G.O.O.D. Music artist admitted to an intimate crowd at NYC's artsy W.I.P. club.

His new album is built on heavy riffage, dark, schizophrenic production, and Cudi's signature soul searching. The rock influences on this project are also more pronounced than Cudi's former.

"One thing I love about Pink Floyd," Cudi said, "is how the instrumentals take you to a whole other place." The artist/actor also mentioned that the Pixies, Nirvana, and Electric Light Orchestra were heavy influences on the album's soundscapes. At a time when many indie rock/alternative musicians are dabbling in hip-hop, majority of "WZRD" could pass for Cudi fronting Sleigh Bells, filtered through the urban rock aesthetic of The Neptunes.

For an artist known for his inner demons, portrayed lyrically in his storytelling, the guitar has had a calming effect on the 28 yr. old Cleveland native. "I woke up one morning and realized I love playing the guitar; it's therapeutic for me. So I called Dot Da Genius and said I wanted to make a rock band."

"WZRD" isn't a total departure from Cudi's past. The album favors programmed drums to maintain a self-described "hip-hop feel," and much of the record's personality should be familiar to Cudi fans: "It's not that different; the message and subject matter are still the same."

New Music Video: Kid Cudi "Mr. Rager"

Kid Cudi x S2A - "Mr Rager" from Surface to Air on Vimeo.

Kid Cudi just released a video for his track “Mr. Rager” from his sophomore album, "Man On the Moon II: the Legend of Mr. Rager" The clip was directed by Jeremie Rozan.