the ones with no albums in stores yet"
It makes sense that Akon, T-Pain, and Flo Rida are headlining Sunday's Summer Jam lineup at the Comcast Center. Not just because you can sort of cut and paste their names and locations on the pop charts, but also because the established artists all have actual albums on the market. Albums with jewel cases, liner notes, proofs of purchase.
Asher Roth, who's also on the Summer Jam bill, is not exactly a hit maker, but he has a single ("I Love College") and a record on shelves. Kid Cudi is the glitch in the matrix. In theory, he has only one song in his catalog, but he's riding some of the biggest buzz in hip-hop right now. Big enough to land him in the mix at Summer Jam without a proper album.
His single, "Day 'n' Nite," started as an Internet leak, turned into an iTunes download, seeped into pop culture through video games like NBA Live 09 and the TV show "Entourage." Then it peaked at No. 3 on the charts and created the kind of hype for Cudi that most rappers will never see.
His debut album is set for an August release, but at this point it feels like more of a formality. Ever since he dropped a mixtape called "A Kid Named Cudi" last summer, it seems like he can go to any big show, from South by Southwest to Summer Jam, and have a fan base that connects with him. They know the words. They know his style. They know he runs with Kanye West. And that's all the verification he needs.
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