Cudi Montage

Album: Kids See Ghosts (2018)
Charted: 69
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Songfacts®:

  • The closing track of Kids See Ghosts is a somber but inspirational track about God's power to heal through love.

    Pain in my eyes, in the time I find, I'm stronger than I ever was
    Here we go again, God, shine your love on me, save me, please


    Kid Cudi struggled with depression and drug abuse after breaking through with his 2009 debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day Now. Now, instead of turning to stimulants as a coping device he turns to God in prayer.
  • During his verse, Kanye West raps about the effects of police brutality, and mass shootings on the black community, as well as the disproportionate rate of incarceration of African Americans for non-violent crimes.

    Just another cycle of the lonely
    All growin' up in environment
    Where doin' crime the requirement
    They send us off to prison for retirement
    Hopefully Alice Johnson will inspire men


    Kanye brings up Alice Marie Johnson, whose lifetime sentence on drug dealing charges was commuted by President Trump at the urging of Kim Kardashian West.
  • Mr Hudson joins Kanye West and Kid Cudi on the hook. The English singer-songwriter previously worked with Yeezy on his tracks "Mercy" and "Paranoid." and also collaborated with the Chicago rapper and Jay-Z on their Watch The Throne track "Why I Love You."
  • The song's melody is built around a sample of "Burn the Rain" a song by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, which was released in 2015 as part of the posthumous solo project Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings. Cudi is a longtime fan of Nirvana, covering the group's rendition of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" on WZRD, so his decision to borrow the track doesn't come as a huge surprise.
  • "Cudi Montage" is the only song on Kids See Ghosts that doesn't feature production from Kanye West. Instead, the beat is handled by Cudi, Dot Da Genius, and Mike Dean.

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