The Making Of Kid Cudi‘s “Pursuit Of Happiness” With E.VAX Of Ratatat | Deconstructed

Kid Cudi released “Pursuit of Happiness” as the third single from his seminal 2009 debut album ‘Man on the Moon: The End of Day.’ The MGMT-assisted track remains one of his biggest songs to date, peaking at No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a 4x Platinum certification. Ratatat’s keyboard and guitar-driven production is a major reason for its success, setting the tone for Cudi and MGMT’s vocals.
Read more on Genius: genius.com/a/the-making-of-ki...
Read all the lyrics to Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” Genius: genius.com/Kid-cudi-pursuit-o...
Watch the official music video for "Pursuit Of Happiness": • Kid Cudi - Pursuit Of ...
CREDITS:
Executive Producer: Felicia Kelley
Creative Director: Andrew Oppeneer
Producer: Ndeye Thioubou
Director: Zach Cooper
Shooter: Jeffrey Soffer
Editor: Sam Balaban
Production Assistant: Raina Zafar
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[@teebsbeats]

"If I spent a week on it I probably would've made it too complicated" Bro used a radiator

[@swim_ad]

There's a lady in the radiator

[@theoehrlich1197]

lmaoo exactly

[@Checkmate1138]

A.) That isn't complicated B.) That's not what he meant

[@qravy-1854]

@@Checkmate1138 C.) its a joke

[@mohitwanjare7951]

@@Checkmate1138 D.) Watch some comedy instead.

[@SoccerEverywhere2]

This guy produced Reborn too.This man is a genius. Give him some more credit

[@vibeknight]

Yes boi's E.VAX makes the coolest beats of all time!

[@WilliamJdeLeon]

They’re not the same person, but they do look alike. Ludwig Goransson produced Redbone.

[@TheObscureEntertainerOfficial]

@@WilliamJdeLeon lol 2 different songs man

[@WilliamJdeLeon]

TheObscureEntertainer hahahaha I just re-read the comment

[@wataloopus]

Yup, turns out he did the outro with the organs and stuff

[@gamivibes]

cudi literally wrote the soundtrack to so many people's lifes its incredible

[@prodKossi]

Eyyy, Gami in the wild :)

[@madiserket2]

you mean "Soundtracks 2 so many people's lives"

[@swim_ad]

Ill be fine. Once I get it. I'll be good...

[@DgDxxx99]

Bro literally

[@flaco158]

for example project X anyone else got another example?

[@BlujayGFX]

This dude really didn’t realize he was making a historic song that changed the music scene

[@roller325]

How did it change the music scene?

[@dukecinnamon5664]

@@roller325 well it's possibly cudis biggest hit and cudi paved the way for all these "emo" rappers emerging right now

[@MccreeMcMemez]

Duke Cinnamon until chance saved the SoundCloud rappers I mean can’t blame him tbh

[@BlujayGFX]

@@roller325 not only did this song help Cudi pave the way like Duke Cinnamon said, but it was also very unlike other "rap" songs of the era, fusing EDM and alternative rock to birth a new sound to hip hop

[@CastVooDoo]

@@roller325 i think the whole mixture of psychedelic and rap music

[@renedodojev897]

this beat has like 4x times more sounds then every other beat here and he's like : nah, ive done it in hurry, its very simple lmao

[@michaelleblanc5213]

René Dodojev id imagine compared to the usually more complex and intricate music he produces under Ratatat that yeah this probably is a bit simpler, still fuckin crazy stuff tho

[@judson8441]

Straight up lmao

[@zesldn]

Legit go watch Murda Beatz motorsport deconstructed

[@johnedabz]

René Dodojev intricate, yet simple. Beautiful I guess

[@byKropiz]

Yeah, imo this is what good production sounds like compared to the ”gross beat” producers haha

[@allenspencer7025]

This guy so so humble, he acts like he made just another basic song.

[@alphacenturion1812]

He probably just thinks it was simple

[@henry9]

Listen to his music. This probably was just another song to him.

