A Timeline of How Kid Cudi and Kanye Became Kids See Ghosts

It’s been more than a decade since Kid Cudi and Kanye West first met. The rap world is hyped for their first joint album—'Kids See Ghosts'—but the road leading up to this project has been a bumpy one.

Image via Getty/Jerritt Clark/WireImage

Kanye West and Kid Cudi’s new album, Kids See Ghosts, drops this Friday, June 8. It’s been a long time coming, as the two rappers have been in one another’s orbit for over a decade, and have yet to drop anything beyond one-off songs together.

When they do unite, the pair’s relationship is marked by their innate ability to assemble like Batman and Robin and take the hip-hop universe on daring sonic adventures. It’s why rap fans laid down half a million likes on Kanye’s tweet announcing his project with Cudi. This is what people have been waiting for.

me and Cudi album June 8th

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 19, 2018

But while we’ve been waiting for this moment, a lot of ups and downs between Ye and Cudi have been documented. Since their chance meeting in 2004, there has been both mutual admiration and public disagreements between the two. At this point, they’re known just as much for complimenting each others’ sound as they are for threatening to never work together again.

The game has come full circle, though, and now we’re guaranteed seven tracks of presumed greatness. To prepare for Kids See Ghosts, it’s important to take a look back at how Ye and Cudi arrived here. Fret not: We got you.

2004: Kid Cudi and Kanye West Meet

The origins of Kid Cudi and Kanye West’s relationship begin with a fitting location: a music store. Per MTV, Cudi had just moved to New York City from Cleveland and was at a Virgin Megastore when he realized Kanye West was standing right next to him. He introduced himself as Scott (his real name) first, then as Kid Cudi, an upcoming artist. The next step he took was a bold one: Cudi asked Ye to sign him.

"I had no pitch," Cudi remembered. "I was just this kid that was like, 'Can you sign me?'" Because he was already busy with a roster of other artists, Kanye respectfully declined—"unless you on some Biggie and Tupac-type stuff," he reportedly said. Cudi admitted he wasn't that good yet, but told West something that would linger: "I have the potential for greatness."

July 2008: Plain Pat Gives Kanye 'A Kid Named Cudi'

After Cudi and Ye’s chance meeting in 2004, which was followed by another meeting at a BAPE store where Cudi worked, the two wouldn’t cross paths again until 2008. Plain Pat, who has now been a manager for both Kanye and Kid Cudi, made the stars align for the two by sending Cudi’s mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, to Kanye. After hearing the mixtape, Kanye West popped up at Cudi's release party for the project.

November 2008: Cudi Helps Ye With '808s & Heartbreak'

Kid Cudi was unofficially under Ye’s wing post-A Kid Named Cudi. His signature lovelorn, singsong style is widely believed to have inspired Kanye’s 2008 left-field album, 808s & Heartbreak. In an interview with DJ Semtex, Kanye revealed Cudi’s influence on 808s, and said he brought Kid Cudi to work with him in Hawaii. Cudi was ultimately credited with co-writing "Heartless," "Welcome to Heartbreak," "Paranoid," and "RoboCop."

Fall 2008: Cudi Signs to G.O.O.D. Music

After working with Kanye on 808s & Heartbreak, Kid Cudi officially signed to G.O.O.D Music in the fall of 2008.

February 2009: Cudi Debuts 'Day 'n' Nite' Video on '106 & Park' With Kanye

Kid Cudi made his way to BET’s 106 & Park in early 2009 to drop off the video for A Kid Named Cudi standout track, “Day ‘n’ Nite.” While at the show, Cudi and Ye took turns spitting bars, showcasing their friendly but competitive relationship.

May 2009: Cudi Says He Set the Bar to Be Bigger Than Kanye

While speaking with Complex in May 2009, Kid Cudi said he had set the bar high for himself, career-wise. "My whole thing is to not be as big as Kanye or Lil Wayne, but to be bigger,” he said. “It's not necessarily saying that you are better than them, it's just setting that bar. If I never am better than Kanye, in my brain, I'm always going to be trying to be, forever and ever until the day that I die."

