First off, I want to start by saying that I am not here to support Kanye West in any way shape or form outside of music. I am only here for the musical aspect of things, so far it has been Pusha's album, and now, because I find Kid Cudi to be one of the most influential and inspiring artists of the last decade, I have a contract in my brain that says I will absolutely and unequivocally support anything Kid Cudi puts out musically after Man On The Moon I and II. Kanye, if you somehow, find some "by the ways of God, premonition-like" way to read this, seek help. For you and your loved ones. You may think it helps you, but at some point, you will no longer be able to control it.
Anyways, the relationship has been well documented between these 2 G.O.O.D Music artists for about 10 years now, seeing as Cudi was a key inspirational crafting point in the making of Kanye's 2008 4th solo album 808's & Heartbreaks (the album some may some say is Kanye's best... just kidding, it's only me that says that), playing a huge role in most of the album's production, melodies and harmonies as a whole (Cudi has also detailed working with Kanye and Jay Z on The Blueprint 3 in past interviews). Kanye has always been the best example of "paving your own lane" when it comes to personality (hot take) and creativity as a whole, especially music. Now Cudi on the other hand... how does one describe Kid Cudi's musical ear and sound? Kid Cudi is like if Pink Floyd and David Bowie somehow mixed together and had a psychedelic baby born on LSD and somehow already possessed the ability to play the piano. Now put these 2 musical entities together... and it creates the stuff of myth. Children are proven to experience more paranormal activity than the average adult, but on Kids See Ghosts... I think Kanye and Cudi made it possible for adults too. Check out my observations from Kids See Ghosts below.
Live Instrumentation That Gives It A Jam Session Feel
As if there was any question to if the project was going to be musical, Kanye brings the beats to Cudi's blues. All throughout the project, melodies on top of melodies are layered intricately and just perfectly enough for each contributor to do their part and not steal too much shine away from their partner... and Lord knows both are capable of doing so. "Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)" intros with some heavy pounding drum kicks that sound like a nightmare reoccurring from 2010-2011; a nightmare brought on from the imaginative portraits that Cudi would paint throughout his writing in the Man On The Moon series. This song is especially great because it takes you back to a time where old school grunge bands would show footage of themselves during their Behind The Music documentary's just jamming it out in the garage with the band, still figuring out their sound (besides those "ray of sunshine" like background vocals that Ty Dolla $ign provides, which are almost ghostly... ohhhhhh.. I get it!). The introduction guitar along with the progressing drums in the album's final track "Cudi Montage" sound like the perfect blend of a grungy Nirvana-era guitar, then somehow flips into a hardcore hip hop album cut that Jay Z could talk his shit over (remix idea, maybe? Oh dammit... nevermind. Forgot about Kanye and Jay's current status).
Cudi Haunts This Album With His Presence, And It's Absolutely Gorgeous, Terrifying, And Brand New, Yet Somehow A Blast From The Past
(*I do not own these songs, images, or the rights to them*)
Okay seriously crazy theory here... Is this a secret ode to Cudi's Man On The Moon series? Is this a follow up WITHOUT BEING A FOLLOW UP?! Haunting is the epitome of Cudi's presence throughout Kids See Ghosts, whether it be giving a beautiful yet somehow paranormal singing voice ("Feel The Love"), some all-seeing, all-knowing, prophetic types of song writing ("4th Dimension", and I mean just LISTEN to that introduction to Cudi's verse... talk about creepy!), some talks of being "Reborn": which, I mean come on, the song title is already saying something in itself; like dying and being "Reborn" as this new creature (and Cudi is clearly Unicorn status, by the way), and playing the guitar to what sounds like courting death (that grungy Nirvana sound)... almost as if he's leading you to a battle you know you can't win, an unsettling oath that is less like death and more like fulfilling prophecy; coming back stronger than ever before and leading your troops to victory in a battle more epic than the final Harry Potter movie ("Cudi Montage"). Seriously though, Cudi; we didn't think you'd take the whole "Reborn" thing as such a method actor! It's like closing your eyes, hearing a movie and imagining it yourself as the soundtrack to darkness unfolds. Cudi himself adds more than vocals, production, or verses could all do put together, and this is why he's (in my opinion) one of the greatest to ever do it; his ambience creates more of a feeling than pure rapping could ever do; he's not just haunting you with his singing, he's creating a soundtrack to the madness in our minds.
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