Before the close of 2023, users online were shocked to see clips of Kanye West embracing Kid Cudi during his Vultures listening party. After nearly a year of publicly professed beef, many thought the Kids See Ghostscollaborators would never reconnect. However, a sibling-like spat couldn’t end their decades-long friendship for good.
While promoting his latest album, Insano, Kid Cudi opened up to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about how he was able to mend his relationship with Ye.
“The reason why we became cool again is because he apologized to me, and it was sincere,” he said. “I was just like, wow, ‘Kanye does not apologize to anybody and say sorry to anyone.’ And that’s my brother, man.”
Cudi doesn’t place blame on either party for the rocky fallout. Instead, he wants to learn from it and move forward.
“He’s learning, and he’s growing,” he said. “[Kanye] knows he made some mistakes and I think that that’s the beauty of it, is this is a beautiful thing. It’s like he knows he’s been on one hell of a ride, and he knows he’s said some things that he might not be able to come back from in a lot of realms, in a lot of spaces from certain people. But we grow, and I think I pray for him, and that’s my brother.”
Watch the full interview above.
Kid Cudi’s Insano is out now via Republic Records. Find more information here.
Earlier this month, Kid Cudi got 2024 started with a bang. He dropped his new album INSANO after much anticipation. Alongside new albums from 21 Savage and Kali Uchis, a time of the year that’s normally pretty slow got some major releases. INSANO follows up Cudi’s 2022 album Entergalactic which also served as the soundtrack to an animated special of the same name. His last official studio album was 2020’s Man On The Moon III.
Cudi didn’t hold anything back for the new record either. INSANO is stacked full of high-profile features. Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, XXXTENTACION, Lil Wayne, and Young Thug all make appearances across the record’s 21-song tracklist. But in addition to the impressive roster of collaborators, there were also some big voices influencing the record. During a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Cudi discussed the album at length. He revealed one surprising artist who had a heavy influence over the album. Kendrick Lamar. Check out the full interview below.
In the interview Cudi explained his starting point for INSANO. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve done all these different types of albums, I’ve touched on all the different types of spaces creatively, sonically. What is the one thing that I haven’t accomplished?” he said. “And I was still in this place tryna figure out what that album would sound like. I was in Paris, I just finished my European run of tour and I go to see Kendrick. And this muthaf*cka, it blew my fucking mind.”
He elaborates on how Kendrick’s live show left him stunned and inspired. “I’m sitting there, I’m watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show ’til the end. People were in it, party mode, singing every f*cking word. I’m not saying this doesn’t happen at my shows, ’cause it does. But all the way through, I don’t have that experience. I had this moment where I was like, ‘You know what? This is the reaction I want.” What do you think of Kid Cudi explaining how Kendrick Lamar influenced his new album INSANO? Let us know in the comment section below.
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (2020) was a great full-circle moment for Kid Cudi. He emulated Travis Scott (for whom he is a massive influence) and came through with psych-trap bangers, plus a versatile and emotionally powerful set of Cudder-style cuts. Unfortunately, on the Cleveland native’s ninth solo studio album and final Republic Records offering, INSANO, this experiment repeats itself with less exciting results, more filler, and an overall missing vision that usually ties his projects together seamlessly.
While he framed this album as a dedication to his OG fanbase, this sounds like more catering to the contemporary popular sounds in hip-hop that he helped innovate. However, this is no empty desert: Mr. Rager still delivers a handful of tracks worthy of his celebrated discography. But perhaps INSANO‘s biggest flaw is how it’s a pick-and-choose experience rather than a fulfilling front-to-back package.
If you’re a big fan of Kid Cudi’s hypnotic, dreamy, often cavernous, and entrancing style, or that of the artists he influences, then there’s a great chance you’ll like INSANO. “OFTEN, I HAVE THESE DREAMS,” “ELECTROWAVEBABY” (which got a Ye “co-sign”), “BLUE SKY,” and certain choruses, flows, and themes on other tracks are classic Cudi all the way. These are among the cuts that cohesively mesh his influences of hip-hop, pop, indie, and electronic, and this breaks up the track flow in the most engaging ways. “FRESHIE” also provides excellent flows and a structurally distinct song in comparison to the others, whereas “TORTURED” and “FUNKY WIZARD SMOKE” provide a strong focus on despondence and perseverance, respectively.