September 2009: Kanye Executive Produces Cudi's Debut Album 'Man on the Moon'

Kid Cudi’s debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, dropped September 15, 2009. Kanye was listed as co-executive producer, alongside Sylvia Rhone, Plain Pat, Emile Haynie, and Cudi himself. West co-wrote and produced the album’s second single, "Make Her Say," which he also appeared on. He also co-wrote and co-produced "Sky Might Fall."

August 2010: Kanye Appears on Cudi's 'Man on the Moon II'

On the Jim Jonsin-produced "Erase Me," the lead single from Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, Cudi gets an assist from Mr. West.

August to December 2010: Kid Cudi Appears on Three G.O.O.D. Friday Tracks

Toward the end of 2010, Kanye West launched an iconic music giveaway series called “G.O.O.D. Fridays.” It was Ye’s clever way of creating hype for arguably his best album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. In the span of the series, Kid Cudi appeared on three tracks: "Good Friday," "Christian Dior Denim Flow," and "The Joy," the latter of which would appear as a bonus track for Watch the Throne.

October 2010: Kanye Says Kid Cudi Is His Favorite Artist

After the screening of his short film Runaway, Kanye held a two-and-a-half hour Q&A session. When asked about his musical preferences, he said: "Kid Cudi is my favorite artist. If I could make music like someone, I'd like to make music like him. I like that emotion, really heartfelt."

November 2010: Cudi Appears on 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'

Kid Cudi left his mark on Kanye’s magnum opus, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, by crafting the hook for “Gorgeous” with Raekwon. He also had an uncredited appearance on “All of the Lights.” Speaking of which...

February 2011: Kid Cudi Appears in 'All of the Lights' Video

The Hype Williams-directed video for Kanye's "All of the Lights" prominently featured Rihanna and Kid Cudi, and all kinds of possibly epilepsy-inducing flashing lights in the visuals.

February 2012: Cudi and Kanye Win Grammys for 'All of the Lights'

Kanye West received three nominations at the 2012 Grammy Awards for "All of the Lights." He ended up taking two home, for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Kid Cudi earned a Grammy for the latter.

July 2012: Cudi and Kanye Appear on Complex's G.O.O.D. Music Cover

For Complex’s August/September 2012 cover story, Cudi and the rest of the G.O.O.D. Music crew laid out their feelings about working with one another. (Kanye appeared on the cover but didn't participate in the conversation.) Cudi had this to say: "Ain't nobody fake. Ain't nobody phony. Niggas are who they are. Everybody is who they are around each other. We're real. I'm not in other crews. I don't know how other niggas live, but I know right here that's one of the main things we represent: honesty and realness. You can just hear it in the music. This ain't no cookie-cutter shit."

Cudi also said being in G.O.O.D. Music was "the only time where I feel like I'm around people that understand me. I felt like an orphan before then."

May 2012: Cudi Stars in 'Cruel Summer' Film

The Cruel Summer film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, featured Cudi playing a Lamborghini car thief who falls for a blind Arabic woman. He was the lead character in Kanye’s "immersive" and limited round of film screenings.

September 2012: Cudi (Barely) Appears on G.O.O.D. Music's 'Cruel Summer'

On September 14, 2012, Kanye and G.O.O.D. Music released the collaborative album Cruel Summer. For Kid Cudi, though, there wasn’t much collaborating. Aside from providing background vocals for "The Morning," he appeared on only one track, "Creepers." Cudi said it was a track from years earlier, when he was working on Man on the Moon II.

