# Kids See Ghosts (album)
*Kids See Ghosts* is the only studio album by the American hip-hop duo [Kids See Ghosts](https://www.edgepedia.org/kids-see-ghosts), composed of rappers and producers [Kanye West](https://www.edgepedia.org/kanye-west) and [Kid Cudi](https://www.edgepedia.org/kid-cudi), released on June 8, 2018 through G.O.O.D. Music and Def Jam.[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/) It arrived one week after West's solo album *ye* as part of a run of five West-produced albums released through his Wyoming sessions in mid-2018, following Pusha T's *Daytona* and *ye* and alongside Nas' *Nasir* and Teyana Taylor's *K.T.S.E.*[3](https://www.vice.com/en/article/kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-kanye-west-billboard-interview/) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | June 8, 2018, one week after West's *ye*; label G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/) |
| Length | Seven tracks, about 23 to 24 minutes[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) • [4](https://www.teenink.com/img/TeenInkSample.pdf) |
| Tracklist | Feel the Love; Fire; 4th Dimension; Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2); Reborn; Kids See Ghosts; Cudi Montage[5](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2018/06/11/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-new-album-now/) |
| Critical reception | Metascore 84 from 18 critic reviews (17 positive, 1 mixed); Pitchfork scored it 7.6[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/) |
| Cover art | Artwork by Takashi Murakami, adapted from his painting *Manji-Fuji*; he had previously collaborated with West on the *Graduation* cover[6](https://avantarte.com/insights/articles/the-story-behind-the-kids-see-ghosts-album-cover) |
| Notable samples | Kurt Cobain's "Burn the Rain" on "Cudi Montage"; Louis Prima's 1936 "What Will Santa Claus Say" on "4th Dimension"; a Marcus Garvey speech opening "Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)"[7](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/5-takeaways-from-kanye-west-and-kid-cudis-new-album-kids-see-ghosts/) • [8](https://www.thefader.com/2018/06/08/kanye-west-cudi-kurt-cobain-kids-see-ghosts-sample-reborn) |
| Production time | Kid Cudi said the album took "a little over a year-and-a-half" to get where the duo wanted it[3](https://www.vice.com/en/article/kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-kanye-west-billboard-interview/) |
## Background and recording
West signed Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi) to his G.O.O.D. Music imprint in 2008, and the two appeared on each other's records for a decade afterward, most notably on West's *[808s & Heartbreak](https://www.edgepedia.org/808s-and-heartbreak)* (2008) and Cudi's debut *[Man on the Moon: The End of Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/man-on-the-moon-the-end-of-day)* (2009), which West executive-produced.[9](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0003748385) • [10](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kids-see-ghosts/1396520066) The duo project formalized that relationship in 2018.[9](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0003748385)
**Recording.** The album was partly recorded in Japan and partly in Wyoming, emerging from West's prolific early-2018 Wyoming sessions.[10](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kids-see-ghosts/1396520066) • [11](https://ifann.net/wiki/kids-see-ghosts) Despite public impressions that the album was rushed out, Cudi told Billboard that he and West had worked on it for over a year and a half, chiseling away at it in stages; the Wyoming stay itself he described as feeling like summer camp, with the artists eating and relaxing together alongside Nas, who was recording *Nasir* at the same time.[3](https://www.vice.com/en/article/kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-kanye-west-billboard-interview/) The hardest part, Cudi said, was clearing samples, particularly [Kurt Cobain](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-cobain)'s home-recorded "Burn the Rain," which [Courtney Love](https://www.edgepedia.org/courtney-love) and [Frances Bean Cobain](https://www.edgepedia.org/frances-bean-cobain) cleared for use on "Cudi Montage."[3](https://www.vice.com/en/article/kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-kanye-west-billboard-interview/)
**Last-minute additions.