Kids See Ghosts
| Company type | Hip-hop supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Defunct | 2022 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Kanye West, Kid Cudi |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Parent | GOOD Music, Wicked Awesome Records, Def Jam Recordings |
Kids See Ghosts (presented in all caps) was a hip-hop supergroup from the United States, consisting of rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. The duo was established during West's 2018 Wyoming sessions. Their self-titled debut album, Kids See Ghosts, was launched in June 2018 through Def Jam Recordings along with their respective label subsidiaries, GOOD Music and Wicked Awesome Records. The record achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and earning a gold status. Although there were intentions to produce a follow-up album and a television series, the partnership dissolved in 2022 due to personal conflicts, with Cudi officially ending his association with West in 2025.
Origins and early collaboration
In 2006, then-emerging artist Kid Cudi encountered rapper-producer Kanye West at a Virgin Megastore, where Cudi introduced himself and shared his music. Their paths crossed again when Cudi was employed at the BAPE store in New York City, assisting West during a purchase. By 2008, Kid Cudi attracted the interest of Kanye's A&R representative, Plain Pat, who passed Cudi's demo to West. This led to Kid Cudi signing with West's GOOD Music label that same year.
Cudi worked closely with West early on, initially providing hooks for Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 (2009) and significantly contributing to West’s fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008), co-writing or performing vocals on standout tracks such as "Heartless," "Welcome to Heartbreak," "Paranoid," and "RoboCop." These efforts helped establish Cudi as a notable songwriter and featured artist.
Their collaboration extended into Cudi’s debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009), which was executive produced by West. West also produced several tracks including "Sky Might Fall" and the Common-featured single "Make Her Say." By 2018, Kid Cudi had contributed to every Kanye West album since 2008, with their joint effort "Father Stretch My Hands" from 2016 entering the US Billboard Hot 100 Top 40.
Following a brief period of estrangement, the two reconciled in late 2016 amid the cancellation of West’s Saint Pablo Tour and his hospitalization. Both artists sought treatment for mental health challenges during this time. Their renewed partnership included live performances of "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1" spanning late 2016 into early 2017.
Establishment and initial release
On April 19, 2018, West announced via Twitter an upcoming collaborative album with Kid Cudi scheduled for release in June. He disclosed the group’s name as well as the title of their debut project: Kids See Ghosts. A few days later on April 22, West revealed the album’s cover art created by Tokyo-based artist Takashi Murakami, with whom they had been collaborating since July 2017. On April 25, West also announced a short film to accompany the album, directed by Dexter Navy, known for his work with the Neighbourhood and ASAP Rocky.
The Kids See Ghosts album was officially released on June 8 following a live listening event held in Santa Clarita, California. It entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number two, moving 142,000 album-equivalent units including 79,000 pure sales. This achievement marked Kanye West’s tenth and Kid Cudi’s sixth top-five album in the United States. All seven tracks from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Reborn" peaking at number 39.
In July 2018, Kid Cudi confirmed intentions to continue producing music under the Kids See Ghosts name, citing unreleased material and strong creative synergy between them. The duo made their live performance debut as Kids See Ghosts at Tyler, the Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival on November 11, 2018, delivering the entire album alongside selected songs from their solo repertoires. During Cudi’s set at the 2019 Coachella, West joined him onstage for several collaborative performances featuring frequent contributors 070 Shake and Ty Dolla Sign.
Kids See Ghosts, Vol. II
During a September 2019 conversation with Complex, Kid Cudi revealed that additional collaborations with Kanye West were planned. He stated, "More Kids See Ghosts albums are coming. Kanye has already expressed his intention to begin work on the second installment." Cudi emphasized West's commitment to producing a spiritually themed project, which aligns closely with his own creative vision, indicating ongoing joint efforts.
Animated series
On June 26, 2020, it was announced that Takashi Murakami would direct a computer-animated series featuring the characters Kanye Bear and Kid Fox, representing cartoon versions of West and Cudi. The series currently lacks a release date and is unlikely to be broadcast due to the dissolution of the duo.