In a 2013 cover story, he told Complex the following: "I was a little disappointed. But Kanye had a vision for that. Whatever that vision was didn't include much of me. [Laughs.] I was bummed because I could've contributed. I'm a good asset. But he had a different vision. Everyone that was showcased on the album did their thing and they needed that at that time. The energy was on some hip-hop shit. I was on WZRD, doing my rock shit. But I'm not tripping. ‘Creepers’ was a jam I was holding onto for a while. It was waiting for that perfect platform and it happened to be great for that album. It would've been dope to have more. I want to apologize to the fans for not having more. But [sings] Ohhhh, it ain't my fault."

April 2013: Kid Cudi Leaves G.O.O.D. Music

In April 2013, Kid Cudi broke the news that he was no longer a member of G.O.O.D. Music. Describing it as a business decision, Cudi emphasized there was no animosity that pushed him out of the door—it was just something he had to do. "Man, everything is cool," he told L.A.'s Power 106. "Everything is peace with everybody on the label. There's never been any issues, but I am announcing that I'm no longer on G.O.O.D. Music. And this is something that no one knows, really. I'm no longer on G.O.O.D. Music."

Cudi went on to say he knew for six months prior to his announcement that he would be leaving to focus on his own label Wicked Awesome and artist King Chip. Cudi respected his relationship with Ye so much that he spoke with Jay Z for advice about how to break the news to Ye. Kanye’s response: “Yes! Do whatever you feel is right, I don’t blame you. I feel you on that.”

June 2013: Cudi Appears on 'Yeezus'

On June 18, 2013, Kanye released the avant garde Yeezus, which included a feature from Kid Cudi on “Guilt Trip.”

February 2014: Cudi Says He's Unhappy With 'Yeezus' Feature

In an interview with Complex, Cudi detailed how his vocals came to appear on Yeezus's "Guilt Trip." "The vocal that I did on that song was a couple years old," he said. "I forgot which session it was, but it was just a reference."

According to Cudi, he found out he was featured on the album through social media. “I discovered that I was on the song via Twitter,” he said. “I saw kids hitting me up, like, ‘Are you on ‘Guilt Trip'!?’’ or saying 'Great job!' and I’m like, 'What the fuck is everyone talking about?' So I go on Twitter and then I hear the song and I’m like, 'OK. I know the beat. I know the song.' Then I’m like, 'Oh man, OK.' Part of me was flattered, like, it’s kind of cool that he thought of me.”

But then, Cudi had a change of heart. "Then I started thinking about it more. It was like, 'Why not call me and have me come in there and give it? Why underuse me? Why put four bars of vocals to coax my fans into thinking this is a legitimate Kid Cudi feature on this song and it isn't?'"

February 2016: Cudi Appears on 'The Life of Pablo'

On February 11, 2016, after much polarizing hype, Kanye West released The Life of Pablo. To the surprise (and happiness) of many, Kid Cudi appeared on the album’s second track, “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1.” In addition to appearing on the song, Cudi joined Kanye during his Madison Square Garden album listening party/Yeezy fashion show. Their bromance became the source of limitless GIFs.

September 2016: Cudi and Kanye Fire Shots Back and Forth, Then Make Up

It was all good just seven months ago. On September 14, in a string of now-deleted messages, Cudi went all the way off about the “fuckery” in hip-hop.

"I need y'all to know I got so many haters within the industry and these clowns know Im bout to crush their entire existence," Cudi wrote. "Everyone thinks they're soooo great. Talkin top 5 and be having 30 people write songs for them. Let me tell you something. The days of fuckery are over. The fake ones won't be lasting too much longer.”

He continued: "I'm the one they worry about cause they know I don't give a fuck about the corny shit they do. All my youngins out here reppin, Asap Rocky and the whole ASAP family, Travis Scott, SuperDuper Kyle, Audio Push, Hit Boy, etc, I see y'all. And all u jealous chicken hearted shits I see you too. I am the culture.”

