Kid Cudi performed “Pursuit of Happiness” on The David Letterman show last Friday.  This track is the third single off of his upcoming debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day.  Cudi’s performance is incredible, and the Youtube video has been circulating around the internet, bringing even more attention to this young artist’s amazing album.

The song itself is produced by Ratatat and features vocals by MGMT.  If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, Kid Cudi’s lyrics on the track are very deep and inspirational, giving the listener insight into Cudi’s album and his personal quest for success in the music industry.

“Living my life getting our dreams,
People told me slow my roll,
I’m screaming out fuck that,
Imma do just what I want,
Lookin’ ahead, no turnin back,
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.”

Kid Cudi is venting in those lyrics, and showing us that following your dreams, no matter what other people think, is the only way to become truly happy.

The Kid Daytona – Air Born (Featuring Bun B)

The Kid Daytona is the Bronx’s latest emcee to make a name for himself in the ever changing hip hop scene.  Daytona linked up with Bun B for the video to his single, “Air Born.”

The track’s smooth beat was produced by 6th sense, and the equally smooth video was directed by Derek Pike.  Big shout out to Dee and Ricky who made the cigarette piece on Bun B’s hat in the video.  These guys have been making some sick jewelry for hip hop videos for a minute now.

Neither artist produces extremely deep lyrics on the laid back track, but The Kid Daytona impresses me when he spits:

“My narrow mind got me petrified,
Of fake niggas and bitches who want to Papelbon,
Pitch their way into my life
In the 8th or 9th inning
Last minute fake advice givers.”

I’ve never heard a rapper spit a verse about a Major League Baseball closer, ha!  The Kid Daytona does a great job with that line, calling out all the people running into his life now that he’s starting to see success around the corner!

Dom Kennedy – Of All Time (Featuring BJ The Chicago Kid)

Dom Kennedy’s latest video is extremely clean, and adds a lot to the song, which is mostly just a smooth track to vibe out to. However, Dom does spit a few strong lyrics here and there.

He addresses bloggers with:

“I aint never shot at blogs,
Why you scared to speak to me,
I aint never got at ya.”

It is true that Dom Kennedy and BJ The Chicago Kid deserve more attention from the blogs.  After all, they are more talented than a lot of the artists who are getting recognized on your average blog site.  For more on Dom Kennedy, check out our previous article!

Beyond Belief – U dont know me

Beyond Belief has been making a name for himself in Rockaway Queens for a minute now, and having his whole mixtape, What about BOB?, produced by multi-platinum producer Kwame, shows he’s an artist to keep an eye on.

“U Don’t Know Me” features the deep lyrics and reflective qualities that all up and coming emcees need to develop in order to build a strong fan base.  In this track Beyond Belief spits about his family problems as well as his personal struggles.

“I’m 21 and I’m still acting immature,
And I don’t think I’ll ever stop being insecure…
And why my neighborhood’s so racist,
And why I’m talented but feel I wont make it…
Cause you can be the illest spitting,
still its all about location,
And what you look like,
It doesn’t really matter what your saying.”

As sad as it may be, talent alone is not enough to take your career to the next level in the entertainment industry. Spitting verses from the heart, like the one above, is what it takes to help move the needle!