End of creative collaboration
Kid Cudi declared on April 19, 2022, that his contribution to "Rock n Roll" on Pusha T's album It's Almost Dry would mark his last project with Kanye West, attributing this decision to West's recent conduct. Cudi confirmed that he approved the track solely for Pusha T and affirmed the conclusion of their partnership. They briefly reunited in December 2023 when Cudi attended a listening event for West's Vultures 1 and featured on the song "Gun to My Head" from Vultures 2. By January 2024, Cudi publicly forgave West following a heartfelt apology. Nevertheless, in August 2025, Cudi announced the definitive end of their association due to West's contentious remarks about Virgil Abloh, condemning them as "evil" and "vile," thereby terminating their collaboration.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | CAN | NOR | NZ | SWE | UK | ||||
| Kids See Ghosts |
|
2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 7 |
|
|
Charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart rankings | Certifications | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 |
US R&B/HH |
AUS | CAN | IRE | NZ Heat. |
SWE Heat. |
UK | ||||
| "Feel the Love" (featuring Pusha T) |
2018 | 47 | 24 | 57 | 35 | 50 | — | 19 | 47 |
|
Kids See Ghosts |
| "Fire" | 67 | 32 | 69 | 49 | 58 | — | — | — |
| ||
| "4th Dimension" (featuring Louis Prima) |
42 | 21 | 46 | 27 | 49 | 1 | 20 | 46 |
| ||
| "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) |
62 | 30 | 72 | 58 | 66 | — | — | — | |||
| "Reborn" | 39 | 18 | 55 | 30 | 48 | 2 | 1 | 48 |
| ||
| "Kids See Ghosts" (featuring Yasiin Bey) |
73 | 37 | 84 | 53 | 64 | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Cudi Montage" (featuring Mr. Hudson) |
69 | 34 | 89 | 61 | 67 | — | — | — |
| ||
Joint Appearances
| Track | Release Year | Collaborating Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Welcome to Heartbreak" | 2008 | Kanye West, Kid Cudi | 808s & Heartbreak |
| "Paranoid" | Kanye West, Mr Hudson, Kid Cudi | ||
| "Make Her Say" | 2009 | Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Common | Man on the Moon: The End of Day |
| "GOOD Friday" | 2010 | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Pusha T, Common, Charlie Wilson | GOOD Fridays |
| "Christian Dior Denim Flow" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Pusha T, Lloyd Banks, Ryan Leslie | ||
| "The Joy" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Pete Rock, Charlie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, Jay-Z | ||
| "Gorgeous" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Raekwon | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | |
| "All of the Lights" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, Fergie | ||
| "Welcome to the World" | T.I., Kanye West, Kid Cudi | No Mercy | |
| "Wild'n Cuz I'm Young" | Kid Cudi, Kanye West | rowspan="1" Template:Non-album single | |
| "Erase Me" | Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager | ||
| "Gotta Have It" | 2011 | Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi | Watch the Throne |
| "Murder to Excellence" | |||
| "Illest Motherfucker Alive" | Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Bankuli, Aude Cardona | ||
| "The Joy" | Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Pete Rock | ||
| "Guilt Trip" | 2013 | Kanye West, Kid Cudi | Yeezus |
| "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" | 2016 | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Kelly Price | The Life of Pablo |
| "Waves" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Chris Brown | ||
| "Can't Look in My Eyes" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi | Template:Non-album single | |
| "No Mistakes" | 2018 | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Caroline Shaw | Ye |
| "Ghost Town" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, PartyNextDoor, 070 Shake | ||
| "Moon" | 2021 | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Don Toliver | Donda |
| "Remote Control, Pt. 2" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Young Thug | Donda (Deluxe) | |
| "Rock n Roll" | 2022 | Pusha T, Kanye West, Kid Cudi | It's Almost Dry |
| "Gun to My Head" | 2024 | ¥$, Kid Cudi | Vultures 2 (Digital Deluxe) |
See also
Further reading
- Comprehensive Timeline of Kanye West and Kid Cudi's Collaboration, Featuring Their Chicago Show. Billboard. Accessed April 25, 2018
- Top 12 Collaborations Between Kanye West and Kid Cudi: Critics' Selections. Billboard. Accessed April 26, 2018
- Complete Overview of Kanye West and Kid Cudi's Musical Partnership. Highsnobiety. Accessed April 26, 2018
- Articles with short description
- Musical groups established in 2018
- Musical groups disbanded in 2022
- American hip-hop duos
- African-American musical duos
- Alternative hip-hop groups
- Hip-hop supergroups
- Kanye West
- GOOD Music artists
- Midwest hip-hop groups
- Psychedelic rap groups
- 2018 establishments in the United States
- 2022 disestablishments in the United States
- Kid Cudi
- American male musical duos
- Musical groups disestablished in 2022