The True Meaning Behind 'IMY2' By Drake Featuring Kid Cudi
With 21 tracks on "Certified Lover Boy," there's certainly a lot to unpack from Drake's latest record. Jam-packed with features from all across the hip-hop spectrum — veterans and young talents alike — Drake surely surrounds himself with good company on his latest output. With features from Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross, "Certified Lover Boy" definitely delivers on the star-power front — but does it deliver in quality?
With heaters such as "Way 2 Sexy," "N 2 Deep," and "Knife Talk" — alongside Billboard chart dominance — Drake's latest record has certainly made quite the impact on the music industry and culture as a whole. Alongside that, the track "IMY2," a collaboration with renowned artist Kid Cudi, also represents another potential hit for the Canadian-born artist. Cudi and Drake, the friends who previously feuded in the past, squashed their beef for their latest output on "Certified Lover Boy" — and while the history between the two has been well-documented over the years, nothing speaks volumes more than their collaboration on this track.
With that being said, let's take a further look at Drake and Kid Cudi's "IMY2!"
'IMY2' represents growth and progression
Starting off with a sample from Juice Wrld, the late rapper laments, "I think that's what life is about / Truly findin' yourself / And then closin' your eyes and dyin' in your sleep" (per Genius). The song then segues into Kid Cudi's first verse, in which he discusses how "Lifted are my days, my dreams are vivid colors" and how "People grow ... [and] Real n****s in life survive." Never one to shy away from substantial lyrics, Cudi has been vocal on his mental health struggles throughout his career — once telling People that "Anxiety and depression ruled my life for as long as I could remember," adding that "I was scared, I was sad, I felt like a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions."
Furthermore, comedian Pete Davidson, who has also been open about his mental health struggles, spoke about how much Cudi's lyrics have resonated with him given their incredibly personal nature. Speaking to "The Breakfast Club" in 2016 (via Billboard), Davidson stated, "I truly believe if 'Man on the Moon' didn't come out, I wouldn't be here," referencing Cudi's 2009 debut album.
As the song heads into the chorus ("Catch me ten-toes in the limelight / F*** the world up, on my life, right"), listeners can hear that Cudi is now in a more positive headspace for the time being, as the collaboration with Drake (evidenced by his ad-libs) comes full circle.
Drake and Kid Cudi squash the beef
In the post-chorus, Drake chimes in, stating, "Finding myself as the days / Fly by like us on the move" (per Genius) — implying there's some form of soul searching going on in the track. The following lines ("You told me I was a phase / Okay, fine, I miss you too") are a bit more open for interpretation, however. Though Drake seems to be talking to a former lover, one can't help but draw the parallels to Drake's 2016 track, "Two Birds, One Stone," where he actually dissed fellow collaborator and friend (per Genius) Kid Cudi.
In "Two Birds, One Stone," Drake took aim at Cudi's documented struggles with depression and drug use, rapping, "You were the man on the moon / Now you just go through your phases ... You stay xann'd and perk'd up / So when reality set in, you don't gotta face it" (per Genius). The diss, however, did not come unprovoked. Per The Guardian, in several now-deleted tweets, Cudi wrote, "Everyone thinks they're soooo great. Talkin top 5 and be having 30 people write songs for them." "My tweets apply to who they apply. Ye, Drake, whoever," Cudi continued, confirming his rage against the (industry) machine.
However, years later, Cudi and Drake have seemingly patched things up, as evidenced by their collaboration on "IMY2." And as enemies turn to friends once more, we would be remiss if we didn't say we missed them, too.