Top 50 Kid Cudi Songs
In Autumn 2023, I was present to see American rapper/producer/actor/rockstar/etc Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi take to a UK stage for the first time in 13 years. Over the course of an evening at the O2, Cudi put in what I proclaim the best live performance I’ve ever witnessed from a musician. This stems from many aspects, including an energy level that never dipped throughout the whole show, an immaculate setlist that focused on songs that resonate with his more diehard base (even at the expense of several hits), great involvement with his audience (even stopping a song some fifteen seconds in to check on the wellbeing of a member in the crowd). Above all, he had an evident and infectious joy throughout the whole show, most prominent when, during an instrumental section of one of his songs, Cudi elected to bounce up and down on the spot, displaying perhaps the widest smile ever recorded.
While looking ahead to his upcoming album Insano, I wanted to take a moment - a year and several months on from attending a concert which I’d been dreaming of attending for years and yet still exceeded expectations - to mark a celebration of the music Kid Cudi has already given us. In this article, I’ll count down my favourite 50 tracks of his, attempting to articulate what makes each of them special. I’ll only cover his solo albums and singles (still love you WZRD and KIDS SEE GHOSTS) and I won’t be counting his features on other songs. Anyway, let’s rage.
50. Screwed - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
If you thought there’d be no SB2H here, think again. A simple but strong instrumental underpins an intimate song about trying and failing to steer ones life in the right direction, referring to the helpless point where “life loses appeal”. Cudi brings some fantastic wails near the opening of the track, seemingly letting out anguish that had canonically been building some time.
49. REVOFEV - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
A jaunty yet very intense track, with the underlying feeling that we, the listener, are being inducted into something we’re not ready for. Luckily, Kid Cudi, our “big brother” as he proclaims himself, is there to guide us into the revolution, with this track serving as great foreshadowing for the conflict between Mescudi and the conceptual '“Mr Rager”. Extra points for some killer guitar riffs and some vintage Kid Cudi whoas in the chorus.
48. Too Bad I Have To Destroy You Now - SATELLITE FLIGHT: The Journey to Mother Moon
Very futuristic production on this track where Cudi adopts a somewhat threatening demeanour, stating that he’s no stranger to the two-faced nature of some people in his life, and vowing that the truth will come to light. This track features a strong verse in the middle, and the instrumentals gradually compound and add more layers, before dropping off completely, closing the track with a very funky, space-like beat.
47. Day ‘N’ Nite (Nightmare) - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
A timeless song and incredibly easy to see why this one was such a hit. Inspired by Geto Boys’ legendary track ‘Mind Playing Tricks On Me’, this song contains similar lyrics about the unravelling of Cudi’s mental health, describing madness as a magnet that keeps attracting him. The song’s lyrics also hint at the blurring of the line between dreams and reality, something emphasised by the song’s music video, with all this taking place on top of an infectious synth beat that flows in seamlessly from another fantastic track, The Prayer.
46. Sky Might Fall - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
An absolutely solid track here from Cudi’s first studio album, Sky Might Fall is propelled by a very trippy opening, atmospheric production, two brilliant verses featuring back and forth vocals, and a strong chorus about expecting the world to come crumbling down and being prepared for when it does.
45. Rockstar Knights - Man On The Moon III: The Chosen
Trippie Redd and Kid Cudi have a lot of fun in this track, two strong verses that show them enjoying and celebrating the eccentricities of their lives, while acknowledging the increased mortality risk borne by such a lifestyle. Trippie’s chorus is absolutely infectious and Cudi’s last verse and outro provide a nice energy switch-up late on.
44. ILLusions - Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin’
PPDS can be a very dark and eerie album at times and ILLusions is a great example of this. Cudi recounts his life with depression and the years spent attempting to battle it alone. The second verse tells the story of Cudi discovering hallucinogenics as a way to combat these trials. As the production takes a more intense turn towards the end of the track however, it becomes unclear whether these hallucinogenics are the cure for or the cause of these illusions/demons he sees.
43. Heart Of A Lion (Kid Cudi Theme) - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
A defiant anthem about refusing to be dragged down by the evil forces in life. The pounding piano notes throughout give this song an electric pace and the horns on the chorus help create a grand, anthemic feel. Extra points awarded for Cudi’s no/yeah outro which is very cinematic and representative of an ongoing internal struggle.