[@gamivibes]

bro the vibe of this just makes me wanna party or do a roadtrip

[@swim_ad]

Tell me what you know about dreamin'

[@havkk2135]

We all know what kind of trip we want with these songs 😂

[@Yasser-oe9lt]

you need to party with some bitches

[@OctusYT]

Project X

[@kultw1837]

get fucked up drunk off a keg

[@wtfkyle]

this guy's voice is asmr

[@swim_ad]

Your mom is asmr

[@nonami_066xswqoqowiwl]

SWIM A.D. your mom a bitch

[@brodykuemin9331]

@@swim_ad bro ur hilarious 😐

[@noirpxp_9751]

@@swim_ad good one 😐

[@brodykuemin9331]

@@swim_ad bro ur hilarious 😐😐

[@brendons5528]

This song is iconic

[@linnh940]

It is ❤

[@rotflolextreme]

I was gonna like this but i didnt wanna ruin 420

[@brendons5528]

rotflolextreme It’s too late now 😢

[@JackKennedyTV]

Game changer for sure

[@otgregg3899]

One of the most beautiful songs ever

[@jflack6]

TRUE

[@davethomas332]

I agree

[@rainwik9219]

Righteous Question mark pretty sure he means in terms of beat-work and melody not the actual lyrics. if you haven’t noticed, this song is more centered on the beat

[@rainwik9219]

Righteous Question mark ok well I actually messed up in my previous response, I meant this video* is more centered on the beat and the lyrics are obsolete when talking about the beat and beat production. Obviously when talking about the song as a whole, the lyrics are a standout and in contrast to the beat, but this is just the beat

[@JackKennedyTV]

Absolutely gorgeous

[@andrewskillern922]

this guy made the instrumental for one of the most popular songs of a generation and he doesn't even remember how he did it, with every layer he looks so surprised and confused haha love it

[@cosmonauteable9151]

lmao, fr, what a chad

[@LRG53]

Had so many lonely nights listening to this song... Wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Thank you for this song.

[@blvvdsawgekkt2599]

:))

[@CURRAN1300]

Michael Dwyer facts

[@swim_ad]

Midnight sessions..

[@oxinym]

Amen

[@kidkeva]

*masterpiece*

[@Isma77_]

kidkeva choppa On me 🔥

[@33klxm]

fax

[@Yumemaru.]

4real

[@Icao77]

Great Work With "Desconstructed" Genius !!! I'm a beginner, i'm studying a lot FL Studio 20 !!! And when u see the biggest guys of the music working on it (Or other one, no problem..) YOU SEE IT'S POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? FOCUS, AND PRACTICE....AND THEN, IN A FEW YEARS WE ARE GONNA SAY: WE DID IT !!! I always loved rap music, and to freestyle with my friends (who couldn't do it haha) when i was 14 or 15 ... now I'm 26, and learning how to make beats and put all my lyrics on it.... Thanks GENIUS, im learning a lot with you guys...the Kid Cudi episodes were freaking awesome.... THANKS, and greetings from Brazil !

[@keith-marvk-harrisii8666]

Too true

[@keeeks1694]

first Day n Nite now this, thank you Genius!

[@OfficialTWSandco]

Two of the greatest songs to have ever been created in that era, for sure

[@mayman4255]

Psst,they're probably milking cudi now that he's relevant again

[@iamkcm577]

Amen

[@jockosmocko4480]

I’m in love with those two songs

[@Yumemaru.]

4real

[@cglample4066]

i wonder how many lives this song has saved

[@saintbeau2779]

i know for certain at least one. mine.

[@merry_christmas]

Yes.

[@phatrick]

4

[@soplayz6958]

Millions

[@kabir7158]

mine!

[@eagsdaman1772]

Man the rappers get so much recognition, and the producers barely get any. I had no Idea who this guy was until now, and he should be a known legend

[@JasonTopo]

The editing tho.

[@WilliamTreble]

henri crousteau they was watching peter McKinnon

[@xxfenrearxx8416]

itsTRBLE what software did they use

[@WilliamTreble]

H3voc Gaming I’m almost positive they used premiere. It’s just the angles and transitions were real good

[@xxfenrearxx8416]

itsTRBLE nicee lol where is the tutorkal

[@xxfenrearxx8416]

tutorial

[@shanerichardson286]

A song I’ll never get tired of.

[@JackKennedyTV]

A true classic for sure

[@skaterat321]

When I'm 50, and when I'm on a classics radio channel....they better be playing this song

[@AJ-px4ej]

wow, didn't even think of that, but you're right, they better

[@abbym3288]

This song legit gets me so emotional idk it just feels so young and free idk ahh

[@Coolguy-ht1cx]

To me it’s the fact that it resembles almost everybody’s life. Let’s be real, we are all on the pursuit of happiness, and we’ll be fine when we get there, we’ll be good..

[@jiggydahoe2151]

@@Coolguy-ht1cx true. we all relate to it. it's literally like the people's song we never knew we needed to hear.

