The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady

"**The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady**" is a song by Kid Cudi and Eminem, released as a stand-alone single on July 10, 2020. The collaboration would also make it the first time this duo worked together, which was announced by Cudi's daughter, Vada. The accompanying lyric video depicts the two as comic superheroes, Moon Man and Slim Shady.

## Background

On May 7, 2020, Cudi tweeted to Eminem "Help!", which was believed to be a hint for their upcoming collaboration, but was actually a genuine plea. He explained to Zane Lowe on Apple Music that he never really spoke to Eminem before that moment, and continued, "And we're really close with Paul Rosenberg and he was able to connect us and we were able to get it done. He was in Detroit, I was in LA. It's a nail biter. Because I'm like waiting, I'm waiting. And I'm like, 'Oh shit. They're asking me questions. They don't say he's going to do it just yet. They're just asking me questions. And I'm like, so this means he's going to do it. Right? Because they're asking me questions. And literally it was like every day I was like, 'Is today going to be the day? Is today going to be the day?' And like, I got it. And I was like, 'Holy shit.' I was like, it was something for me to get the validation from Eminem by doing that record. Him doing that record let me know, like he was telling me like, 'Yo, I fuck with you as an artist fully, even your bars are dope.'"

## Critical reception

*Atwood Magazine* wrote in their review, "The new single blissfully recreates the sort of trippy landscape Cudi became known for crafting in his early days, starting with 2009's Man on the Moon— the debut album that generated the nickname which, judging by the name of this recent release, he still relishes in 2020. [...] Slightly before the midway point of the track, Cudi steps aside and allows Eminem to enter the scene with one of his finest and most enjoyable verses in recent memory. It's nimble but not overwhelmingly fast."

## Personnel

* Brian Gardner – mastering engineer
* Joe Strange – engineer
* Julian Gramma – writer
* Ken "Duro" Ifill – A&R
* Luis Resto – writer, keyboards
* Marshall "Eminem" Mathers – lead artist, writer, co. producer
* Mike Strange – engineer, mixer
* Oladipo "Dot da Genius" Omishore – writer, producer, engineer
* Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi – lead artist, writer
* Tony Campana – engineer
* William J. Sullivan – additional mixing, engineer

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: Kid Cudi]

Yep (Aww)

Yep (Mmm-aww)

Uh-huh

Yeah, n\*\*\*a

[Verse 1: Kid Cudi]

Yeah, it's been a minute, but I'm back in it (Uh)

Y'all ain't dealing with the same boy (No)

Got a little trippy, then I transitioned (Yeah)

New attitude mixed with that pure raw (Aw)

The night game, your girl called

She like, "Do me, baby, down to get busy, busy?" (Yes)

No dice, chill, whoadie (No)

In life, feeling dizzy

Oh, having visions of the city and I go to war

See me in the day through the late night (Night)

Tell 'em it's the charm, I'm in freeze mode

To the gods, can't stop a hero when he in flight (Flight)

I'm swimming in the light right

Go and get you some, go and show 'em something, this a new thang

Yeah, I let my nuts hang (Yeah)

Knock your top off with LeBron or Dwyane Wade (Yeah)

Aww, lift off

Can't stunt a n\*\*\*a growth, better get gone, move along (Uh)

You don't wanna trip, wanna get it on (Uh)

You don't wanna act, don't get me wrong (Nah)

They don't listen to the words in the song (Uh-huh)

We ain't gotta tell 'em, we just getting ready (Yeah)

See 'em fronting, we ain't kidding

If you want it, you can get it

Members of the rage, come and get you some

Next step's out the jet from the lean back

Running 'round the world and we ain't packed

Hit 'em, vroom, vroom, leave 'em stuck, oh, you seen that?

I'm chillin' where the team at

See a black Benz pull up with some jawns, yeah, I need that

So crazy, can't believe it

No cams, damn, no filming at all, real n\*\*\*a facts (Come on)

Years ago, rehab

All good, helped me figure out another plan

It got bad, so bad

Nah, I ain't fucking love that, man

Then I hopped out in a new zone with my Louis bag

True story, take you through the dark and the light (Yeah)

Godson, got through new

Back up in the world, it's the day in the life (Cud)

Hit the blunt and get it (Dude)

Raised bars (Uh), same song, we did it (Yeah)

Hot sauce, pour it on all jams, explicit

Carry on, smoke strong, got your mama down with it (Come on)

And the game fuckin' needed something dirty raw

Tell them this the law and we weeded (Uh)

[Verse 2: Eminem]

So if it's God you believe in (Yeah)

Bob your head and just nod in agreement (Yeah)

They say time's undefeated

I'ma be the first one who can beat it (Yeah)

I had hoop dreams, now I shoot threes (What?)

