When Kanye West and Kid Cudi teamed up to drop Kids See Ghosts in 2018 it was a pretty historic moment in hip hop history. Both MC’s were at the height of their powers commercially and the subject matter they dove into was uniquely introspective. The album broke conventional boundaries in a way only a collaboration can– the production led by Kanye was experimental and eclectic, merging elements of rock, soul, and electronic music, and the melodic elements Cudi brought to the table were juxtaposed sharply with the lyrical content that focused on mental health and a search for identity. Those struggles are something each artist has publicly struggled with over the years (Kanye in a much more high-profile and damaging way as we wrote about over a year ago, whereas Cudi’s raw honesty about his struggles with depression have resonated much more profoundly with the passage of time). But ultimately this act of vulnerability draped over each section of Kids See Ghosts helped pave the way for a new era of artists who feel empowered to share their own struggles, especially in the hip hop genre where that vulnerability wasn’t typically the norm.
Standout Songs: “Feel The Love”, “4th Dimension”, “Reborn”