In addition to Drake, Cudi name-dropped West specifically. "I kept silent because I don't ever wanna come off like some angry hater, but today, not only do I feel fantastic, I'm feelin like taking over. I already have. My tweets apply to who they apply. Ye, Drake, whoever. These niggas don't give a fuck about me. And they ain't fuckin' with me. Niggas keep you close when they see how powerful you are by yourself. When they see your greatness. Out of fear. I've been loyal to those who haven't been to me and that ends now. Now I'm your threat. Anybody got a issue with my words I'm glad. If you feel me, don't be scared to use your voice. I was for so long out of blind loyalty."

The same day, Kanye happened to have a concert in Tampa scheduled on his Saint Pablo Tour. Best believe he responded to Cudi. “Don’t never mention Ye name,” he said onstage. “I birthed you.” He continued, speculating about where Cudi’s tweet storm originated from: “Don’t try to say who I can do songs with. You mad cause I’m doing songs with Drake? Ain’t nobody tell Ye who to do songs with!”

Kanye also defended G.O.O.D. Music, which Cudi so infamously left. “You know how many people wish they could be signed to G.O.O.D. Music? Get their life changed?” he asked. “I’m so hurt. I feel so disrespected. Kid Cudi, we’re two black men in a racist world. I wore skinny jeans first... why y'all gotta be coming at me? This ain't the end of the Malcolm X movie. I'm out here fighting for y’all: creatives, artists, independent thinkers. Don’t never mention my name.”

A week later, while in concert in Houston, West again addressed Cudi's tweets. But this time, he was speaking from a place of forgiveness and adoration. "The most important artist of the past 10 years... most influential,” Kanye said of Cudi. “And I hope he's doing well. I just want to take this time out to say Kid Cudi is my brother and I hope he's doing well. The most influential artist of the past 10 years."

November 2016: Cudi Joins Kanye Onstage During Saint Pablo Tour

Two months later, in November, Cudi joined Kanye on the Saint Pablo Tour in Sacramento to perform "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1." His appearance came shortly after he checked out of rehab for depression and suicidal urges, as he announced in October.

"Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1" was one of only three songs West performed at the Sacramento show before abruptly leaving. He would eventually cancel the rest of his Saint Pablo Tour after being hospitalized for "exhaustion."

July, 2017: Kanye and Cudi Spotted Leaving a Studio in L.A.

Kanye West, Kid Cudi and Plain Pat were spotted leaving a studio in Los Angeles last July. Pat, of course, has history with Cudi and West as both a manager and a producer.

August 2017: Kanye and Cudi Spotted in Japan

Kanye and Cudi were spotted together yet again, at the Tokyo studio of Takashi Murakami. (The artist designed the cover art for Kanye’s 2007 album Graduation.) Per Genius, several G.O.O.D. Music associates shared photos of the encounter using the hashtag #EverybodyWins and teased a New Year’s Eve release date, prompting speculation that Cudi and Ye were releasing new music together.

November 2017: Kanye Joins Cudi Onstage in Chicago

A few months later, Ye would perform for the first time since his shortened show in Sacramento. He joined Cudi on his Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' Tour, to again perform "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1." The show was in West's hometown: Chicago.

February 2018: Kanye Performs With Cudi in L.A.

In February, Kanye West made another surprise return to the stage—alongside Kid Cudi, again. In videos uploaded to social media, West can be seen introducing Cudi at Adidas’s NBA All-Star Weekend event in Los Angeles before they both perform their collaborative standout, “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” from The Life of Pablo.

Kanye West introducing @KidCudi on stage 😭 #747warehouse #AllStarWeekend pic.twitter.com/yMmbbebjg2

— Jane Shin (@janeshin) February 18, 2018

April 2018: Kanye Announces Joint Album With Cudi

After tweet-announcing the upcoming release of his own album, Kanye sent his followers into a tizzy by letting it fly that he and Cudi also had an album coming. The project would be called Kids See Ghost, named after the duo's group. West stamped the release date as June 8, one week after the release of his own album.