Kid Cudi “INSANO” (NITRO MEGA) Album Review

INSANO (NITRO MEGA)

The Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum sound visionary, artist, producer, actor, and director Kid Cudi is expanding his creative sphere beyond measure with his new release, “INSANO (NITRO MEGA),” which is available now through Republic Records.  He included 18 new tracks to his ninth studio album, INSANO, released in 2024, expanding its universe.

He thus offers not only a spiritual successor but also a completely formed piece of work in and of itself—or, as Cudi phrased it on Twitter, “a continuation, an elevation of the vibes.” Notable features on the new album include Chip The Ripper, Lil Yachty, Bone Thugs & Harmony, and Wiz Khalifa.

Album Cover Art

A canvas featuring a multicolored painting with a bunch of arrows in the mix is used as the album cover; a revamped version of INSANO’s.

Tracks and Features

The song “HUMAN MADE” by WZRD opens with Dot da Genius sampling Tame Impala’s “1 More Hour,” which pays homage to Nigo’s streetwear brand of the same name. Meanwhile, the upbeat song “DIAMONDS, LIGHTS, FAST CARS,” which features Wiz Khalifa alongside BNYX, Earl on the Beat, and Jean Baptiste behind the boards, finds the two connecting and discussing how no one has swagger like they do.

The Almighty GloryUS reunites for “WIN OR LOSE,” and they appropriately get into that atmosphere over a gloomy instrumental until “CHUNKY” sings over a trap rhythm reminiscent of a zen environment that he feels free. While “BABE & I,” which talks about how he feels like a rock star with his significant other, has an electronic dance music influence, “WILLIS,” which is a four-minute intermission from “2 of the smoothest motherfuckers on the planet,” is easily the worst song on the album. It kinda makes The Almighty GloryUS sound awkward.

Before E*vax blends electronic with boom bap on “EVERYBODY LIKE,” featuring Pusha T, the two brag about how much fun they had getting lost in the night sampling Crash Test Dummies. Although many would still prefer the original, Steve Aoki’s remix of “ELECTROWAVEBABY” is excellent. Meanwhile, The Almighty GloryUS’s “ANIMATE” has a huge, ethereal sound that is both substantially better than “WILLIS” and serves as an instrumental reminder that they told you how to do it.

The appealing song “ROUND N ROUND” by Lil Yachty honors those who give them the impression that they were intended to be together, whereas WZRD’s song “DOSE OF DOPENESS” was first released in 2007 and has been available only on YouTube since 2012. The song “ROCKET,” which features a rock sound throughout and lyrics that ask if you’ve ever heard the story of the boy who rallied all of his friends to form a powerful alliance, was recorded during the sessions of WZRD’s self-titled debut album.

Meanwhile, the neo-psychedelic/trap crossover song “ILL WHAT I BLEED” discusses resilience, self-assurance, and remaining true to oneself in the face of criticism from others. While “I JUST WANNA GET” combines The Almighty GloryUS and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony together for an out-of-body experience, “ALL MY LIFE” brings the guitars back into action while the singer sings that he has been looking for more throughout his life.

“MOON MAN SHIT,” the album’s penultimate track, hops on top of Honorable C.N.O.T.E.’s bass-rattling trap instrumental to let him let loose a little. Meanwhile, “SUPERBOY,” the album’s last track, features BNYX and Yachty harkening back to Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon, and KiD CuDi singing about how the woman in his life needs real love despite the fact that she does other things as well.

Album Theme

He talks about how being at a joyful place in his life and demonstrating how far he’s come in the last 17 years combined made INSANO the success that it was.

Production Credits

Producers on the album include Adriano, Anthony Kilhoffer, Beau Nox, BNYX, Bryan Yepes, Census, Darnell Got It, Dot Da Genius, Earl on the Beat, E.Vax, FWDSLXSH, Honeywoodsix, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., JB, Jean Baptiste, Justin Raisen, Karl Rubin, Kid Cudi, Lil Yachty, and few other names.

Tracklist

No.	Title	Artist	Duration
1	OFTEN, I HAVE THESE DREAMZ	Kid Cudi & DJ Drama	2:30
2	KEEP BOUNCIN’	Kid Cudi	2:57
3	GET OFF ME	Kid Cudi & Travis Scott	3:36
4	MOST AIN’T DENNIS	Kid Cudi	2:38
5	WOW	Kid Cudi & A$AP Rocky	4:35
6	ELECTROWAVEBABY	Kid Cudi	3:26
7	A TALE OF A KNIGHT	Kid Cudi	2:58
8	CUD LIFE	Kid Cudi	3:34
9	TOO DAMN HIGH	Kid Cudi & Lil Yachty	2:19
10	GETCHA GONE	Kid Cudi	1:56
11	AT THE PARTY (feat. Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott)	Kid Cudi	3:59
12	MR. COOLA	Kid Cudi	2:28
13	FRESHIE	Kid Cudi	3:20
14	TORTURED	Kid Cudi	3:56
15	X & CUD	Kid Cudi & XXXTENTACION	2:47
16	SEVEN	Kid Cudi & Lil Wayne	2:32
17	FUNKY WIZARD SMOKE	Kid Cudi	2:46
18	RAGER BOYZ	Kid Cudi & Young Thug	2:50
19	PORSCHE TOPLESS	Kid Cudi	2:51
20	BLUE SKY	Kid Cudi	3:42
21	HIT THE STREETZ IN MY NIKES	Kid Cudi	2:41

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