[@kianamarie3283]

I was in High School when this came out. I was in a dark place. I don’t mean that in a cliche sense. Self harm, suicide attempt, and thinking of going to the military to give my life up to somethin rather than letting it go to waste but I was gonna use that as a way to end up just dying. Then I said no to that and was just gonna end it. This song.. I shit you not this song came on the day I was gonna end it all. On my way to school I bought the album and listened to Day N Nite on repeat like 4 times then I skipped through some songs only listening for like 2-3 seconds. This weird ass song came on with sounds I NEVER heard in my life. I went to a performing arts high school and still never heard anything like this. I felt like this dude was living my life. How I felt every day. And this huge jumbled compilation of sounds made this beat that nobody ever heard anything like.. It got me to take producing seriously.. I kicked back into my creativity. I’m still not where I wanna be yet but just as I started having bad days again, I started thinking back to this song, and 3 hours later I find how it was made. Thank you Genius. Thank you E. VAX. Thank you Ratatat. Thank you Kid Cudi. Y’all stopped somebody from making bad decisions with a song thats only 4 minutes and 55 seconds long. In under 5 minutes a bad decision was stopped. 🙏🏾

[@Motivate_the_Mind.]

Tokyo Sensui I cant say the same for me but this song is one of my favorites to date! I’m glad you are out of a bad place keep on grinding and don’t let anything get in your way!

[@farlean8607]

god bless bro.

[@piperperry2542]

I feel just like you man. It's just hard It sucks fr. I don't want people to miss me

[@prodXVII]

bless

[@beans7622]

Keep ya head up bro! 🙏

[@sircharlesbarkley7061]

the making of frank’s nights

[@keondreoffdagoop2377]

Sir Charles Barkley YES

[@akittynamedcat]

YES PLEASE

[@glotec]

Big W

[@TheGlobalKickerz]

Sir Charles Barkley that album was fully produced by Jesus Christ

[@GraydenKnoll]

I second this

[@idlecaption]

makes me happy how humble some of these producers/musicians are. especially someone as big as him. always love seeing the producer give the rapper/singer credit for knowing what beats/compositions will work for their style and which ones wouldn’t.

[@ethan.wroblewski]

Ratatat is so underated, i love there music so much, i love abrasive by ratatat, there awesome, ratatat being the instrumental for pursuit of happiness is amazing

[@swapacoinforafish]

Wildcat is my fave ;)

[@judethecooldude6450]

Also love by kid cud I sampled sunblocks by ratatat

[@erickgonzalezmejia418]

This song literally changed my life, I'm so glad to see that Genius made this video!

[@noah3485]

10 years later still godlike

[@JackKennedyTV]

Timeless

[@TheMarkoPoloProgram]

It’ll live forever, as it’s theme has to do with mental health and addiction. An issue that’ll never disappear, sadly.

[@melomania2637]

Without the vocals it really does sound like a song Ratatat would release. That is so dope

[@fishsmellbad1862]

1:53 that synth is probably my favourite sound in the world. It just means so much to me and every time I hear the song I have to pause whatever I'm doing and appreciate it.

[@haks8639]

This guy is so chill.

[@XRXONE]

I’ll be fine once I get it. I’ll be gooooooood.

[@leadeaus1090]

5:40 Yup, that incredibly layered, detailed and filtered sound of the drums that exists on this track can 100% be heard on Feel The Love and Reborn as well. I aspire to be able to program drums this beautifully '

[@skayabaya]

Do you know how to reproduce this kind of filtering? Seems like there is more distortion or bitcrushing to it than just cutting the highs?

[@ard2591]

@@skayabaya I've read he uses the Sherman Filterbank. It's a hardware unit with built in features like overdrive and frequency modulation, so it's most likely got some distortion going on in addition to the filtering.

[@heatedoyster2]

4:14 Dudeeee i can't with the fact that i totally miss that part, that part is so ratatat, is like if he took a piece of him from the "Classics" album and put in there just for kid cudi, awesome.

[@LJMarte8]

Timeless record. This song got me through a lot and it’s nice to see it take on different waves since when it first came out (remixes, movies, commercials, etc.).

[@garrett9673]

I almost cried watching this

[@414kozy]

this producer right here , cured all of my depression many times with this banger 💫🤍✝️

[@eikichionizuka696]

He explained it clearly and carefully It made me realize Damn such beautiful melody like this came from combo of obscure and strange sounds

[@jp7563]

Legendary song

[@falloutskyy]

THIS is what i call Music Production.

[@JackKennedyTV]

Next level talent right here

[@Scav16]

Watch the redbone one it's even more insane

[@JackKennedyTV]

Thomas Scavella just did incredible. So good. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@alphacenturion1812]

@@Scav16 Redbone by Gambino or do you mean Reborn from KSG

[@user-ue7vx3fn4z]

Alpha Centurion he says Redbone he means Redbone. Ludwig Göransson is a genius.

