Kid Cudi Opens Up About Kendrick Lamar's Influence On "INSANO"

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Los Angeles Premiere Of Sony Pictures' "The Book Of Clarence" - Arrivals
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Kid Cudi attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Sony Pictures' "The Book of Clarence" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Cudi saw one of Kendrick's live shows that changed his perspective on things.

Earlier this month, Kid Cudi got 2024 started with a bang. He dropped his new album INSANO after much anticipation. Alongside new albums from 21 Savage and Kali Uchis, a time of the year that's normally pretty slow got some major releases. INSANO follows up Cudi's 2022 album Entergalactic which also served as the soundtrack to an animated special of the same name. His last official studio album was 2020's Man On The Moon III.

Cudi didn't hold anything back for the new record either. INSANO is stacked full of high-profile features. Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, XXXTENTACION, Lil Wayne, and Young Thug all make appearances across the record's 21-song tracklist. But in addition to the impressive roster of collaborators, there were also some big voices influencing the record. During a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Cudi discussed the album at length. He revealed one surprising artist who had a heavy influence over the album. Kendrick Lamar. Check out the full interview below.

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Kid Cudi's New Album Was Influenced By Kendrick

In the interview Cudi explained his starting point for INSANO. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve done all these different types of albums, I’ve touched on all the different types of spaces creatively, sonically. What is the one thing that I haven’t accomplished?" he said. “And I was still in this place tryna figure out what that album would sound like. I was in Paris, I just finished my European run of tour and I go to see Kendrick. And this muthaf*cka, it blew my fucking mind.”

He elaborates on how Kendrick's live show left him stunned and inspired. “I’m sitting there, I’m watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show ’til the end. People were in it, party mode, singing every f*cking word. I’m not saying this doesn’t happen at my shows, ’cause it does. But all the way through, I don’t have that experience. I had this moment where I was like, ‘You know what? This is the reaction I want." What do you think of Kid Cudi explaining how Kendrick Lamar influenced his new album INSANO? Let us know in the comment section below.

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About The Author
Lavender Alexandria
Lavender Alexandria is a music and culture journalist based in Los Angeles, California. She’s covered dozens of musical genres and styles from the most mainstream to the most experimental and underground on her blog and accompanying YouTube channel that looks at music, pop culture, and Billboard charts since 2017: Lav’s Music Corner. Lavender has produced editorial and listicle content both in written and video form over the past far years and has also interviewed up-and-coming artists like Censored Dialogue. Her experiences covering culture have taken her from Hyperpop parties in LA to underground rap shows in Atlanta, to DIY punk shows in Charlotte. Lavender has also written for iHeartRadio, covering some of the biggest artists in Hip Hop such as Ice Spice, Drake, Doja Cat and Cardi B. She also has bylines with ScreenRant and continues to write for Ringtone magazine. Lavender is a lifelong Charlotte Hornets fan and her favorite rap artists include Clipping, Little Simz, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kendrick Lamar.
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