At first glance, or listening to any track out of context, there are always signs and displays of what makes Kid Cudi so great. Clean, crisp, but impactful production, engaging melodies across songs, carefree lyricism, emotional honesty and range, and an overall healing factor. On that last point, this is probably the 39-year-old’s most joyful album. INSANO starts with more bangers and slowly morphs into more mellow fare, but there’s a catch. By the time we finally leave the psych-trap lane in the tracklist, we’ve heard two or three of these records too many.
Kid Cudi attends the premiere of “The Book of Clarence” on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
While INSANO represents the WZRD artist’s talents across the board, listening from top to bottom can be repetitive, vapid, and messy. He’s always had jumbled and choppy flows, but these instrumentals require a strong melodic and structural focus that these performances never capture. “KEEP BOUNCING,” “A TALE OF A KNIGHT,” and “CUD LIFE” are examples of tracks that come and go with minimal impact. In addition, with few instances of memorable wordplay or phrasing, detailed narratives, or strong hooks, there’s little to latch onto emotionally and lyrically beyond the basic descriptions we’ve heard so much in Kid Cudi’s catalog. There are only so many times we can hear about blunts, baddies, fast cars, and being better than all the haters he claims not to care about.
Even the professional-grade production is too limited in terms of psych-trap aesthetics and structure. Beats like “MOST AIN’T DENNIS” and “FRESHIE” are amazing, but they’re sonically not that different from the mostly passable and largely static pack of instrumentals here. Many of these songs needed more fleshing out and development to materialize fully, and to distinguish themselves from others. Meanwhile, the features range from very good to average, and most of them are too short to stun. A$AP Rocky shines on “WOW,” Kid Cudi goes back and forth with Travis Scott and Young Thug on “GET OFF ME” and “RAGER BOYZ” respectively, and Lil Wayne provides a brief but fun set of bars on “SEVEN.” Lil Yachty’s vibrato does its thing on “TOO DAMN HIGH,” Pharrell’s okay on “AT THE PARTY,” and the XXXTENTACION sample is well-treated. Alas, they don’t astonish.
Kid Cudi performs at Rolling Loud Miami on July 22, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
Overall, INSANO feels like Kid Cudi just having fun for an hour, but without the focus and intent to translate that experience compellingly. With a deluxe on the way and his career in limbo thanks to possible retirement (though he’s by no means slowing down beyond music), it’s hard to tell where he’ll go next. Still, there is one reason why this album should be celebrated that has nothing to do with its quality. Scott Mescudi’s been through a lot: the loss of a father, mental health struggles, addiction, and the constant criticism, doubt, attacks, and misunderstanding perceptions that have plagued him throughout his career.
For this album, we can’t say we don’t see where the haters are coming from. Yet despite his overbearing references to them, it feels like he is happier and healthier than ever, allowing himself to bask in this blessing and triumph while still speaking on his demons. As such, INSANO may not reach the standards Kid Cudi set for himself, but it does represent personal growth and peace that no project’s acclaim could amount to. So while this attempt was neither great nor terrible, we’ll always be excited for whatever he does next, whether as the artist we grew to love or as the influential, multi-disciplinary creative he always knew he’d become.
INSANO is the newest album from Kid Cudi. His previous release was 2022’s Entergalactic which was the soundtrack for his Netflix film of the same name. He also released a greatest hits compilation and re-released his first mixtape on streaming services. As far as his listeners are concerned, the last album of his that “counted” released in 2020. Cudi’s life had changed for the better in the past four years. Listeners were looking forward to seeing if the music reflected these changes. The features on this new album include some people he has worked with previously and some first-time collaborations. In this list, we’ll be discussing his chemistry with other artists on this album and how the song came out overall too.
This is the first of two features Travis Scott has on Kid Cudi’s INSANO. The two of them have made several songs together in the past. One of their biggest songs, “The Scotts,” was their debut single as a duo of the same name. However, the collab album has yet to release.
Their track on Cudi’s latest album, “GET OFF ME” showcases them on a haunting trap beat. Cudi attacks the track with energy before a vocal filter is added to his voice as he transitions into a more relaxed delivery. Travis uses a fitting flow in the song but doesn’t offer anything his listeners haven’t heard before. Things get a little more interesting on the track’s second half, where the duo trade verses with ad-libs and auto-tune-soaked vocals. These effects match the space-like atmosphere of the song well.