[@analsthetic2811]

He be lookin like jesus producin beats

[@nategamer9184]

fr💀

[@ansharyan710]

i love ratatat my drum tutor told me ab them and i'm so happy they exist lmao, props to e*vax and cudi for making one of the most iconic songs ever

[@DigitalBeings03]

been a ratatat fan since before cudi ever made pursuit of happiness. so cool to see one of them on here. ratatat was one of the bands that inspired me to start learning guitar

[@k1dofficial]

Thaison Tower please check my rap its really fireee 🔥🔥🔥

[@biggypoppa2294]

This the chilliest episode on deconstructed

[@AmirRazan]

You can say that again.

[@AmirRazan]

@Starfruit Thx. :)

[@simpleysims]

What really puts this song over the top is the backed vocals by MGMT. That chorus is beautiful!

[@NoxBruh]

I love these videos cause every time I go back and listen to the song I can pinpoint all of the different sounds mentioned in making the beats or lines; the various octaves in the chorus, etc. It just adds to the beauty of the music.

[@TheBigred610]

my god ratatat killed this beat

[@phatrick]

No he made the best. Cudi killed it

[@legitdownz8926]

Genius, I know y’all are probably a big company who doesn’t respond to/read comments. But I wanted to say thank you. Some of these songs have gotten me through wanting to end it all. And to go back now and watch what was really going on is truly an amazing experience. You guys stay out of drama, tackle topics unbiased, and give a really good insight on so many different things. Thank you guys, and even though you probably won’t see this, but please don’t change a damn thing. ;)🐐🐐🐐

[@JackKennedyTV]

Incredible series for sure. So cool to see behind these songs changing the game, and more importantly, lives.

[@123Redaxe]

Well said man. They are one of the best channels on youtube

[@ubr2254]

I've waited so long for this man, Ratatat is one of my all-time favourite bands and this collab is one of my all-time favourite tracks.

[@chrisgiraldo8450]

Such a beautiful song, Kid Cudi is so under appreciated

[@producedbyvin]

Genius doing the Cudi classics

[@baqirsyed232]

y'all snapped

[@DonnyDealer]

I had no idea this guy made the beat. The guitar part from Pursuit of Happiness always reminded me of the guitar from Wildcat. It all makes sense now. What a legend.

[@rugshed]

That's my footage at 6:14 ! see my (Kid Cudi Live - Concert Intro - 'Baptized In Fire' 2017) video on my channel around 1:40 Thank You Genius!

[@jacob5976]

That's dope

[@cameroncooper5216]

Evan is one of my all time favorite artists next to Aphex Twin and John Frusciante. This was so awesome to watch he doesn't do many interviews. Thank You!!!!!!!!

[@andresleclerc8736]

+ Cameron Cooper Dude you're the Shit for this comment🤘🏾

[@cameroncooper5216]

You're the shit!

[@asiakurtalic7223]

Love love love John Frusciante and kid cudi

[@KickingMan]

Genius is killin it with the old school! Thank You Genius make more of these

[@tokyogracie]

Cudi & every single person who had a hand in MOTM1 have saved so many lives. music is so fucking powerful, love this.

[@ste11ar]

So glad this episode came out on this song. One of my favorite songs that I can just listen to whenever!

[@punky2deep]

there's no words that can explain how much I love this song

[@brodykuemin9331]

Same and soundtrack to my life

[@Hampeeng]

Greatest song of all time

[@cjsigs]

I have been waiting for this video since deconstructed has started... thank you.

[@devarrelayubpulungan4676]

i remember hearing this song, it was on a highway me and 2 of my best pal was just driving and smoking, and then this song came out of the radio, it was just *perfect* .

[@moralester]

4:15 was so cool to hear as a Ratatat fan, it blew my mind because I didnt realize before this video that e.vax produced pursuit of happiness!! the guitars in pursuit of happiness are done by Ratatat! so sick

[@bonabellbitties9276]

he’s so humble for being a genius

[@SeptemberNicole89]

This song, to this day, STILL gives me chills! It's helped me through A LOT. It's easy to get lost in this piece.

[@type88radio]

Brings back such great memories. I was a fan of both at the time and it made my day when I heard they collaborated.

[@falloutskyy]

DAMN MAN IM CRYINGGGGGGG

[@pooler57]

I can’t believe this one dude made the best instrumental of all time

[@DirtCobaine]

Man this is one of my favorite beats ever. It’s a work of music in its own right. You can break it down bit by bit and it still has a story to tell. I love layered work like this. To me this type of music I can actually see. No one believes me but I can see colors and shapes with this type of layered music.

