Choir of Young Believers vs. Kid Cudi | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 20^th edition of Head 2 Head (2022), an ‘apples and oranges’ version, Choir of Young Believers & Kid Cudi contend for the best song. 

Welcome to Head 2 Head 🗣️! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians against each other, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 20^th edition of head-to-head (2022), an ‘apples and oranges’ version, 🎙 Choir of Young Believers and 🎙 Kid Cudi contend for the best song – 🎵 “Claustrophobia” vs. 🎵 “Mojo So Dope”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Choir of Young Believers, “Claustrophobia”

💿 This Is For The White in Your Eyes • 🏷 Ghostly International / Tiger Spring • 📅 2008

“God I thought I loved you so.” Sing that 🎙 Fridolin Nordsø.  The clever line marks one of the signature moments from 🎵 “Claustrophobia”, a marvelous record by Danish alternative rock collective, 🎙 Choir of Young Believers. What is claustrophobia, you ask? It’s defined as the fear of enclosed spaces. Expectedly, in this gem from their 2008 album, 💿 This Is For The White in Your Eyes, vocalist 🎙 Jannis Noya Makrigiannis asserts, “Oh, you give me claustrophobia.”

It seems that claustrophobia is caused by various experiences that enclose the collective.

“Gonna go where wildflowers grow

Share a river

My daddy told me we were baptized in gasoline

No one deserves this, God I really love you so.”

“Baptized in gasoline,” huh? The dark lyrics are one of the biggest selling points.  Perhaps equally alluring is the production (Nordsø, Makrigiannis, and 🎛 Anders Rhedin). There’s a chilling, enigmatic, almost enchanting nature about “Claustrophobia.” The light vocals enhance the aesthetic and overall vibe.  This record speaks for itself – it’s incredibly distinct. Jannis Noya Makrigiannis is a terrific songwriter.

2. Kid Cudi, “Mojo So Dope”

💿 Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2010

Back in 2010, 🎙 Kid Cudi, an innovative, left-field rapper, dropped a truly underrated banger in 🎵 “Mojo So Dope”. Having nothing to do with the trap, Cudi spits agilely, while also staying true to the concept of his sophomore album, 💿 Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.  While Cudi’s concepts are interesting, in this song, I found myself more taken with his flow and honestly, the production and vibe.

🎛 Emile Haynie does a fantastic job with the production, period.  Worth noting, however, “Mojo So Dope” samples 🎵 “Claustrophobia” by Danish collective 🎙 Choir of Young Believers. From the onset, the sample helps to give “Mojo So Dope” its identity: “God I thought I loved you so / God I thought I loved you so.” Sing that 🎙 Fridolin Nordsø.  Nordsø’s light, airy backing vocals, coupled with the floating sound of “Claustrophobia” set up Kid Cudi for surefire success.  He rides the beat like a champ!

“They done let in the skinny jean-wearing

Fro-for-days in a old AA

Ball’ so low, most fools couldn’t price me

Silently stunt with a blunt full of P.E.”

Woo! The crowning achievement, however, is the chorus, which works brilliantly with the Choir of Young Believers sample.  Let’s just say, it’s the “oh, oh-oh, oh” by Fridolin Nordsø that works well with Kid Cudi’s confident rhymes.

“Oh, oh-oh, oh

Hey, my mojo so dope, bitch

My mojo so dope

Yep, we live it, live it

Yep, we on it, on it

Oh, oh-oh, oh

Give a fuck about your lifestyle

Give a fuck about a motherfucker lifestyle, ‘cause, nigga

We, we live this shit

Oh, oh-oh, oh

Give a fuck about your lifestyle

Give a fuck about a motherfucker lifestyle, ‘cause, nigga, hey.”

“Mojo So Dope” is dope AF!

Appears in 🔻:

• Kid Cudi, “Mojo So Dope”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 5 (2022)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

🎙 Choir of Young Believers or 🎙 Kid Cudi? Man, oh man, that’s tough!  In this ‘apples and oranges’ Head 2 Head 🗣️, IT’S A DRAW. Honestly, both records are awesome.  Yes, Kid Cudi sampled Choir of Young Believers, but the flow and the rhymes are as epic as the production.

Choir of Young Believers vs. Kid Cudi: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 20 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Ghostly International, Layers, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, Republic,  RODNAE Productions, Tiger Spring, Valentin Tikhonov]