“WOW” (With A$AP Rocky)
Kid Cudi brought in another artist familiar with putting psychedelic elements in their music for this INSANO track. Kid Cudi and ASAP Rocky have a few songs together already. Their most recent one was actually on Rocky’s last album, 2018’s Testing. Their latest track, “WOW,” has a certain relaxed feeling to it as the melodic keys are subdued but Cudi’s vocals are still quite prominent. The hook isn’t the most elaborate but it is catchy. Rocky’s verse is effortless as expected as he smoothly flows over the production. He uses a rap-sung delivery in this portion, much like the one Cudi uses throughout the whole song.
“TOO DAMN HIGH” (With Lil Yachty)
Lil Yachty’s last album was a large departure from his previous music and was met with a myriad of reactions. In this song, the biggest moment of his guest verse comes at the beginning as he uses a unique vibrato technique that his listeners have previously heard. Outside of this opening, his verse unfortunately offered no redeeming factors to the already mediocre song.
“AT THE PARTY” (With Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott)
When this song from INSANO was announced, Kid Cudi listeners were quite excited. With features from two artists he had already made very well-received songs with, they were sure this would be a highlight. As expected, Pharrell produced the track. The pace of it is slower than some probably expected which allows for all the sounds he implemented to be heard with ease. A very fitting space-like melody is at the forefront with other otherworldly noises popping in and out. Pharrell handles the hook with a subdued delivery that serves as the connecting thread between the tales of partying Cudi and Travis tell. Cudi weaves in some bars about his positive mental state while Travis focuses on a flow switch while keeping his subject matter consistent.
“X & CUD” (With XXXTentacion)
This is one of the most divisive songs Kid Cudi put on INSANO. Posthumous verses are already something listeners have very strong opinions on and they must be handled with respect. In this case, many listeners feel like the song should have never been made. It does not feature a posthumous verse, but it does sample the song “Orlando.” X released this song in 2017 on his album 17. Considering how prominent the elements from the original song are in Cudi’s version, calling this a “remix” may have been more fitting but likely equally panned.
“SEVEN” (With Lil Wayne)
Lil Wayne is a GOAT and seeing his name on the tracklist for Kid Cudi’s INSANO got many excited. It also made people wonder which “version” of Wayne would be appearing. Listeners know he can do verses filled with double and triple entendres and other creative word gymnastics. They also know sometimes he will go the route of a melodic rap verse and this is what he did on this song. His appearance was short and while it had a very small amount of wordplay, it was nothing that could compare to some of his other recent prime-form verses.
Kid Cudi turns down the hype on this track from INSANO. His first verse here is more in line with the introspective lyrics people have praised him for across the years. Thug’s verse is very short and while it does have a nice flow, it seems to be a large departure from the route Cudi took. However, the two trade bars on the second portion of the song and this is where they truly get on the same page. Their melodic flows mirror each other well with some background vocalizations from Cudi enhancing the guitar like melody that plays throughout the whole song.
What was your favorite feature from Kid Cudi’s INSANO album? Let us know in the comments section.
Kanye West and Kid Cudi have had a complicated friendship over the years. Although they have both inspired each other greatly, they haven’t always been on good terms. Just last year, it appeared as though these two would never be friends again. Kanye West was going off the deep end and was dissing Pete Davidson who is friends with Cudi. However, recently, the two ended up reconciling, much to the delight of hip-hop fans around the world.
In fact, it seems as though Kanye West is going to have Cudi on his new album Vultures. This is huge news, and fans are very excited to see how this is going to play out. While Vultures is still a ways away, there is hope that it will come out eventually. That said, Kid Cudi did drop his new album INSANO on Friday. This is a lengthy project that contains a plethora of bangers and melodic songs. As it turns out, Ye is feeling the album right now. Below, you can see that he took to his Instagram story to promote the album.
The song that Ye is feeling, in particular, is “ELECTROWAVEBABY.” As we know, Cudi is known for those melodic bangers that take you to a whole new plain of existence. That is certainly the case with the tracks on INSANO. While the album is getting mixed reviews at this juncture, there is no denying that Cudi is someone who elicits a reaction. The fact that Kanye likes the album, is indicative of the fact that Cudi has done something interesting with his album. Hopefully, Cudi continues to do his thing.
Let us know what your favorite track on INSANO is, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on your favorite artists and their upcoming projects. There are some great new albums coming out in 2024.
