Kid Cudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio and lived in the diverse upper class suburb of Shaker Heights. Just prior to receiving his GED he attended Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio and also Solon High School in Solon, Ohio. Cudi first began rapping towards the end of high school, inspired by alternative hip hop groups such as The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest. He moved to Brooklyn, New York to pursue a music career. In July 2008, Kid Cudi released his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, in collaboration with New York street wear brand 10. Deep as a free download in 2008. The mixtape has had so much continued success that on May 18, 2009 10.Deep announced they were going to be doing a re-release of the "Up There" t-shirt and hard copies A Kid Named Cudi mixtape in their webstore on May 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM EST. Shortly after the shirt went up for sale the server crashed due to heavy traffic of fans wanting to buy the t-shirt and the mixtape.
Kid Cudi has a guest feature on Kanye West's 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak, singing with him on the track Welcome to Heartbreak, providing additional vocals on Paranoid with Mr Hudson and helped with songwriting on the second single Heartless. A music video has been made and released for Welcome to Heartbreak with him in it. He also featured on the song Welcome 2 the World with Kevin Rudolf from his album In The City, and on 88-Keys debut album The Death of Adam on the track Ho' is Short for Honey.
He has been featured in many medias such as XXL and BBC News's Sound of 2009 poll of up-and-coming acts. He has also been featured in Vibe, Complex, The Source, Rolling Stone, URB and Interview magazine.
Kid Cudi first appeared on shows in 2008, when he performed at the 2008 VMA's alongside Travis Barker and DJ AM. On February 17, 2009, Kid Cudi made his TV debut on Snoop Dogg's new MTV talk show Dogg After Dark, performing Day 'n' Nite at the end of the show. Two days later on February 19, 2009, Cudi appeared on BET's 106 & Park with Kanye West to debut the video of Day 'n' Nite . On March 16, 2009 Kid Cudi performed on mtvU's 2009 Spring Break special. On March 17, 2009 Cudi appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly where he performed three songs. Kid Cudi has also made cameo appearances in Solange's video for her song T.O.N.Y. and in the Black Eyed Peas video for I Gotta Feeling.
Kid Cudi, along with Emile, produced an exclusive single called "Switchin Lanes" for the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles, part of its "South Central Premium Upgrade" Downloadable Content (DLC) which came out March 19, 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and March 27, 2009 for the Xbox 360. He contributed to the soundtrack for Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. The game was released on June 24 2010.
GHOST!
Kid Cudi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, whoa, whoa
Haha
Yeah
My name is Scott Mescudi, yeah
Mmmh
Yeah
I was so close to bein' dead, yeah
Life, live it with nobody's help tips
Man, I'm just walkin' without bein' led
See the world is so crazy and filled with such risk and, man
I just know I gotta dodge them, yeah
The beginnings are followed by an end
In the in-between time I'm not runnin' or hidin'
See things do come around
And make sense eventually
Things do come around
But some things trouble me
The people I met and the places I've been
Are all what make me the man I so proudly am
But I wanna know one thing
When did I become a ghost?
I'm mostly confused about the world I live in
They think that I'm lonely, well, I probably am
One thing that still gets me
When did I become a ghost? Yeah
Na-na-na na-na-na-na, oh, whoa-whoa, ha, ha
Yeah, yeah, whoa-whoa-whoa, yo
Tried to fight it
But soon that gave in
Went down a road with no lights on, mh
Can't describe it, and you don't move like them
You become their worst nightmare
You remember the things that your parents had said, and, well
Rather find out the hard way
You should tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend
I keep with my stroll, I'm not runnin' or hidin'
See things do come around
And make sense eventually
Things do come around
But some things still trouble me
The people I met and the places I've been
Are all what make me the man I so proudly am
But I wanna know one thing
When did I become a ghost?
I'm mostly confused about the world I live in
They think that I'm lonely, well, I probably am
One thing that still gets me
When did I become a ghost? Yeah
Na-na-na na-na-na-na, oh, whoa-whoa, mmh-yeah
Yeah, whoa-whoa
Mmm (ah-ooh), ohh (ah-ooh)
I hope they understand that I really understand that
They don't understand (ah-ooh)
I hope they understand that I really understand that
They don't understand (ah-ooh)
I really understand that they
I really think I, um (ah-ooh)
I hope they understand that I really understand that
They don't understand, whoa
Listen to me
Whoa
Listen to me
Whoa
In “GHOST!” Kid Cudi struggles with his identity and place in the world as he reflects on how he has become disconnected from others. The song begins with Kid Cudi introducing himself, suggesting a need to remind himself of his own identity. He then talks about how close he was to being dead and how he is walking without being led. He feels that the world is crazy and full of risks, but he knows he has to be careful and dodge them. Kid Cudi acknowledges that things do come around and make sense eventually, but some things still trouble him. He reflects on the people he has met and the places he has been, which have all contributed to the man he is today. Despite this, he wonders when he became a ghost and why he feels so disconnected from the world.
The chorus serves as a reminder that Kid Cudi is confused about the world and his place in it, feeling that people think he's lonely, which he acknowledges he probably is. He remembers the things his parents told him and how he wants to find things out the hard way. He admits that he can’t describe where he is going, but adds that he’s walking without running or hiding. Kid Cudi longs for understanding and wants people to know that he understands their lack of comprehension. The song ends with Kid Cudi repeating, “Listen to me,” as if to emphasize the importance of his message, that something inside him feels disconnected from the world, but he doesn't necessarily have the answers as to why.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta get it through my thick head
I need to fully comprehend and accept something
I was so close to bein' dead, yeah
I almost lost my life
Life, live it with nobody's help tips
I must navigate life without receiving guidance or advice from anyone
Man, I'm just walkin' without bein' led
I am taking complete control over my own decisions and actions
See the world is so crazy and filled with such risk and, man
The world is chaotic and full of danger
I just know I gotta dodge them, yeah
I must avoid the dangers that the world presents
The beginnings are followed by an end
All things have a start and a finish
In the in-between time I'm not runnin' or hidin'
I am staying strong and not letting fear control my life
See things do come around
Eventually, things will work themselves out
And make sense eventually
After time has passed, things will become clear
But some things trouble me
There are certain things that still bother me
The people I met and the places I've been
My experiences have shaped who I am as a person
Are all what make me the man I so proudly am
I am proud of the person I have become
But I wanna know one thing
I have one burning question
When did I become a ghost?
At some point, I started to feel disconnected from the world around me
I'm mostly confused about the world I live in
I am often perplexed by the state of the world around me
They think that I'm lonely, well, I probably am
People assume I am lonely, and they are likely right
One thing that still gets me
There is one particular thing that continues to bother me
Tried to fight it
I attempted to resist this feeling
But soon that gave in
But eventually, I gave up fighting
Went down a road with no lights on
I embarked on a journey with no clear path ahead
Can't describe it, and you don't move like them
The feeling I have is difficult to express, and I don't feel like I fit in with others
You become their worst nightmare
I am viewed as a hindrance or a source of fear by others
You remember the things that your parents had said, and, well
You recall the advice your parents gave you
Rather find out the hard way
I would prefer to learn through experience, even if it is difficult
You should tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend
You should share your experiences and lessons with others to help them avoid similar struggles
I keep with my stroll, I'm not runnin' or hidin'
I am persevering through the difficulties and not giving up
I hope they understand that I really understand that
I wish people would realize that I empathize with them
They don't understand
Many people fail to understand me and my struggles
Listen to me
I am trying to make a point
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Emile Haynie, R. Evans, Ted Randazzo, Victoria Pike, Scott Mescudi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind