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.
I Be
Kid Cudi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(bum ba ba bum)
(Midwest action)
Uh, yo
Uh, ello'!
Yeah mhm, mhm
Dr. genius,hey
I be high, when i split a dutch and fill it up
I be high, when i get my money doubled up
I be high, when a model wanna let me cut
I be high, when i be shinin' cause my diamonds blush
I be low, when a nigga cant get away
I be low, when i cant seem to make a way
I be low, when i cant even feed myself
I be low, when i realize im by myself
But I be high, when i shopping for expensive clothes
I be high, when i get what i couldn't before
I be high, in the club while poppin bub
I be high, when im cruisin sitting on them doubs
But I be low, after shows in my dressing room
I be low, when i see that im a different dude
I be low, on the plane lookin at the sky
I be low, but my highs keep me really ?tight?
Chorus:
I be high, then i be low
I be low, then i be high
Its like a battle knife to a gun fight
But i be cool, this the story of my life
I be high, then i be low
I be low, then i be high
Its like a battle knife to a gun fight
No need to worry , this the story of my life
Verse 2:
I be low, when i gotta get ready for work
I be low, cause after bills, my pockets be hurt
I be low, when i cant take a girl out
I be low, cause they cant even figure me out
But i be high, when the ?phoney? chicks some me love
Caus in my mind i read them, but i dont give a fuck
I be high, when a n*ggar get attention
I be high, when your girl catch feelings
Then i be low, when i go into that empty space
I be low, when im looking at a stressed face
I be low, because my brother facing hard time
And i be low, cause my n*ggar lying close behind
Then im high, when i know the places we can go
I be high, when i think what the future holds
I be high, when she asks for my room number
I be high, but a my low keeps a n*ggar humble
Chorus:
I be high, then i be low
I be low, then i be high
Its like a battle knife to a gun fight
But i be cool, this the story of my life
I be high, then i be low
I be low, then i be high
Its like a battle knife to a gun fight
No need to worry , this the story of my life
Verse 3:
I was high, when the label said that i was dope
I was high, in my eyes cause i had hope
I was high, when first had the taste of love
I was high, when i left the city i was from
And i was low, when i had a recent heart break
I was low, cause i truly though i had it made
I was low, when i lost her over silliness
I was low, cause she twisted what my words meant
But i was high, when i finally had the chance to see
Everything thats pretty aint' always good for me
I was high, when she first said i like you
Man, i must be too high to even write dude
And these things show you growth
Some niggas show you a little but i show you the most
Highs and lows, and succeed for sho
The only thing left to do is to say a toast, cause...
Chorus:
I be high, then i be low
I be low, then i be high
Its like a brought a knife to a gun fight
But i be cool, this the story of my life
I be high, then i be low
I be low, then i be high
Its like a brought a knife to a gun fight
No need to worry , this the story of my life
Now wont you please say scotty lord,
Help me please, yeah, help me please
Now wont you please say scotty lord,
Wont you please, god, help me please
In "I Be," Kid Cudi talks about his life as a rollercoaster of highs and lows. He first mentions being high when he's smoking a dutch, making money, and partying; and low when he can't afford certain things or when he's alone. Cudi highlights the joys of getting attention from women and being on stage, but then also touches on the struggles of loss and heartbreak. However, he concludes that these experiences of both good and bad have led him to grow and learn from life's challenges.
The song's structure follows a pattern of high-low-high-low, which emphasizes the ups and downs of Cudi's life. The beat, produced by Dr. Genius, is minimalistic with a steady drum beat and simple piano keys, allowing Cudi's vocals to take center stage. The hook "I be high, then I be low" is catchy and reinforces the song's message.
One of the most interesting things about "I Be" is that the song was originally leaked in 2009 under the name "Highs N Lows" but was then officially released with a new title and updated production in 2011 on Cudi's mixtape "A Man Named Scott." The song was subsequently included on his 2012 album "WZRD."
Line by Line Meaning
I be high, when i split a dutch and fill it up
I feel elevated when I roll and smoke marijuana.
I be high, when i get my money doubled up
I feel elated when I make a big profit or have a financial windfall.
I be high, when a model wanna let me cut
I feel euphoric when an attractive woman shows interest in me.
I be high, when i be shinin' cause my diamonds blush
I feel ecstatic when my expensive jewelry and accessories catch people's attention.
I be low, when a nigga can't get away
I feel down when there's no escape from a difficult situation.
I be low, when i cant seem to make a way
I feel low when I'm unable to find a solution to a problem or achieve a goal.
I be low, when i cant even feed myself
I feel terrible when I'm unable to provide for my basic needs and necessities.
I be low, when i realize im by myself
I feel depressed when I realize I am alone and have no support or companionship.
But I be high, when i shopping for expensive clothes
I feel happy and excited when I'm buying expensive and fashionable clothing.
I be high, when i get what i couldn't before
I feel blissful when I finally get something that I've wanted for a long time.
I be high, in the club while poppin bub
I feel great when I'm partying and drinking champagne in a club setting.
I be high, when im cruisin sitting on them doubs
I feel good and elevated when I'm driving around on expensive wheel rims or 'doubs'.
But I be low, after shows in my dressing room
I feel down and sad after performing shows and being alone in my dressing room.
