Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, is a musical visionary to say the least. Outside of music, the hip-hop/rap/R&B artist has gracefully leaped to other mediums like film and television. This year alone he executive produced horror filmmaker Ti West’s, in which he also starred. Now Mescudi has entered a new genre: animation. At first glance, amid the glitz and glam, one could assumeto be promotional material for Cudi’s studio album of the same name.
along with the grounded slice-of-life atmosphere of a Nora Ephron film, from an authentic Black, inner-city millennial perspective. Set in the heart of NYC, Jabari is a young street artist who moves into a studio apartment in a lavish complex. He spends his time graffiti tagging across the city, hanging with his best friends Jimmy and Ky , and figuring out plans to advance his career. After a run-in with his estranged ex-girlfriend Carmen , Jabari decides to live a content single 20-something lifestyle and focus on his career and friends.
Jabari and Meadow’s refreshingly calm demeanors and charming personalities match this immersive atmosphere, as Mescudi and Williams bring an irresistible warmth to their voice performances that illuminate their character’s natural chemistry. The story allows a proper slow build to Jabari and Meadow’s romance, and develops their attraction with fun visual humor and sincerity.
Many fans of Cudi will expect the album to integrate into the story heavily, but oddly enough it’s not. The new music is personalized to Jabari’s experience, and plays as a disembodied voice that expresses his bubbly feelings towards many facets of his life. Whether in his relationships with his friends or Meadow, the music guides the viewer through the beauty of this colorful world in which he resides.