Kid Cudi’s long-awaited album INSANO is finally here, and there are lots of woozy bangers, psychedelic jams, and dreamy croons to take note of. Another killer part of this album are the featured guests, including Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and more. However, perhaps none shine brighter than Young Thug on the track “RAGER BOYZ,” as the two creatives show off ridiculous vocal chemistry and their ability to pair an instrumental so well with their vocal performances. It’s a guitar-led, low-key, melodic, and subtle trap cut about hopelessness, chaos, and struggle in the world, one whose catchiness and atmosphere doesn’t sully its message.
A big part of that is the news item on “RAGER BOYZ,” as Thugger seemingly addressed his YSL RICO case on this verse. Of course, that’s quite unlikely given how difficult it must’ve been to record a new verse from behind bars. In reality, it’s probably just a coincidence that rings eerily true today as we await what else will happen in the turbulent and confusing court battle. Elsewhere, though, Kid Cudi also comes through with some despondent bars, although his perseverance to fight back against it is the main takeaway. Also, this may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of the song, but it’s always great when a producer (Cudder, Anthony Kilhoffer, Dot Da Genius, THATS NOT IT, and Jean Baptiste, in this case) changes the timbre of certain drum patterns to switch up the beat.
Meanwhile, folks are still dissecting INSANO‘s content, lyrical references, and flow. Whether it’s the sample of an old XXXTENTACION track or Rocky’s apparent response to Drake’s alleged disses against him and Rihanna, there’s plenty to chew on here. But don’t let “RAGER BOYZ” fall under that radar. If you haven’t heard it or the album yet, find it on your preferred streaming service and peep some standout bars below. Also, for more Kid Cudi news, Young Thug updates, and more great music releases around the clock, stick around on HNHH.
Quotable Lyrics I told the judge, “I’m probably the biggest off,” I told the b***h she can’t be charging me for Saint Laurent, Yeah, I told my baby not to break the law, I told my baby mama, “Careful”, not to get involved
The 2024 calendar isn’t even two full weeks in and already, we’ve got rap beef cooking on the horizon — maybe.
Fans pressing play on Kid Cudi’s new album Insano are pretty convinced that there is, as line from guest rapper ASAP Rocky on “WOW” sounds like it could be referring to Drake. As true rap beef lore heads may remember, Drake has feuded with both fellow blog-era rappers as often as he’s collaborated with them, so there could be a little bit of merit to the speculation.
In his verse on the song, Rocky raps, “These n***as can’t stomach me, gotta go get a mandrake.” Fans have interpreted this as a clever way to sneak Drake’s name into the line, which references a natural remedy for stomach problems. It could also be reference to Drake’s 2023 admission that he’s taking time off to deal with a stomach issue. You can hear the song for yourself above.
i love ASAP ROCKY for this,like literally bro. this double entendre is way crazy. getting a mandrake that would protect the stomach,but again getting a man Drake who’s been dissing him and Riri. Asap here killed it and this is why I love lyrical geniuses,they entertain me pic.twitter.com/BDAu12AQVp
Drake dropping Rocky’s name since 2018. His fans: Asap Rocky mentions “mandrake “ Drake fans: He’s so desperate Only one of those 2 men is bothered by the other, and it’s not Rocky.
Rocky citing himself as the source of Drake’s tummy troubles might be a nod to their shared dating history; Drake dated Rocky’s current partner Rihanna in 2016, however, she moved on pretty quickly. And while Drake insists he’s over it — most recently, on his For All The Dogs song “Fear Of Heights” — the fact that he keeps talking about it undercuts his argument pretty thoroughly.
(Drake also notably had a back and forth with Cudi after the Cleveland rapper appeared to shade him on Twitter in 2015. Drake later dissed him on “Two Birds, One Stone,” then collaborated with him on Certified Lover Boy. Basically, rap is wrestling, all this is kayfabe, and it’s hilarious that people keep taking these artists seriously.)
In any event, there’s probably a certain amount of good-natured gamesmanship going on here; and we’ll probably see Drake and ASAP on each other’s music at some point in the future. In the meantime, it’s fun to speculate (for some people) about when and how Drake will respond.
Kid Cudi’s new albumINSANO has plenty of notable collaborations across its creative tracklist, but fans were particularly excited for one. However, when they tuned into the track “X & CUD,” they found that the XXXTENTACION “feature” was just a sample of his 2017 song “Orlando,” which is off his album 17. Some fans expressed strong disappointment in this, appreciating the gesture but feeling cheated and exploited with how the collaboration was announced. On the other hand, some listeners referred to the late Florida rapper’s producer John Cunningham, who indicated via Twitter on Monday (January 8) that this would a sample of a previously released track and not a brand-new feature.