** According to a fan-maintained production history, a rap verse was needed on the opener "Feel the Love" eight hours before release; West asked [Pusha T](https://www.edgepedia.org/pusha-t), who was on a flight to Montreal, to record it.[12](https://hip-hop-music.fandom.com/wiki/KIDS_SEE_GHOSTS) Dot Da Genius, the producer behind much of Kid Cudi's earlier sound, co-produced "Reborn" and "Cudi Montage."[13](https://www.factmag.com/2018/06/16/dot-da-genius-interview-kid-cudi-kanye-west/)
## Release
The digital rollout was marred by technical problems: six of the seven tracks were initially mislabeled and out of order on streaming services, with only "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" appearing correctly.[11](https://ifann.net/wiki/kids-see-ghosts) Pitchfork's review noted the same problem, observing that the opener "Feel the Love" was itself delivered to streaming partners mislabeled.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/)
## Music and themes
The album is short by design, running about 23 minutes across seven songs, and critics generally treated the brevity as a strength; [Entertainment Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment-weekly) wrote that the record "leaves you greedy for more when it's over in a mere 23 minutes."[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) Its subject matter is mental health, healing, and freedom. "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" extends "Ghost Town" from *ye*, with West and Cudi, joined by Ty Dolla $ign, bellowing "Nothing hurts me anymore... I feel free"; Apple Music's editorial described the album as the "fireside therapy session" occurring at the base of the mountain where *ye* was shouted.[14](https://music.apple.com/us/album/kids-see-ghosts/1397651890) On "Reborn," Cudi sings "Keep moving forward" and "peace is something that starts with me," a calm presence Pitchfork read as emotional ballast against West's wilder energy.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/)
**Sampling.** The production draws on an eclectic set of sources. "Cudi Montage" loops the acoustic guitar of Kurt Cobain's "Burn the Rain," from the companion album to the 2015 documentary *Montage of Heck*, a choice Pitchfork called pointed for an album about overcoming depression.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/) • [7](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/5-takeaways-from-kanye-west-and-kid-cudis-new-album-kids-see-ghosts/) "4th Dimension" turns [Louis Prima](https://www.edgepedia.org/louis-prima)'s festive 1936 holiday recording "What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin')" into a haunting loop of chanting voices, and Prima is credited on the album as both a featured artist and a composer.[7](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/5-takeaways-from-kanye-west-and-kid-cudis-new-album-kids-see-ghosts/) • [15](https://www.complex.com/music/a/shawn-setaro/how-did-kids-see-ghosts-end-up-with-featured-artist-louis-prima) "Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)" opens with a speech by [Marcus Garvey](https://www.edgepedia.org/marcus-garvey) addressing knowledge of self.[8](https://www.thefader.com/2018/06/08/kanye-west-cudi-kurt-cobain-kids-see-ghosts-sample-reborn) • [16](https://www.xxlmag.com/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-album-review/) The title refers to the idea that children can see things adults cannot, and the album's supernatural imagery runs through its cover and songs.[4](https://www.teenink.com/img/TeenInkSample.pdf) • [16](https://www.xxlmag.com/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-album-review/)
**Cover art.** The cover is by the Japanese artist [Takashi Murakami](https://www.edgepedia.org/takashi-murakami), adapted from his painting *Manji-Fuji*; West had previously worked with Murakami on the *[Graduation](https://www.edgepedia.org/graduation-album)* cover and the "Good Morning" video. West and Cudi visited Murakami at his Tokyo studio to discuss the artwork, where each proposed his own character, a fox for Cudi and a bear for West, alongside cloud and ghost figures; only the cloud and ghost characters made the final cover.[6](https://avantarte.com/insights/articles/the-story-behind-the-kids-see-ghosts-album-cover) • [17](https://www.complex.com/music/a/eric-diep/kid-cudi-inspired-generation-of-creatives) • [18](https://time.com/6147551/celebrity-cameos-jeen-yuhs-kanye-netflix-documentary/)
## Reception
The album received broadly positive reviews. Metacritic assigned it a Metascore of 84 based on 18 critic reviews, with 17 positive and 1 mixed.