Album Review

KIDS SEE GHOSTS

By KIDS SEE GHOSTS (Kanye West & Kid Cudi)

Kids See Ghosts,which was released in 2018, is a self-titled project by the rap duo, Kanye West and Kid Cudi. The album cover is painted by Takeshi Murakami, a famous Japanese artist and one of Kanye’s inspirations. Although just a 7 track long project, the mix of Rock, Hip Hop, Grunge, Psychedelic and even Pop makes this album feel a lot longer than it actually is.

Significant Tracks:

FEEL THE LOVE: It is a song about contrasts and ups and downs in the artists’ lives. The song focuses on the reconciliation between Cudi and Kanye with ‘I feel the love’ recurring throughout the track. However, it also features a hard-hitting verse from Pusha T which talks about the competition in hip hop. Kanye also makes gunshot noises throughout the song which alludes to the troubled history between him and Cudi.

4^th DIMENSION: This track opens with a sample of jazz legend Louis Prima’s ‘What will Santa Claus Say’ which is followed by an old-school Kanye verse which is probably one of his best verses of the decade. An abrupt beat switch transitions into Cudi’s verse which is a little more serious. Cudi refers to his stint in rehab after dealing with depression and suicidal urges.

REBORN: Reborn is centred around Cudi and Kanye’s struggles with mental health. It starts off with Cudi’s signature humming which creates the perfect atmosphere for the chorus and verses. The chorus and main theme of the song is about moving forward and overcoming the various obstacles that life throws at you. Kanye delivers a powerful verse where he raps about his addiction to opioids and being bipolar. Kid Cudi opens up about his drug addiction and dealing with depression in his verse. This is the most powerful song on the album as it delves deep into the personal lives of these two artists and because the entire song is produced and recorded in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Favorite lyrics:

Everybody want world peace/’Til your niece get shot in the dome piece/Then you go and buy your own piece/Hopin’ it’ll help you find your own peace/Bring light to what they don’t see/Auntie cryin’ on the concrete/Talkin’ to dispatcher when the phone beep

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“I had my issues, ain’t that much I could do/But peace is something that starts with me, with me/At times, wonder my purpose/Easy then to feel worthless/But, peace is something that starts with me”

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“I was off the chain/I was often drained/I was off the meds, I was called insane/What a awesome thing/Engulfed in shame/I want all the rain/I want all the pain/I want all the smoke, I want all the blame/Cardio audio, let me jog your brain”

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“It’s so many days I prayed to God/All this pain I couldn’t seem to find a way/On a mission livin’, carry on/Got my family, I’m seein’ through by the days/Never late, pull up a seat and come grab a plate/Check the date, let ’em hate/This the type sh*t that they couldn’t make”

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I’m so—I’m so reborn, I’m movin’ forward/ Keep movin’ forward, keep movin’ forward/ Ain’t no stress on me Lord, I’m movin’ forward/ Keep movin’ forward, keep movin’ forward

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Final Thoughts:

KIDS SEE GHOSTS is an incredibly innovative and experimentative album that still stays true to the original Kanye and Cudi sounds. A short but completely fulfilling piece of art, it is quite a futuristic album in which both the artists take an introspective approach.

Rating: 9/10