A Look Back At Kid Cudi's Passion, Pain, and Demon Slayin

After the utter mockery that surrounded his fifth studio album, Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven, Kid Cudi suffered multiple breakdowns, including beef with longtime friend and mentor Kanye West, firing shots at Drake, and ultimately entering rehab for depression and suicidal urges on October 4, 2016. It truly seemed as if the rapper had hit rock bottom.

A month later, Cudi emerged from his ashes, checking out of rehab and apologizing to those who he had hurt, and thanking those who were with him during his journey and downfall into depression. Fans were cautiously optimistic for his upcoming album, with the singles “Frequency”and “Surfin’”showing a return to rap. The album was originally announced on April 22, 2016 and was set for a summer release, but was pushed back due to Cudi’s struggles with his inner demons.

Kid Cudi – Frequency

On December 16, 2016, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ released, with features from Andre 3000, Willow Smith, Travis Scott and Pharrell Williams. It boasted a tracklist of 19 songs, and would span 86 minutes. The production was rich and diverse on some tracks, but at the same time could be beautifully simplistic on others. While some tracks on the album can sound the same, it is a comforting sound, one we first heard on the Man on The Moon albums. Cudi doesn’t explore any groundbreaking new sounds, and that’s completely fine. His low voice along with the spacey beats still prove to be one of the most captivating combinations in hip-hop. While Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven was an unpolished, completely raw disappointment, Passion, Pain and Demon Slayin’ would show a return to form for one of the most influential artists of the modern era.

With some tracks seeming as if they should be featured on a film soundtrack, Passion, Pain and Demon Slayin’ is the end of the trilogy for the Man on the Moon. The album starts out with dark, simplistic beats, setting up the tone immediately. “Frequency”contains a low beat, while Cudi raps about using sex and drugs to combat his loneliness. In the track “Swim in the Light”, Cudi talks about his inner pains, singing, “You could try and numb the pain, but it’ll never go away.” As the album progresses, tracks such as “Rose Golden”and “Kitchen”bring us back to the sounds that made us fall in love with Kid Cudi, as he realizes his potential and begins fulfilling it, finding love in the process. In “Rose Golden”, Cudi says, “Stronger than I know, soon I’d understand, the power I possess, the story of the Chosen.” Cudi finds his passion, which eases his pain and ultimately slays the demons that have been holding him down his whole life.

We cap the album off with “Surfin”’, a celebration of life. Pharrell Williams sets the vibe, with an infectiously cheerful beat, while Cudi raps about being back on his zone and promising to murder his competition. It’s the perfect end to the album, with the sound making it feel as if you’re there with Cudi celebrating his progression and ultimate return. It was a final track to leave a smile on fans’ faces as they ended their journey helping Cudi expel his self-hatred and failure, realizing his self-worth and talent and curating this story for us to see we are not alone in our own struggles with inner demons.

The album was met with positive responses from critics, with many noting that it showed the rapper’s recovery from the criticism of his previous album. While some tracks were put on as filler, the high points make this album worth the 86-minute runtime. Cudi brings us back into his world and his problems, something fans had been wanting to view since the Man on The Moon albums.

Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ is one of the biggest comebacks in hip-hop history. With that being said, it is not perfect, as some tracks do come out to be quite similar. However, it is exactly what the public wanted from Cudi, with the comfort of the familiarness of the sounds bringing happiness to the listeners of the album. It is truly a story of failure, battles with depression, and finding the ability to fight back and ultimately vanquish our inner anxieties. We can relate to what Cudi goes through and the feelings of self-anxiety, depression and self-doubt he struggles with. We are reminded by Cudi that no matter how low you may feel, there is still a path to recovery, and that is what truly makes Passion, Pain and Demon Slayin’ special.