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"Soundtrack 2 My Life"
Song by Kid Cudi
from the album Man on the Moon: The End of Day
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2009
Recorded2009
Genre
Length3:56
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Haynie

"Soundtrack 2 My Life" is a song by American recording artist Kid Cudi, taken from his debut studio album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009). The lyrics were written by Cudi, while the music was written by American record producer Emile Haynie. The song’s music video, directed by Jason Goldwatch, was released in 2010.[1]

Background[edit]

On February 19, 2009, Cudi made his national television debut when he appeared on BET's 106 & Park, alongside fellow American rapper Kanye West to debut the music video of "Day 'n' Nite".[2] During the episode, Cudi rapped a verse, a capella, which would ultimately become the first verse of "Soundtrack 2 My Life".[3][4]

In a 2009 interview with DJBooth.net, Cudi explained his opening lines on the song: "I wrote that song from an ignorant standpoint, man – I wanted to have ignorance be the undertone of the whole song. And it really is to show what one thinks when his back is up against the wall. It's really to flip Jay's line and kind of use it in my favor. It worked – it's the only way I could've explained the situation."[5]

Music video[edit]

The video was directed by Cudi himself. It shows Cudi performing and various clips of Cudi being drunk and silly. The video was first posted to SoundCloud in 2008.

Content[edit]

"Soundtrack 2 My Life" is the vibrant opening to Cudi's dreamland, as he raps about the work ethic of his mother, the death of his father, and the subsequent depression that came to consume him. It's a prelude of what's to come: the pain, the loss, the feelings of insignificance, and the boundless introspection.[6] His lyrics on the track contain various musical and popular culture references, including those to the song "99 Problems", rapper Jay-Z, mentor Kanye West, the 80s sitcom Charles in Charge, the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon, and the movie The Sixth Sense.[6]

Commercial performance[edit]

Upon the release of the featuring album, "Soundtrack 2 My Life" peaked at number five on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.[7] On March 13, 2019, the song was certified double platinum by the RIAA, for sales of over two million copies in the United States.[8]

In other media[edit]

The song was the theme song to MTV's World of Jenks.

Charts[edit]

Chart (2009) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[9] 5

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[10] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dantana (March 25, 2010). "Video: Kid Cudi "Soundtrack 2 My Life" by Jason Goldwatch". Okayplayer. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  2. ^ Nostro, Lauren (April 3, 2013). "A Timeline of Kid Cudi on G.O.O.D. Music Kanye West Appeared With Cudi on "106 & Park" To Debut "Day 'n' Nite" Video". Complex.
  3. ^ "Video: Kid Cudi & Kanye West on 106 & Park". Fakeshoredrive.com.
  4. ^ [1] [dead link]
  5. ^ Zisook, Brian “Z” (27 March 2018). "Kid Cudi: The Lost Interview — "It's Way Bigger Than Just Helpin' People Groove"". Djbooth.net. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Kid Cudi's "Man on the Moon: The End Of Day" Influenced A Generation". HotNewHipHop. April 10, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  7. ^ "Kid Cudi Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  8. ^ "American single certifications – Kid Cudi – Soundtrack 2 My Life". Billboard. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Kid Cudi Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  10. ^ "American single certifications – Kid Cudi – Soundtrack 2 My Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundtrack_2_My_Life