After the release date was pushed back several times, WZRD’s debut album is finally here. WZRD is the dream team of Kid Cudi and producer Dot da Genius. Dot da Genius has worked on Cudi’s previous albums, including the 2008 breakthrough “A Kid Named Cudi,” and now the pair has done it again with an enchanting and truly original rock album.

The futuristic first single, “Teleport 2 Me, Jamie,” is just the tip of the iceberg. Cudi said he was inspired by Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few, and this is what much of the album sounds like. There’s trippy music, “The Dream Time Machine,” and heavy guitars, “Brake,” that will make you want to turn off the lights and admire your black light poster while taking bong hits with a friend. Then there’s the Nirvana-esque, another one of Cudi’s inspirations, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” Both the lyrics and guitar sounds eerily like something Kurt Cobain himself would have come up with. The real surprise is the standout acoustic song “Efflictim.” Cudi’s voice with only an acoustic guitar makes for an unusual yet satisfying experience.

The often hard to do hip-hop artist makes a rock album has been done. Cudi has not only done it, but with style. The album could have easily gone wrong, *cough* Lil Wayne *cough.* Cudi has proven that is doesn’t matter what genre he does — he always kills it.

Grade: A+

Recommended Songs: “Brake” and “Efflictim“