42. Ignite The Love - Entergalactic
Throughout this article, keep in my mind that it is being written by someone who goes weak at the knees whenever Cudi breaks out the guitar. The intro to this track is fantastic but the highlight is the chorus which, while stripped back, feels powerful, passionate, and a pivotal moment in the arc of Entergalactic.
41. We Aite (Wake Your Mind Up) - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
This track feels somewhat like an interlude, but I absolutely love it. The droning guitars create an incredibly catchy beat and the background sounds, including those of an audience, give the song a dreamlike feel, almost as if Cudi’s “Wake your mind up” commands are an attempt to communicate with and to pull us out of a metaphorical sleepstate.
40. Another Day - Man on the Moon III: The Chosen
The hooks on this track are incredibly rhythmic, which seems almost fitting as the song tells the story of a cycle, with Cudi returning to the rager persona that he initially adopted to numb the pain of depression. This link is even hinted as the tracks last lines directly reference his famous “Mr Rager” track.
39. The Nothing - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
A track in which Cudi characterises his own addiction, cutting through and urging him to continue giving in as there’s nothing he can do to fight it, this track is unfathomably creepy, evil-sounding, and just brilliant.
38. In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem) - Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
An album opener that’s instantly captivating in how much of a pleasant listen it is. A wonderfully slow, melodic, and spacey opener, garnished with some beautiful string work, and a spoken-word verse by Common which introduces the album and reminds us just how good Common’s voice is.
37. Solo Dolo Part II - Indicud
The beat that rings out throughout this track is very intense and just keeps on adding layers, while both Cudi and Kendrick Lamar bring so much attitude on their verses, while Lamar’s chorus is catchy beyond belief.
36. CONFUSED! - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
We go full head-banger here, as Cudi gives us some incredible guitar riffs on what is a really fun grunge track. This track documents Cudi looking for some form of inner peace and finding himself getting nowhere, featuring some fantastic lyrics along the way such as “these walls ain’t talking back, might as well finally paint them black” and “some days I hurt myself, distract me from distractions”.
35. Surfin’ - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
I’m sure many of us had the same experience when we first heard Surfin’ and the result was that it stayed lodged in our heads for weeks and weeks afterwards. Its easy to see why, as this closing track finds Cudi at a point of having slain his demons and able to finally have some fun, and everything in this track represents this. It’s a hard track not to want to dance to, the bassline is infectious, the drums are incredibly bouncy and rhythmic, Cudi gives some great harmonising, and is fully celebrating himself in his verses, bringing some great lyrics including “If you don’t get me, not my issue, bitch”.
34. Young Lady - Indicud
You know how I feel by now about Cudi and his guitar, and this track finds us in headbanger mode again, with Scott singing the praises of a mysterious woman as the object of his affection. Cudi and Father John Misty combine incredibly well on the chorus, portraying a character who’s losing control of their feelings in the midst of this woman’s beauty, and is very much enjoying the process.
33. Willing To Trust - Entergalactic
We should get more collaborations between Kid Cudi and Ty Dolla $ign, I really feel like we deserve it. A strong single where the two both give measured verses about opening themselves up to trust a new partner and wanting their partner to do the same for them, and their voices combine impeccably for the song’s hooks.
32. MANIAC - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
Very intense and very atmospheric. This song expertly builds on a St Vincent sample to portray Cudi finding fascination and intrigue in the darkest parts of his psyche. The guitar on the chorus is everything and Cage’s verse in the middle of the track is the highlight for me, containing great lines about wanting to use the darkness inside of him and ‘wearing shades at night so I can look in the abyss’.
31. Rose Golden - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
Willow Smith’s vocals here are absolutely exceptional and she’s a big part of this track, weaving in and out of verses. The two have great chemistry together and they combine fantastically together on an emphatic chorus about both recognising their own ‘rose golden’ potential and not being fazed by obstacles on their quest to fulfil it.
