INSANO (NITRO MEGA)

Call it a deluxe expansion or a companion album for the prior month’s *INSANO*, but much like the rest of his discography, Kid Cudi’s second full-length of 2024 doesn’t need a label. In line with the Adam Sandler sample that opens the aggressive “HUMAN MADE,” *INSANO (NITRO MEGA)* shows no mercy to those who ever dared count out Scott Mescudi. A mix of new material and polished rarities, the roughly hour-long set finds him in his bag and linking with Wiz Khalifa and Pusha T, among others. The Chosen One’s more patient fans will note the presence at long last of “DOSE OF DOPENESS” and *WZRD* outtake “ROCKET,” both now officially released more than a decade after they first emerged in other capacities. Also returning from Cudi’s distant past is Chip tha Ripper, an erstwhile collaborator who brings the bars to an eclectic trio of tracks: the vibey “ANIMATE,” the slo-mo “WILLIS,” and the maximalist “WIN OR LOSE.” A notable guest on the first *INSANO*, Lil Yachty arrives in time for “ROUND N ROUND,” an aesthetically spacey ballad that beautifully showcases two of hip-hop’s most unique singing rappers’ respective styles.