A Primer on Kid Cudi

As The Crimson reported yesterday, Kid Cudi is coming to Harvard. The three-time Grammy-nominated artist who produced the 2009 smash hit “Day 'n' Nite” will be the featured artist at this year’s Yardfest, the annual concert put on by the College Events Board and the Harvard Concert Commission. The hip-hop artist has toured with Lady Gaga and Asher Roth, and has recorded songs with heavy-hitters like Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z.

Although most Harvard students are certain to recognize the trip-hop influenced melody of “Day ‘n’ Nite,” the Mexican-African-Native-American Cleveland resident, whose birth name is Scott Mescudi, has a number of other tunes you should check out:

“Make Her Say feat. Kanye West & Common,” which includes a sample from Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”

“Pursuit of Happiness feat. MGMT & Ratatat,” which features one of last year’s featured Yardfest artists, Ratatat.

Kid Cudi also has some mixtapes and albums you should listen to. Cudi’s debut mixtape, “A Kid Named Cudi” can be downloaded legally and for free online, and includes some fantastic songs, including “Down & Out,” which samples Outkasts’s “Chonkyfire.” Kid Cudi’s first commercial album, “Man on the Moon: The End of Day” peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, and includes many of his most famous songs.

Get educated on Kid Cudi, and then get excited Harvard—he is about to rock Yardfest all day and nite.