I be low, when i see that im a different dude
I feel unhappy or depressed when I realize that fame and success have changed me as a person.
I be low, on the plane lookin at the sky
I feel down and emotionally drained when I'm on a plane and contemplating my existence.
I be low, but my highs keep me really tight
Even though I feel low at times, my positive experiences keep me grounded and in a good mindset.
I be low, cause after bills, my pockets be hurt
I feel down and upset after paying off bills and expenses and having minimal disposable income.
I be low, when i cant take a girl out
I feel sad and low when I'm unable to afford or plan a date with a girl I like.
I be low, cause they cant even figure me out
I feel down and lonely because people don't understand or connect with me.
But i be high, when the phoney chicks some me love
I feel happy and joyful when insincere or fake women express affection towards me.
Caus in my mind i read them, but i dont give a fuck
Although I can sense when people are being fake, I don't care because I still enjoy the positive emotions they bring me.
I be high, when a n*ggar get attention
I feel elated when I get recognition, praise, or attention for my work or accomplishments.
I be high, when your girl catch feelings
I feel ecstatic when a girl develops feelings for me and shows that she cares.
Then i be low, when i go into that empty space
I feel unhappy and hopeless when I enter a depressed or dark state of mind.
I be low, when im looking at a stressed face
I feel down and saddened when I see the negative effects stress and worry have on someone's face and well-being.
I be low, because my brother facing hard time
I feel depressed and anxious when a close family member or friend is going through a tough time or experiencing hardship.
And i be low, cause my n*ggar lying close behind
I feel down and out of control when a friend or loved one is dealing with addiction or substance abuse.
Then im high, when i know the places we can go
I feel elevated and optimistic when I think about the exciting and fun places I can go with friends and loved ones.
I be high, when i think what the future holds
I feel happy and excited when I think about the possibilities and potential of the future.
I be high, when she asks for my room number
I feel euphoric when a woman expresses sexual or romantic interest in me.
I be high, but a my low keeps a n*ggar humble
Although I feel high and successful at times, my negative experiences and emotions keep me grounded and humble.
I was high, when the label said that i was dope
I felt elated and excited when my record label praised my work and talent.
I was high, in my eyes cause i had hope
I felt happy and optimistic when I had hope for my future and career.
I was high, when first had the taste of love
I felt euphoric and blissful when I fell in love for the first time.
I was high, when i left the city i was from
I felt elated and excited when I left my hometown and started a new chapter in my life.
And i was low, when i had a recent heart break
I felt down and depressed when I recently experienced a breakup or heartache.
I was low, cause i truly though i had it made
I felt sad and disappointed when I realized that I didn't have as much success or happiness as I thought.
I was low, when i lost her over silliness
I felt depressed and hurt when I lost someone I cared about over something trivial or insignificant.
But i was high, when i finally had the chance to see
I felt happy and ecstatic when I finally gained a new perspective or understanding of a situation.
Everything thats pretty aint' always good for me
I realized that not everything that seems positive or attractive is necessarily good or beneficial for me.
I was high, when she first said i like you
I felt euphoric and excited when a woman first expressed romantic interest in me.
Man, i must be too high to even write dude
I felt so ecstatic and euphoric that I couldn't even focus or write properly.
Some niggas show you a little but i show you the most
I work hard and try to give my fans and listeners the most honest and vulnerable version of myself and my experiences.
Highs and lows, and succeed for sho
I experience both high and low points in my life and career, but I know I will always succeed in the end.
The only thing left to do is to say a toast, cause...
The only thing left for me to do is to celebrate and raise a glass to my experiences, both good and bad.
Now wont you please say scotty lord, Help me please, yeah, help me please
I ask for help and guidance from a higher power or God to get through my struggles and hardships.
Now wont you please say scotty lord, Wont you please, god, help me please
I continue to ask for assistance and support from a higher power to overcome my difficulties and low moments.
Contributed by Taylor F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
The Ricktator
I think the reason thing song resonates so well is because it doesn't talk about a rainbow, beautiful life, or a harsh cruel one. It talks about a life of goods and bads
Mivish06
Lyrically, this is the most heartfelt and touching song i've ever heard
Ricardo Sanchez
Kid cudi es mi gran inspiración. Amo 💜 todas sus canciones
ZZ XX
"When I finally had the chance to see Everything that's pretty ain't always good for me." so true...
Cole Highfield
This song needs to be on itunes
John Klonowski
this is the best song I've ever heard, I've been battling with depression and anxiety and this song literally speaks to me and of me
ggfrances
ah kid cudi, brings back so many memories in southeast michigan, the warm summer days turning into nights just driving around w my friends, smoking and watching the sun set on the lake. we didn't really have much to do most the time but those were some of the best days of my life.. and cudi was there with us. love that he sampled bob dylan. love and respect.
Ricardo Sanchez
Una excelente canción de kid cudi
Pat D
I always put Kid Cudi in the same catagory as Wayne and Drake until I was bored one day and listened to the album. I don't know what I was thinking. This is my fav album in a long ass time.
Trevin Jack
i love how scott can make music that everyone can relate to be it happy or sad and i dont know about all you but this song put me in a great mood