The Impact of 'A Kid Named Cudi' 10 Years Later

Kid Cudi’s 2008 debut mixtape 'A Kid Named Cudi' served as a catalyst in the Ohio rapper’s career. Created in close collaboration with Emile Haynie and Plain Pat, the latter of whom also served as his manager, the project features Cudi’s debut commercial single “Day ‘N’ Nite,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest charting song to date. The mixtape caught the attention of Kanye West, who signed Cudi to G.O.O.D. Music. The creative partners would go on to collaborate on several projects together, notably the Chicago rapper’s seminal '808s & Heartbreak,' Cudi’s major label debut 'Man on the Moon: The End of Day,' and their joint album 'Kids See Ghosts.'