30. Lord I Know - Man On The Moon III: The Chosen
I love this as an outro, Cudi reflects on the blessing of life and how the trials he’s faced have just made him more energised to pursue his next mission. The chorus finds Kid Cudi excited for what his life brings next and, in the aftermath of the Man On The Moon trilogy, feeling better prepared to face the trials that life may bring his way. This song closes with Mike Dean absolutely doing his thing on the synths and honestly, what better way to close anything?
29. Fairy Tale Remains - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
I mentioned the bassline to Surfin’ earlier, but that’s not even in the same ballpark as Fairy Tale Remains. Just know that everything I wrote from this point onwards, I wrote with the bassline from this song playing on a permanent loop in my head.
28. GHOST! - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
The penultimate track on an utterly illegal run of tracks on the tail end of this album. Cudi ruminates on how everything happens for a reason in this track, reflecting on how, though he’s proud of who he is, it’s both the good and the bad experiences in his life that led him to this point. Still, Cudi acknowledges the changes he’s undergone, and it still troubles him trying to figure out at what point he became a “ghost” of his former self. The song ends on a beautiful piano section, with Cudi reflecting how his emotions won’t always be clear to everyone else, but that’s okay, he doesn’t expect them to understand.
27. Flight At First Sight / Advanced - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
There’s just so much fun to be had here in this two parter. The instrumentals are beyond funky, and the combination with Cudi’s background vocals make this a very hypnotic song at times, as Cudi is entranced by a woman, experiencing ‘flight at first sight’, before inviting her into his world and to ‘advance’ with him.
26. Angel - Entergalactic
Many people seem to have contrasting beliefs about whether love at first sight exists or whether it can exist at all. The conclusion generally accepted by the scientific community however is that it does exist, and you’ll know at the time if you’re experiencing it because this song will begin playing in its entirety.
25. Cudi Zone - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
A gorgeous sounding track which finds Kid Cudi in his zone, in his surroundings, doing what makes him comfortable, and trying to resist the forces of the devil that wish to invade his zone. This song features some of Cudi’s absolute best rapping, with two lengthy yet airtight verses that hold nothing back.
24. Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
An emotional track with a beautifully crafted instrumental, where Cudi finds comfort in the uncertainty of life, rather than fearing it. He knows success isn’t guaranteed, and he knows bad times will inevitably come around, but he feels experienced enough now to deal with each thing as it comes, knowing that, in the end, he’ll be fine. Extra points here for being a title track, I just feel that it’s very good form for albums to have a title track.
23. Simple As… - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
“A B C, it’s easy as 1 2 3”
The quirkiest song on the album and an insanely fun one. While Soundtrack 2 My Life gives us an introduction to Cudi’s backstory and his life up to now, Simple As… introduces us to Cudi himself. He makes things as simple as he possibly can here, he loves girls, he likes weed, he has his own way of doing things, and he wants to be a force for positivity. All of this is laid clear in two bouncy verses, over the top of a psychedelic yet very fun beat.
22. The Commander - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
A wonderful, futuristic sounding track in which Cudi harks back to the conflict from Heart of a Lion, even reviving its famous bridge to make an equally powerful chorus here, showing that even after all this time and after many victories, certain internal conflicts still remain. The Commander features two empowering verses, with Cudi depicting moments in which he’s found himself grappling for control over his life, ultimately urging listeners to assume the role of commander over their own lives.
21. Enter Galactic (Love Connection) - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
Arguably the most fun song in Cudi’s whole catalogue, he sings the praises of a girl so encapsulating that he wants to have a night with her that transcends space and time. Cudi’s performance on this track is fantastic, a brilliant spoken-word 2nd verse, some hypnotic whispered vocals on the bridge, and an emphatic chorus, sung over a head banger of an instrumental.
20. Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends) - Indicud
Perhaps the ultimate house party track. Also, I just checked your favourite rapper’s discography and it appears they don’t have a Michael Bolton feature at all? That’s a real shame.
19. These Worries - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
A really creative and intense song in which Cudi fights back against the worries and the darkness inside him. The pounding of the drum throughout the verses adds a lot of momentum, while Cudi and Mary J. Blige combine beautifully on the songs hooks, over an eerie and infectious layering of instrumentals. Here, Cudi is drawing strength from his drug use to unleash his Rager persona, with the song drawing to a lull after the powerful bridge, followed by the sound of a heavy sniff before the song ignites back into life.
