Kid Cudi’s new album, Indicud, hits stores in two weeks. Thanks to a leak (that Cudi isn’t even mad about), many fans have been able to give it a listen. The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun is one of those fans, but he actually got to check out the project during a private studio session with Cudi. The record inspired him to write a trippy little short story, which you can read below, along with some context about his experience before and after hearing the LP.
If you put effort into something it shows; everything you intend, everything you think about, down to the minutia. It. All. Shows. So if you try even just a little bit, people will see that little bit. They might love it or they might hate it, but, at the least, they’ll have to respect how much thought you put into it.
I’ve heard Cudi’s new album. It’s crazy.
I met Cudi at a friend’s party. The conversation started as a shared admiration of each other’s work (which is definitely a cooler story for me). The conversation ended with an invitation to his studio to listen to his new album (which is definitely an even cooler story for me.)
This is not something I’m particularly accustomed to. I don’t roll through people’s studios and listen to their yet-to-be-released albums, so I didn’t really know what to expect. What if the album sucked? I’d have to sit there in his studio and say something like, “Oh that was dope! I loved that part where you used the toms and then also the hi-hat and said that thing about gold chains!” Then I’d have to excuse myself to the bathroom and get the hell out of there.
But you want to know what I did instead? I wrote a fucking story. That’s right. I wrote a story while I was listening to the album. Here it is:
Looks up into the night sky. From the point of view of a little kid. The rocket ship took off and traveled. The crew was in hibernation until they landed. The birth was of the crew as they awoke from their stasis. They stepped out into the world. It was beautiful. As they were entranced with the planet’s beauty, they ran into some trouble. Beez. They were stung and were seeing blue. They were down. Slow and sad. From blue to pristine white within a beautiful meadow. There is a house. A very modern wooden house with all exposed window walls. All around them are beautiful hills. It’s night in the house. He sits on his throne. He wears a crown. A sorrowful crown. It’s clean and white now. Sterile. But with half black walls. He was alone. He is the only one of his kind. The only human. And he became king. He was the ruler of everything and nothing. Darkness fell. The King went to the forests to kill all the animals. He wanted to be the alpha. If he was to be the king, then he would make the rest of this new world feel it. Visuals of space. And away. Traveled in your head. It heads to the swamp. Traces of his beast is still out there.
*Unedited straight from my iPhone.
I’m no critic. I like what I like. I hate what I hate. I can’t tell you to feel one way or another. What I can tell you are the facts. Facts say, I wrote a fucking story while listening to the album.
The album is sick.
Kid Cudi discussing leaving G.O.O.D. Music pt3
Kid Cudi discussing leavingG.O.O.D. Music pt.2
Kid Cudi discussing leaving G.O.O.D. Music pt.1
“Man, everything is cool. Everything is peace with everyone on the label, but I’m announcing that I’m no longer on GOOD Music. And this is something that no one knows really. I’m no longer on GOOD Music. Me and Kanye were actually talking on the phone the other day, and there’s been things I wanted to talk to him about. About me wanting to start my own direction, and he got because he’s trying to start his own new path, and trying new things as an artist. And he was just like ‘Man, I feel you. It’s cool.’ This is just from a business standpoint. There’s no beef with anyone on the label. It’s all love.”
If you missed Kid Cudi last week on Jimmy Kimmel, or like me who is watching again. It is available to view via Comcast On Demand. Under TV Shows> By Network> ABC> Jimmy Kimmel.
Cudi will begin shooting for Need for Speed (movie loosely based on the video game) on April 25th, for 3mths.
Release date: 4.23.13
Pre-Order via Amazon or Kid Cudi Official Store
Tune in now on ABC to Jimmy Kimmel (Tues, March 26). Kid Cudi will be performing towards the end of the show.
![Kid CudixNew Era
Life+Times caught up with Josh Cherin, New Era’s Director of Global Accessories, to find out the answer and steal a sneak peek at the Fall 2013 collection.
“We have this huge, fantastic brand that everybody loves, but it’s licensed and collaborative products,” Cherin says. “[We had] this great opportunity to say, hey, how can we connect this brand that everybody loves to products that aren’t licensed? And accessories seemed like such a great opportunity.”
Rather than making products just for athletes or just for fashion junkies, Cherin says the goal is to blend the two worlds without sacrificing either: “We want to be more than a lifestyle brand. We want to be functional and cool.”
The accessory fashion angle is covered with collaborations that’ll now go beyond caps. Kid Cudi will be the first, and a special design covered with his song lyrics will line the inside of his hat and bag. “It’s not Kid Cudi up here with a New Era flag on the side, it’s a New Era product,” Cherin explains. “This is a distinct New Era product, but it has Kid Cudi characteristics.”
Cherin says that releasing exclusive prints is the next big step for his department. A step that should be easier to take now that New Era can bring more products to the table and make it easier for collaborators to come up with new ideas.
“Before we had [our] products, you can’t really do it,” he says. “Like you can’t walk up to somebody and say, ‘Well, I’ll draw it up.’ It’s conceptual. But if you say, ‘Hey, I got this product. What do you want to do with it?’ Whether it’s another company or designer or artist, as soon as you show them something physical then they have so many ideas and I think that’s inspiring.”
source: life+times](http://25.media.tumblr.com/4c08d6e16d73227c078f32fe7982ba6b/tumblr_mj7lz1xme11qjnnyxo1_500.png)