‘Pursuit of Happiness’: The song that defines the career of Kid Cudi
Happiness has always been the goal for Kid Cudi, but constant struggles with his mental health have made that hard to maintain throughout his career. The Cleveland rapper has been open about his depression over the years through his music, interviews and social media, which is one of the main reasons why fans find him so relatable.
No song represents Kid Cudi’s career as much as ‘Pursuit of Happiness’, with the title speaking for itself. The track featuring MGMT and Ratatat appeared on his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, which was released in 2009, and remains one of the biggest singles of his career.
Cudi wears his heart on his sleeve throughout the record, telling a story about drunk driving and addressing death head-on. “If I fall, if I die, know I lived it to the fullest If I fall, if I die, know I lived and missed some bullets,” he raps.
“When I’m singing about driving drunk on ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ on [Man on the Moon], you may remember that it was a nightmare,” he told HipHop-N-More. “It was meant to be scary, the craziness, the fact that this person chooses to look for happiness in substances; and that’s scary, that’s a terrible combination, that’s a terrible way to go about things.”
On the hook, he shows self-awareness about life not always being blissful, but still seeing happiness as something attainable. He sings, “I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know/ Everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold, hey/ I’ll be fine once I get, I’ll be good.”
Kid Cudi checked himself into rehab for depression and suicidal urges in 2016 and kept up his transparency by sharing a lengthy letter with fans online, explaining how he felt “ashamed” of himself.
“I am not at peace. I haven’t been since you’ve known me,” he revealed. “If I didn’t come here, I wouldve done something to myself. I simply am a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions everyday of my life.
“Theres a ragin violent storm inside of my heart at all times. Idk what peace feels like. Idk how to relax. My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. I cant make new friends because of it. I dont trust anyone because of it and Im tired of being held back in my life.”
He added, “I deserve to have peace. I deserve to be happy and smiling. Why not me? I guess I give so much of myself to others I forgot that I need to show myself some love too. I think I never really knew how. Im scared, im sad, I feel like I let a lot of people down and again, Im sorry. Its time I fix me. Im nervous but ima get through this.”
Fans often claim Kid Cudi saved their life due to going through the same issues as the superstar and being able to use his lyrics as a way to cope with life’s battles. His music serves as a reminder to keep pushing through the bad times and that light will always be on the other side.
Cudi knows, as well as anyone else, that life comes in waves. As he put it in 2021, “God has better days waitin for me. I just know it. Sadness eats away at me sometimes. How do I deal? A lot of u hit me and ask how I get through. Truthfully, idk. Some days are great, others not so great. I just try to believe God has something better for me. I try to have faith in the light. Please, believe.”
‘Pursuit of Happiness’ embodies this notion to the fullest.