Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
Kanye West continues his extended DONDA rollout with the unveiling of the music video for “Come to Life,” the first visual released in support of the album.
The visual is comprised of footage filmed during West’s last live DONDA listening event, which was held last Thursday (Aug. 26) at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago and streamed on Apple Music. Impassioned and riveting, West’s performance of “Come to Life” drew rave reviews and caused an uproar on social media, as the rapper literally lit himself on fire. The 44-year-old rapper was joined by his estranged wife Kim Kardashian, who made a surprise cameo on stage while wearing a white wedding dress.
DONDA, West’s 10th studio album, was released this past Sunday (Aug. 29) following a myriad of delays and numerous changes to everything from the tracklist to the artists featured. The official version of the album, which is expected to debut atop the Billboard 200, includes guest spots from Jay Z, Lil Durk, Lil Yachty, Buju Banton, Fivio Foreign, Travis Scott, Baby Keem, Kid Cudi, Don Toliver, Jay Electronica, DaBaby, Marilyn Manson, Ty Dolla Sign, Sunday Service Choir, and more. If projections hold true, DONDA will yield Yeezy his highest first-week sales since Yeezus, which was released nearly a decade ago.
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Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day, as many fans know, revolves around his dream of becoming a success. The album is also remembered as a moody, reflective, and emotional listening experience. Its hit lead single, “Day ’n’ Nite,” sets that tone with themes of isolation and addiction.
What some people may not know, however, is the personal story behind this defining track in Kid Cudi’s career. In an interview with Complex, the Cleveland native shared that the song was connected to a falling out with his uncle.
“We were actually beefing because he forced me out the house when I didn’t have another situation set up, so I was bitter. I never apologized for it, and that kills me,” he admitted. But it was not just the conflict that shaped the record.
“[He] passed in 2006,” Cudi said. That loss became fuel for him, both as a way to prove himself and as a tribute to the uncle who helped him in his early days. “That’s why I wrote ‘Day ’n’ Nite.’ If he weren’t there to let me stay with him those first few months, there would be no Kid Cudi. It fcked me up watching him go, but it was like, ‘I have to fulfill this destiny now for sure.’ Things were moving, but they weren’t solidified yet. I had ‘Day ’n’ Nite,’ we were just getting started, and I was like, ‘This sht has got to pop off.’ I wasn’t taking no for an answer.”
The rest, of course, is history. Kid Cudi went on to become one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, with “Day ’n’ Nite” standing as the spark that started it all.
Quotable Lyrics:
'Cause day and night
The lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night
He's all alone through the day and night
The lonely loner seems to free his mind at night, at, at, at night
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