[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) PopMatters called it "the climax and most enduring record of Ye Season."[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews) Pitchfork's Jayson Greene scored it 7.6, describing a "spacious and melancholy album about brokenness" in which the mess "feels more purposeful" than on *ye*, while noting the danger of equating West's celebrity lawlessness with mental health.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/) Reviewers frequently noted that the record leans toward Cudi's sensibility; Entertainment Weekly wrote that it "feels more like a Cudi album than a Kanye one," while remaining "a production showcase for both."[1](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews)
## Aftermath
The duo performed the album in full, in tracklist order, alongside past collaborations, and appeared as Kids See Ghosts at Coachella in 2019.[19](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/389647-kanye-wests-jeen-yuhs-act-iii-everything-we-learned-news) A television series was reportedly in development, and Cudi said in a 2019 interview that there would be more Kids See Ghosts albums, though no second album has been released.[11](https://ifann.net/wiki/kids-see-ghosts) • [20](https://www.complex.com/style/kid-cudi-nigo-2019-cover-story/)
## References
1. [Kids See Ghosts critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/kids-see-ghosts/kids-see-ghosts/critic-reviews)
2. [Kids See Ghosts album review, Pitchfork (Jayson Greene, June 11, 2018)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts/)
3. [Kid Cudi Says 'KIDS SEE GHOSTS' Took A Year and a Half to Make, VICE/Noisey](https://www.vice.com/en/article/kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-kanye-west-billboard-interview/)
4. [Teen Ink review of Kids See Ghosts](https://www.teenink.com/img/TeenInkSample.pdf)
5. [Kanye West & Kid Cudi Kids See Ghosts new album out now, Universal Music Canada](https://www.universalmusic.ca/2018/06/11/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-new-album-now/)
6. [The Story Behind the KIDS SEE GHOSTS Album Cover, Avant Arte](https://avantarte.com/insights/articles/the-story-behind-the-kids-see-ghosts-album-cover)
7. [5 Takeaways from Kanye West and Kid Cudi's New Album, Kids See Ghosts, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/5-takeaways-from-kanye-west-and-kid-cudis-new-album-kids-see-ghosts/)
8. [Kanye West and Kid Cudi sampled Kurt Cobain on Kids See Ghosts, The FADER](https://www.thefader.com/2018/06/08/kanye-west-cudi-kurt-cobain-kids-see-ghosts-sample-reborn)
9. [Kids See Ghosts biography, AllMusic (Neil Z. Yeung)](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0003748385)
10. [KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Apple Music editorial](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kids-see-ghosts/1396520066)
11. [Kids See Ghosts, iFANN](https://ifann.net/wiki/kids-see-ghosts)
12. [KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Hip Hop Wiki](https://hip-hop-music.fandom.com/wiki/KIDS_SEE_GHOSTS)
13. [Meet Dot Da Genius, the man behind Kid Cudi's sound and co-producer of Kids See Ghosts, FACT Magazine](https://www.factmag.com/2018/06/16/dot-da-genius-interview-kid-cudi-kanye-west/)
14. [KIDS SEE GHOSTS album page, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/kids-see-ghosts/1397651890)
15. [How Did a Dead Artist End Up on 'Kids See Ghosts'?, Complex](https://www.complex.com/music/a/shawn-setaro/how-did-kids-see-ghosts-end-up-with-featured-artist-louis-prima)
16. [Kanye West and Kid Cudi Trade Places on 'Kids See Ghosts' Album, XXL](https://www.xxlmag.com/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-album-review/)
17. [They Reminisce: How Kid Cudi Inspired a Generation, Complex](https://www.complex.com/music/a/eric-diep/kid-cudi-inspired-generation-of-creatives)
18. [Every Celebrity and Music Industry Cameo in Kanye West Documentary Jeen-Yuhs Explained, TIME](https://time.com/6147551/celebrity-cameos-jeen-yuhs-kanye-netflix-documentary/)
19. [Kanye West's "Jeen-Yuhs" Act III: Everything We Learned, HotNewHipHop](https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/389647-kanye-wests-jeen-yuhs-act-iii-everything-we-learned-news)
20. [Kid Cudi & Nigo Talk Streetwear, New Music & Kids See Ghosts 2, Complex](https://www.complex.com/style/kid-cudi-nigo-2019-cover-story/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Musical duos, supergroups, and collaborative projects › Hip-hop and R&B duos*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license