If someone were to take a look into the history of hip-hop and rap, they would find a plethora of styles, each unique. Some styles blend together while others produce a sound so distinct there are no other artists who come close.

When looking at the career of Cleveland native Scott Mescudi, better known as Kid Cudi, one thing is certain — he is not your typical rapper. He proves this to the hip-hop community time and time again. Cudi’s new album, “Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon,” dropped unexpectedly Feb. 25 on iTunes after an announcement from the artist via Twitter.

In the album, Cudi uses his unique moon man sound to invite listeners on a ride back to space as he creates a type of sound similar to his earlier “Man on the Moon” album series. It is supposed to work as a bridge between his last album, “Indicud,” and “Man on the Moon 3,” set to release sometime this year.

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However, the album falls short of greatness because it lags in its use of an important element: lyrics. Four of the album’s productions are instrumentals; Cudi’s lyricism and vocals are heard on almost half of the songs.

As Cudi prepares to blast off to space, he offers a short down-tempo introductory song, “Destination: Mother Moon,” as a launching pad into the rest of the album. The dark, slow instrumental drops the mood in an instant as listeners prepare for the emotional journey laid before them.

Cudi first begins his lyrical exploration with “Going to the Ceremony.” On this track, Cudi explains his reasons for leaving earth in a way his fans are quite familiar with. Memories of the earlier “Man on the Moon” albums come to mind as Cudi uses this rock-like production to show his lonesome journey back to space with nothing but a bottle of liquor to keep him company, which does not seem to bother him.

“Satellite Flight,” the album’s title track, follows the tradition of classic Cudi, humming and rhyming his way into the minds of the listeners as he speaks of leaving earth in hopes of getting away from all the negative distractions at ground level.

As the album reaches the outer limits of the atmosphere, Cudi flips the cruise control switch on the metaphorical space vehicle with the song “Copernicus Landing.” The instrumental sounds like something you would hear on the soundtrack for a sci-fi movie. A melodic tone forms and builds throughout the song, used as an entry point for the sexually charged lyrics found on “Balmain Jeans,” featuring Raphael Saadiq. Using Saadiq’s calm R&B vocal style, Cudi expresses his poetic love in the slow and sensual track.

The album reaches its emotional peak on “Too Bad I Have To Destroy You” and “Internal Bleeding” as listeners reach the record’s second half. While keeping the slow instrumental rhythm, these songs portray Cudi as a man searching for peace in a world of negativity while calling out any critics trying to bring him down. He speaks of his pains with distant vocals breaking through the deep emotional bass beat.

Two more instrumental songs, “In My Dreams 2015” and “Return of the Moon Man,” remind the listeners they are still on a journey destined for the moon without the use of lyrics. The beat builds and drops in these songs, helping the listener envision Cudi’s spacecraft as it nears landing.

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The album ends with “Troubled Boy,” a slow melodic song with a simple guitar rift overlaying Cudi’s distant voice as it fades into the background.

Kid Cudi’s unique style of rap comes to the foreground in this trip to the moon, a space exploration of his inner artistic struggles. The album is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes, or can be streamed on Spotify.