18. Solo Dolo (Nightmare) - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
In just four songs at the start of Cudi’s first studio album, we’ve already learned an astonishing amount about him and have experienced a vast range of highs and musical moments. On the fourth of these songs is when The End of Day truly starts to feel cinematic. While the opening track painted his dreamscape as an idyllic paradise, here, it feels anything but, as the chilling plucked strings throughout and Cudi’s oxymoron-heavy lyrics paint it in a very different light, a place where loneliness has forced Cudi to retreat to, hoping to find some answers, only to find nothing.
17. Elsie’s Baby Boy (Flashback) - Man On The Moon III: The Chosen
One of my favourites on this album. To start with, the song samples Stand By Me in which Rivers Phoenix’s character replies with an unconvincing “yeah, sure” when told he can do anything he wants in life, believing that he’ll always be held back by the circumstances of his life. This is then mirrored throughout the song, with lines such as “there was nothing they could tell him, to let the boy know he wasn’t worthless”, before going on to reflect on the void left in his life by his father’s passing. Built on an interpolation of House of the Rising Sun, the guitar line throughout is fast, tinted with nostalgia, and almost makes you want to dance even despite the melancholy of the track.
16. Trapped In My Mind - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
A brilliant anthem to close out Cudi’s second album. Over a very hypnotic instrumental, the verses are full of very visual lyrics about Cudi fighting a losing battle to escape his mind, mentioning how “these walls are so high that I couldn’t climb them” and “the sun seems to shine when I am not looking”. Come the chorus, the vibe changes into a full-on anthem, as we find Cudi at peace with the fact he’ll always be trapped in his mind, saying “I don’t think I’ll ever get out”, and offering an optimistic acknowledgment that things could be worse, signing off the chorus with “hey it’s not that bad at all”.
15. By Design - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
Oh lawd this song didn’t need to go this hard. Cudi and the great Andre Benjamin both share their methods for feeling connected to the universe and placing their trust in where it’s taking them, with Andre rapping “stop dueling with the true thing, I do think when you think too much you’re removing what’s moving”. Cudi harmonises on the bridge beautifully, Andre’s flow on the chorus is absolutely infectious, and the production is catchy and with the typical flair that PPDS often has, particularly with the steel drums during the songs hook.
14. Mr. Rager - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
Here he is, the man himself. Over an iconic bass line and drum beat that echoes throughout the track, Cudi speaks to his new destructive alter-ego, primarily focusing the highs he brings (birds sing, flying around), and wanting to know where this journey will take him, only to be met with a chilling “I’m on my way to heaven”.
13. Releaser - Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin’
In this house, we love scary Cudi. Everything about this track is chilling, the expansive, Halo-esque humming, the slight reverb around his vocals, as if both were being spoken into a vast, but enclosed void. Akin to The Nothing, the brief “blinding” given to Cudi by various drugs (releaser) has passed, and now the depressive state has found him once again, saying “no longer you can deny me.”
12. Just What I Am - Indicud
A very nostalgic listen, but the quality holds up time after time. After a captivating, drawn out intro that echoes Cudi Zone, the great King Chip and Cudi trade excellent verses about not beating themselves up for being the way God made them. Chip wants to be in control of his own fate, and Cudi speaks of medicating himself, be it through drugs, alcohol, or punching walls, acknowledging that it sounds crazy but saying if you had his life you’d understand. Cudi offers one of his greatest ever lyrics shortly after, feeling defiant and refusing to feel sorry for himself, rapping “I can’t fold, some poor soul got it way worse, we’re all troubled in a world of trouble”.
11. The End - Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
So excited to write about this one. The beat is catchy, production sounds like it’s coming through a heavy mist, painting the picture of a cold winters night as the backdrop for some very vivid storytelling. GLC talks about the hardening of his character in pursuit of his ultimate goals of wealth and a good life, talking about the need to control his emotions to be able to control the money, to the point that he now watches a friend the way he’d watch a stranger.