Furthermore, a lot of fans think people overreacted, bu understandably so, given the vague nature of these announcements. After all, XXXTENTACION’s work has been exploited far too much already for morbid profit, which is why many fans are so hesitant to celebrate new music to the fullest. At the same time, though, this is Kid Cudi’s way of paying homage and making a tribute rather than fully collaborating, which is clear now that we can listen to the track in its full context. Back in 2021, the Cleveland creative expressed regret at never getting the chance to work with him or another artist gone far too soon, Juice WRLD.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the only hot topic of conversation surrounding Kid Cudi’s new studio offering’s host of features. A$AP Rocky also ruffled some feathers by potentially issuing a response to Drake’s alleged disses towards him and his boo– and their romantic overlap– Rihanna. Of course, this is purely speculative, but it’s pretty hard not to read between the lines when Pretty Flacko talks about a “mandrake.” We’ll see whether either MC responds to this in some way.
Fans React To “X & CUD”
This is Cudi paying tribute to X’s version of his song Edge of the Earth. Relax and do some research
This song is good, cudi and X are two of the most emotional artists out there. If this is the only way to hear them on a song, I’d rather this than some snippet from 2015 that sounds like it was recorded on a toaster pic.twitter.com/FMgtPUH3D1
Not only that, but we also have a deluxe version of INSANO to look forward to in the near future. If you’re curious, check out more reactions to this X “feature” above. Also, let us know what you think about all this down in the comments section below. For more news and the latest updates on Kid Cudi and XXXTENTACION, log back into HNHH.
Today, Kid Cudi finally unleashed his eagerly-anticipated ninth studio album, Insano. As expected, the project boasts numerous high-profile features from the likes of Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, and more. He even tapped Young Thug for the track “RAGER BOYZ,” amid the YSL founder’s ongoing RICO trial.
As his defense team fights for the rapper’s freedom, Young Thug has continued to release music from behind bars. He unveiled a full album back in June, Business Is Business, and has gone on to appear on several other artists’ records. Of course, several of his songs allude to his persistent legal troubles, and his verse on Insano is no exception.
“Ayy, I told the judge, ‘I’m prolly biggest off’ / I told the b*tch she can’t be chargin’ me for Saint Laurent / Yeah, I told my baby not to break the law / I told my baby mama, careful not to get involved,” Young Thug rhymes. The chorus of the song, featuring both artists, also repeatedly emphasizes the sentiment, “Motherf*ck the law.” While fans appreciate Young Thug’s clever bars, some suspect that the judge might not, as prosecutors have already tried to use song lyrics against him in court.
As for Kid Cudi, he promises fans that there’s even more to come. After unveiling the 21-track Insano tracklist earlier this week, social media users made their disappointment known, as it was rumored that the project would include 40 songs. He took to social media to respond amid the chatter, reminding followers that a deluxe edition is in the works. “I said there will be a deluxe,” he wrote. “Patience.” What do you think of Young Thug seemingly mentioning his court case on “RAGER BOYZ” with Kid Cudi? How are you liking Insano so far? What’s your favorite song on the new album? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
With Kid Cudi’s Insano still hours away from release, it might seem premature to start wondering when he’s planning to drop a deluxe edition of his ninth studio album, but then again, such is the world we live in these days. Fans are greedy and impatient — never a good combination — but the modern framework of the entertainment industry has been set up to feed these vices… and as it turns out, Cudi is perfectly willing to oblige them as well.
Last night, the Cleveland rapper revealed his plans for the deluxe edition of the album, revealing some detail about its structure in the process. “The deluxe is basically another album,” he wrote. “There wont be 20 plus songs, but u get a nice amount.” And, of course, for those fans who just can’t wait another two years for a new project from the increasingly prolific Cudi, he offered the best news of all: “lookin to drop NEXT WEEK.”
The deluxe is basically another album. There wont be 20 plus songs, but u get a nice amount lookin to drop NEXT WEEK
Of course, Kid Cudi isn’t the first rapper to drop a “deluxe” project a week after the original. In 2017, Future dropped his fifth and sixth albums Future and Hndrxx within one week of each other, while in 2020, Lil Uzi Vert released Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World 2 as the deluxe edition of Eternal Atake one week after EA.
MoodBoi Luwie 
(@KiddLuwie) 
(@bobbitt_4) 
(@steezyandem) 
(@dme_363) 
(@samgriego_) 
lookin to drop NEXT WEEK