[@marsmagdalenex]

That’s called synesthesia!

[@brunandre]

it's amazing how talented this guy is. i don't think he even knows. at 3:13 he "air plays" the synth but its actually perfect with the postproduction track. that's something. that's natural to him.

[@Thatguy55595]

Waited my whole life for this

[@linnh940]

Thankyou for making these beautiful songs. Couldn't live without it ❤

[@luluraecanaan9297]

I swear this is one of my favorite songs of all time. I listen to it every single day no joke. So amazing and so original. I can’t even express my love for it. Thank u for this video!!

[@rachelc3213]

have the chorus to this song tattooed on me. after army i needed to be reminded that sometimes ish aint always gonna be wonderful, but i gotta keep pursuing my happiness. :) love this breakdown of this wonderful ear magic

[@djreverse3766]

This song always reminds of me of Project X.

[@Jolow]

fr

[@floatixx]

tf

[@savage7277]

Same, best moment in Project X

[@hatchbackeasy7525]

I was just thinking of that movie a few days ago

[@pepe5908]

Literally everything about it. Ya know, like on the outside it’s a up beat song but it kind of has a dark meaning. And whenever I think of ecstasy (which is in the movie) I think of dark times. Idk lmao

[@rahbalder7581]

thanks for this genius, i love you guys for making video on pursuit of happiness and day n nite. Giving Ratatat and Cudi the respect and cred they deserve for making us these banger hits.

[@JackKennedyTV]

Legends forever

[@karolinak7140]

Love how chill he is

[@DRew2KRup]

This song resonates with every human who hears it. Theres an omnipotence happiness that comes with it. Lol like a pursuit of happiness

[@bobvancevancerefrigeration5232]

We all have a story that comes along with this song. And it would always get played at the right moment.

[@NolanShaw2k]

This song genuinely changed my life

[@lukestar2218]

this guy is really talented and isn't just good at the editing aspect like some producers. this is one of my favorite beats on any song

[@aiyachristian]

hands down the best episode yall have done on this

[@a_kayreports]

Love these! More classic Cudi tracks please 🙌🏽

[@Kid_C0dy]

A beautiful masterpiece I got chills watching him piece this all together

[@sebashackerxd000]

I was just listening to that song. Masterpiece. As a producer, this is so satisfying to see. Thumbs up Genius!

[@Deluxejake]

By far the best breakdown of any instrumental. Everything was so perfect for the track and it was all made from scratch 💯 much respect to the producer, without them this would never be a thing

[@KickingMan]

Still listening to this song! One of the best

[@joserosae8402]

At 4:33 my soul came out my chest and walked on earth thank u cudi and ratatat

[@michaelkiptoomwaniki5456]

I had that ratatat album in high school... I heard man on the moon and instantly heard that ratatat sound. So dope

[@rattt7549]

This is the song that we dedicated to ourselves. It’s so hard to describe the feeling I get. It’s like happy, sad and optimistic all the same time and I love that I feel this way.

[@SwissMarksman]

💯

[@ianheyman2682]

I always thought MGMT produced this hahaha I have been waiting for it to be broken down tho, praise genius

[@hugoteffer4856]

They contribute vocals to the chorus

[@robertlangley9437]

He was involved with Feel the love and Reborn? Best songs on the album.

[@alcatrek]

I just want this producer to keep winning man! So talented and he still humble. Thank you.

[@StreetShots79]

i love how he built it from 3 chords that sounded cool. Damn that's how so many great tunes are built. From a simple progression.

[@Lucasssanta]

Wow feels like this came out just for my birthday :) I love you Cudi ratatat a legend too

[@20D0D0]

"Everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold"

[@vicentenicolas4474]

I'll be fine once I get it

[@ericklopezzz]

I'll be gooddd

[@parkerbragg7093]

@@ericklopezzz I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know

[@thestarlitwilds]

@@parkerbragg7093 everything that shines ain't always gonna be hold ayy

[@parkerbragg7093]

@@thestarlitwilds I’ll be fiiiine once I get it, I’ll be gooooood

[@gearswitched]

that instrumental is crazy. That intro synth lead/saw, the nice drum loop, the sound effects, the snare effects…the chords are nice too Ratatat is my favorite producer ever though haven’t told anyone that…

[@elyebowen9631]

this song is over 10 years old and i still listen to it, everyday.

[@prodXVII]

simply amazing, love Cudi and E.VAX

[@RonyTomo420]

One of the greatest songs of all time

[@alfonzo9289]

Such an amazing producer 🙌🏽🙏🏽 your catalogs nothing short of art.

[@isabelrose7421]

this song still sends shivers down my spine every time! perfection!!