Chip’s flow is fantastic as he tells a story of how, just when he found himself counting his blessings, he had a friend turn on him, setting him up for an encounter in which he almost lost his life. He remarks on how he went from having something to almost losing it all and vows he won’t be naive again.
GLC’s pursuit of his end goals closes off many of his vulnerabilities and spells the end for a certain part of his life, while Chips close encounter with the near end of his life also has the same effect. In Cudi’s verse, he flirts with “the end”, being captivated how something he’s taken into his life to heal his spirit (drugs) could also be the thing to ultimately take him out. Listen to this song while driving at night, it’s special.
10. Lovin’ Me - Man On The Moon III: The Chosen
Listen to this song in the morning to unlock god mode. The pounding drums combine with perhaps Cudi’s most emphatic delivery yet to create an instantly energising and uplifting song. A positive message without being too sugary, this is a brief but very strong anthem in which Cudi and Phoebe Bridgers remark on the importance of being at peace with and loving oneself to be able to move forward in life.
9. Edge Of The Earth / Post Mortem Boredom - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
This double-song was the perfect opener for perhaps Cudi’s most ambitious album. Everything about this track is a perfect precursor to what’s to come, the rough texture of the sound and the stripped back instrumentals indicating the rawness of the emotions Cudi brings to this album and the tumultuous place it was birthed from.
Suicide is a theme that has arisen much throughout Cudi’s music and never does it feel more actualised than here, with a very cinematic first half that fully paints the picture of a character at a remote location, the edge of the earth, ready to go through with it. He has fully left everything behind, and in the knowledge that his worries won’t be able to follow him on the other side, is able to appreciate the beauty around him just for a moment.
While the second part of the song doesn’t reach the same highs as the first, it serves as a very strong epilogue. Suicide hasn’t solved all his problems, as he finds himself with the same yearnings before and missing various freedoms from his time on Earth.
8. Soundtrack 2 My Life - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
A very emotional track at the front end of Cudi’s first studio album. While we’re still being introduced to Cudi, this song provides us with his full backstory and serves as somewhat of a blueprint for his music going forward.
Just as In My Dreams introduces Cudi to us and leaves us in a dreamlike space, we’re expecting the run-on to be something equally quirky and everything to continue being a-okay (as alluded to previously). Instead, we’re taken in a completely different direction, with Cudi opening up and unloading his past. He has more demons and vulnerabilities than his lifestyle may suggest, and he feels a duty to be open about these to show listeners with these vulnerabilities that they aren’t alone.
7. Going To The Ceremony - SATELLITE FLIGHT: The Journey to Mother Moon
An absolutely infectious guitar riff, elevated by some atmospheric harmonies to sound like something truly transcendent. Cudi feels at peace with his life because he knows where we all end up anyway, and its this peace that allows him to fly over mountains. He feels in contrast that those who look down on his lifestyle, straighten up and pay their bills on time, are living as zombies, for not realising that, whether they like it or not, like Cudi, they too are ‘going to the ceremony’.
6. love.
Music like this is perhaps the clearest example of why we’ll always be a greater species for having Kid Cudi. Built atop the fantastic Sunblocks by previous collaborator Ratatat, Cudi produces a song that absolutely bursts with emotion, singing of the importance of fighting ones problems and how staying hopeful is what keeps him from silent cries. The intense wails of the guitar combine beautifully with Cudi’s empowering chorus about not feeling down in your low points and instead using them as an opportunity to show the world what you’re made of.
5. Pursuit of Happiness - Man On The Moon: The End of Day
Arguably the centrepiece of the first Man on the Moon project, this song is an absolute force. The Ratatat production is very similar to in love., futuristic, with intense, wailing guitars, and is hypnotising from the very first second. Cudi’s verses are tinged with exhaustion, communicating the repetitiveness and the dwindling returns of Cudi’s drug habits.
The chorus, in which he’s joined by the lead signer of MGMT (why have we only got one collaboration between these two, by the way) in contrast is emphatic, and passion filled. He’s on a constant search for happiness that he know’s there isn’t an easy fix for, but still believes once he finds that right vice, that one perfect high, he’ll be fine.
