After a delay of the scheduled Sept. 29 release of his sixth album “Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’” (PPDS), Kid Cudi finally dropped the highly-anticipated work digitally on Dec. 16. The 19-song, nearly 90-minute long album is separated into four acts: “Tuned,” “Prophecy,” “Niveaux de l’Amour” and “It’s Bright and Heaven is Warm,” and is a welcome return to hip-hop following Cudi’s 2015 experimental alternative rock album “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven.”

 Although this album is no “Man on the Moon” (MOTM) or “Man on the Moon II” (MOTM2)—two albums that are arguably the best work the rapper has put out—Cudi has certainly found his groove again on PPDS, and does so with the help of features from Andre 3000, Willow Smith, Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott. One standout track of the album, “Rose Golden,” is centered around a duet chorus between Smith and Cudi, the two singing that, “Oh, since I was young/been grooving to my own drum.”

 And Cudi certainly has been grooving to his own drum. For a rapper unashamed to call out his peers—his Twitter rant in October on “haters in the industry” resulted in a feud with Drake—his passion for his craft is evident on PPDS. From the catchy “Dance 4 Eternity” to sensational vibes produced in his collaboration with Andre 3000 on “By Design,” the album is chock-full of songs that will please any listener. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Cudi album without his signature hum, which makes appearances on tracks such as the melodic “Kitchen,” which layers his voice alongside violin runs, and the textured, autotuned “Frequency.”

 Undeniably candid in his struggle with depression—Cudi checked himself into rehab in October for depression and suicidal thoughts—PPDS incorporates those thoughts of inner turmoil on tracks like “Swim In The Light,” in which Cudi repetitively sings that, “You can try and numb the pain, but it’ll never go away.” Meanwhile, on “Wounds,” he declares that “I’m a sew these wounds myself,” in reference to psychological struggles. Cudi is raw and open on PPDS, and what results from these tracks and others is a truly authentic album from a truly authentic rapper.

 While this record may not live up to or sound exactly like MOTM or MOTM2, perhaps it’s better that way: it’s been six years since MOTM2, and Cudi has certainly changed since then. All in all, PPDS is a musical journey, and one well worth the ride.

Best songs:

“Rose Golden,” “Kitchen,” “By Design”

 4/5 paws