Kid Cudi has always been one of the most under-appreciated influences in 2010s hip-hop. While his music does not achieve atronomical streaming numbers, his artistry and impact is out of this world.
On Thursday (Dec. 9), Cudi reaped the benefits of his hard work, as his 2020 seventh studio album Man on the Moon III: The Chosen became certified Gold by selling over 500,000 units in the US.
This certification came nearly a year after the album’s release, as it came out on Dec. 11, 2020, with stellar features from Skepta, Phoebe Bridgers, Pop Smoke posthumously, Trippie Redd and more.
After finding out about his Gold status, Kid Cudi took to Twitter to unleash his emotions. He started his celebratory series of tweets by thanking his fans and God: “MAN ON THE MOON 3 IS OFFICIALLY GOLD!!! YALL DID THIS!!! I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!! GOD IS GOOD!!”
In the next tweet, he contextualized this accomplishment by saying it was his first Gold honor for an album of his since 2013: “Yall dont understand. I haven’t had a solo gold album in YEARS. Since INDICUD. 2013. Never be discouraged. Keep ragin forward. Stick w it. Never give up.”
Cudi continued to hammer home how thrilled he was and how far hard work can take you: “I am proof u can rise from the ashes. Thank You man. Im just…wow.”
Now, Kid Cudi looks to drop two additional albums in the new year, including his highly-anticipated multi-faceted project Entergalactic.
For now, though, it is just nice to see Cudi get the recognition he deserves.