There’s no way to describe the guitar solo in this song other than life changing, and the end of the song is a tragic one, as we hear Cudi agonising about the effects of one of his benders. He’s in search of the perfect high, but we know all it will inevitably lead to is this pain we hear at the end.
4. Embers - Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven
Perhaps Cudi’s most raw song of all, and a very intimate listen with the production stripped back to just the two guitars. After the heavy emotional journey endured on Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven, all Cudi feels at this point as fatigue. The verses contain very sombre lyrics with dual-meanings, he looks back on his fathers passing, something that’s been the cause of much pain up to now, and remembers his embers, his last days.
In the same lyrics, however, Cudi looks at his own life. He feels he’s burned brightly, experienced all there is to experience, felt all the pain that it’s possible to feel, and all that’s left of his life is embers. In tune with the theme of the song, Cudi signs it off with a very ominous “thank you ladies & gentlemen, bye”. Thankfully for us all, it wasn’t goodbye for good.
3. Unfuckwittable - Indicud
Apart from Cudi’s openness, perhaps his greatest strength is in being able to create music that verges on sounding other-dimensional. The production in Unfuckwittable sounds like something you’d hear while passing through to an untouched realm, on a different frequency, which is fitting, as this is likely how Kid Cudi feels, in this song dedicated to being at the peak of his powers and feeling so confident that nothing can fuck with him.
Don’t you feel it?
2. Man On The Moon (The Anthem) - A Kid Named Cudi
The anthem, a song also described by Cudi himself as something of a manifesto for what he wanted to create and achieve with his music. Nosaj Thing’s track Aquarium provides the basis for this song and everything about it, the glockenspiels, the whispered backing vocals, the gentle guitar strumming, combine to create a unique, almost other-worldly feel, which is fitting for the title of this track.
Cudi picked up very early on, quite correctly, that the moon as a concept is very cool, and this song establishes two recurring themes of Kid Cudi’s music catalogue, while also providing the name for his much acclaimed Man on the Moon trilogy. The first is the unique approach he takes to music, embodying himself as a man on the moon showcases himself as an outside, separate force from the music landscape as we know it, striving to create new sounds, evoke complex feelings, and teleport listeners to a new place or frequency, all the while avoiding the corruption of starpower by remaining open and vulnerable. He doesn’t fit in, and as we learn from the interlude in this track, he’s fine with that.
The second theme is a much darker one, depicted in John Lewis’ 2015 Christmas advert, also entitled ‘Man on the Moon’.
One. All Along - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr Rager
You’re getting a ‘one’ instead of a 1 here as a result of me waving the white flag after an intense formatting battle with Squarespace.
The other theme depicted in Kid Cudi’s MOTM is of course that of isolation and feeling lonely and this theme is explored in what I consider to be Kid Cudi’s greatest track, All Along. With catchy drums and some excellent string work, this song explodes with emotion for its entire runtime and features the best aspects of Kid Cudi’s vocal style, another thing separating Cudi from his contemporaries.
The verses are very short and very sweet, packing many meanings into a few words in a manner akin to Pink Floyd’s track ‘Us and Them’. He references a lot in the first verse, his inability to control his moods, his declining habits at home creating an environment that only fosters his depression, and his nightmares becoming a vivid reflection of his reality to the point he is unable to escape his trials.
In the second verse, he sings ‘what I need hates me’, which could refer to the drugs he relies on to feel good slowly killing him. He could be talking about companionship or happiness, both of which evade him, or he could be talking about a divine power, God or the universe, which he strives to feel connected to, but neither of which provide belonging or a solution to his woes.
Ultimately, All Along isn’t about not being in love, it’s about being alone in his fight. He speaks of issues that are personal to him, meaning that no one else will ever be able to help with, or feel the effects of the demons he faces on a regular basis. In the bridge, he speaks of how if he fails to win, smile, or exhibit the lionhearted behaviours that he rallies for in his music, he’ll be seen as a villain by strangers who aren’t clued into the battles he’s facing.
It’s not an uplifting point to end this list on admittedly, but that’s part of what makes Kid Cudi legendary, both his willingness to confront the lows so brazenly and honestly, as well as his ability to channel it into beautiful music that not only comforts, but cuts deep.