Today it's 3 years ago since Kid Cudi and Kanye West spilled their darkest secrets and lightest beginnings on paper. Today we take a look at and honor their masterpiece.
"KIDS SEE GHOSTS" is the debut album for Kid Cudi and Kanye West as a group. This is the third album in a series of five all-Kanye produced albums. It follows Pusha T's "DAYTONA" and Kanye's own "ye". Following the release of "KIDS SEE GHOSTS", "NASIR" by Nas and "K.T.S.E." by Teyana Taylor were released as the remaining parts of the series.
Kanye and Cudi had had a rough relationship since Cudi's departure from Good Music in 2013. When asked about it in an interview with LA Leakers, Cudi answered:
"I feel like there was a shift in my creative ventures and the things I wanted to do, and I never really been fully signed to Good Music. It has always been a joint venture between me and Kanye. It's kinda like I got this label, you got your label and we bring them together and it make work. So that was definitely what it always been. And I - I just wanted to do my own thing man, you know? And there's nothing wrong with that and I know there's nothing wrong with that, 'cause I talked to Ye about it. And he was just like 'yes, do what the fuck you feel is right, I don't blame you'. And it was a big deal for me, 'cause wanted to take the Good Music logo off all my music from here on out. He said 'okay, what ever you gotta do bro'.
Kanye told Cudi they had traveled so much together and that they were family, but this didn't stop them from frequently having lowkey Twitter beef.
I would love to go in depth with their beef and history, but I will save that for later and focus on the album today. This means that soon a story reflecting on the time Kanye and Cudi has spent together and the work they've done soon will be out on the blog, so stay tuned.
This album works as musical therapy with Kanye being manic and wild for the most part, while Cudi is more hold back and reflected. Their different vocal parts on the album reflects their mental health problems they each had to battle with. Their bond really gets displayed and the vulnerability of them both collides into a beautiful artwork of music.
This is music straight from the feelings straight to the feelings. Kanye and Cudi takes you through a journey of not only, what they are going through, but what you're going through. And as Kanye described it the album works as musical therapy for the listener. The tracks featured on the album are all both powerful and meaningful, they lead a path to self realization, and not many artist can do that.
Rating:
Vibe - 9,5/10. The vibe this album brings is unmatchable by any other hip hop album so far. You get to go deep in the minds of two lyrical geniuses, along with a flawless production from Kanye.
Lyrics - 9,5/10. A broken past and a new beginning brings the art of the album. Two great lyricist who reflect their minds on paper.
Flow - 8/10. Both Cudi and Kanye are great rappers as well, but the album isn't focused around the technically good rapping, but they still deliver flow clean verses throughout the album.
Music - 10/10. Kanye being the mastermind behind the album, he has created fantastic beats for the whole album, reinforcing the themes and pain that lies behind the album.
Overall - 9,5/10. The heart of two lyrical geniuses gets conveyed on paper. To go that deep into the mind and getting such an idea of what they are feeling is unmatched by any other hip hop album, that has been released so far.
Tracklist:
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| Pusha T had the only solo verse on the opener of the album |
Feel The Love: 8/10
Pusha T delivers the songs only solo verse. A well build verse with multiple great bars.
Cudi feels the love surrounding him, despite the gunshots from Kanye can be heard throughout the song. I think this serves as a well crafted opener for the album. Cudi starts to reminisce on his mental health and finds purpose while Kanye's gun noises provides the feeling that the world isn't as safe as everybody thinks.
Overall a great song, that makes you think about life.
Fire: 8/10
On "Fire" both Kanye and Cudi brings up their failures in life and the people who judged them for it. But instead of listening to people and stressing over living up to people's expectations like Cudi had dealt with in the past, they choose to ignore it even stating: "Love all your shit talkin'"
The song implements that Cudi has found peace with who he is, but in the ending you hear him begging heaven to lift him up. In a way this signals that Cudi has found peace, as he is at whole with everything he is. In another way it shows the battle Cudi still is in the middle of.
A very sentimental track for both of them. When hip hop goes from just rapping to showing feelings, that's when the true artform if brought to life, which they accomplish on this track.
4th Dimension: 7,5/10
This track samples Louis Prima's "What Will Santa Claus Say". This song offers Kanye and Cudi spilling out their minds on paper. They touch every subject from accidental anal sex to Ric Flair.
Despite the chill track Cudi spits some dark bars. "Such a lost boy, caught up in the darkest I had. What's the cost, boy? Losin' everything I had". It's clear that Cudi needs to get something of his chest, but at the same time once again he displays that he has found clarity in his problems, asking himself what the cost of what he does is.
A track to think about with everything going fast like their lives, it's sometimes hard to notice the pain they're actually going through.
Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2): 7/10
This song's concept is based on Kanye's own "Ghost Town", which was released a week prior.
In March of 2019 they got sued by Ronald Oslin Bobb-Semple for using a sample of his recording "The Spirit of Marcus Garvey (Garvey speaks to an all-Black audience) without his consent. The song opens with a sample of him saying:
"May I say something to you to give you a true knowledge of yourself and life?
Man in the full knowledge of himself is a superb and supreme creature of creation
When man becomes possessor of the knowledge of himself, he becomes the master of his environment"
It such a shame that they got sued for using a such well-fitted quote to their track. It sums the whole song up, by explaining what they have come to know and have come to peace with.
Personally I prefer the original Ghost Town over Pt.2, but I find there realization extravagant.
Reborn: 10/10
What must be the most iconic track of the whole album is called Reborn, and it's and absolute banger.
The song is about Cudi and Kanye discussing their personal problems and moving forward from their previous mistakes in life. With great production behind phenomenal vocals Cudi and Kanye goes on a journey from their past problems to being reborn.
On Cudi's verse he reflects over his drug abuse and rehabilitation. Two years prior to the release of Reborn Cudi wrote this on Twitter:
"Love and light to everyone who has love for me and I am sorry if I let anyone down. I really am sorry. I'll be back, stronger, better. Reborn"
This was Cudi's last tweet before going to rehab, and two years later he's better and comes out being reborn.
The term "reborn" can perfectly be used to describe both Kanye and Cudi, both had dealt with many personal problems and have moved on from there past, hence they have been reincarnated on earth as better people than their past.
The track has so much meaning and depth to it especially for Cudi. It's a beautiful way of conveying his new life through an art to his fans.
Kids See Ghosts: 9/10
Cudi is introspective on the track, while Kanye addresses the expectations and pressures fame brings.
Kanye has been previously known for comparing his problems and life to a kids view. Kanye has really grown as an artist and has become a really reflected person with purpose in his life.
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| Kurt Cobain's notorious guitar play can be found on "Cudi Montage" |
Cudi Montage: 9/10
Cudi Montage is build around the guitar of Kurt Cobain's "Burn the Rain". Kanye uses it to describe the cycle of violence created by a gang mentality, and that being freed from the loop requires a higher power.
This track plays really well with finding clarity of their own minds, as "stay strong" becomes the message of the track. To needing help with his problems, Cudi becomes clear and ready to help others move forward.
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