Got a lil' green (Yeah), but I don't do weed (Nope)

Purp nor lean (Nah), that's Tunechi (Yeah)

That's New Orleans (What?), fuck Drew Brees (Yeah)

Snoop D-O-double (Uh), that's two G's (Yup)

I probably spent on paper, ooh-wee

Since Tuesday, probably killed a few trees (Yeah)

But the only ones I smoke are the loose leaf

Not high, but I'm your highness (What?)

And secretly, you're on my dick (Hah)

But you haters are butthurt (Ow), bunch of sore hind-ends (Ow)

I was just a poor white kid (Yeah)

Now if rap was B-ball, I'd be Jordan-like, bitch (What?)

You wish you could score like this (Nah), yeah

Not even at half court, I'd miss (Nah)

I'm mouthwash, 'cause if I was on the floor, I'd swish (Fluoride, fluoride, swish)

But I cannot lie (Nah)

I got you in my top five

Worst rappers of all time (Hah)

I lost my spot, y'all got Alzheim' (Uh)

King of rap? Nah, their words, not mine (Yeah)

King of swear words and not lying (Yeah)

You should never compare yours (Nope)

A toll-free number (Yeah), only way you'll ever have a hot line

Fuck's going on, man? (Yeah)

Bunch of half-wits up in office (What?)

Half of us walking around like a zombie apocalypse

Other half are just pissed off and (Yeah)

Don't wanna wear a mask and they're just scoffing

And that's how you end up catching the shit off 'em

I just used the same basket as you shopping

Now I'm in a fuckin' casket from you coughin' (Damn)

Always stay ahead of haters, let 'em hate

But never let a traitor penetrate your circle

Separate yourself from those who try to pull you down

The real ones never stray, it's sort of like Medusa (Yeah)

That's how you stay ahead of snakes (Woo)

Emcees pull out gats, I don't give a fuck how strapped

You're gonna out-rap me? I doubt that

Please, bitch, I'm a house rat

These raps are 'bout that cheese like mousetraps

Earthlings, I adapt to 'em

Certain things, I don't want to do, but have to in

Order to just act human

Like using a bathroom and vacuuming (Yeah)

Rapping in the booth in a triple fat goose hazmat suit

Bubble wrap and a mask too and

I don't think that's what they meant by trap music (Nah)

Running through ink like I'm tattooing (Yeah)

This is music to be murdered by, you love

Turn the volume up, I am fired up like a blunt

Bread is long like an Italian sub, I am drugs

That is probably why your opinion of me's high as fuck

And it's nonstop fury (Yeah)

'Cause I ain't holding 'em up like an armed robbery (Nah)

And God's my jury, so when I die, I'm not worried (Nah)

Prayers to George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery (Yeah)

How the fuck is it that so many cops are dirty? (Huh?)

Stop, man, please, officer, I'm sorry

But I can't breathe when I got you on top of me

Your goddamn knee's on my carotid artery (Fuck)

[Outro: Kid Cudi]

The adventures of Moon Man & Slim (Ah)

Yes, who want it with them?

The trilogy continues

Serving n\*\*\*as, yes, see what's on the menu (Yeah)

Watch 'em panic, hot damnit (Let's get it, baby)

Hope you fuckers understand it

The realer for you n\*\*\*as

Come and get these scriptures (Yeah)

Rap God (Uh)

Rager

## References

1. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (July 10, 2020). "Hear Kid Cudi, Eminem's New Song 'The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady'". *Rolling Stone*.
2. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (December 10, 2020). "Kid Cudi's Call for Help to Eminem On Twitter Was a Genuine Attempt to Contact Eminem". *Uproxx*.
3. ↑ Weiner, Josh (July 23, 2020). "Today's Song: Kid Cudi and Eminem Shine on First-Ever Duet, "The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady"". *Atwood Magazine*.