by Donna-Claire Chesman (Author) A revelatory examination of Emo Rap, from its inception to its incendiary ascent into the mainstream, including the critical artists that defined its sound and ethos, from Kid Cudi to Lil Peep, Lil Uzi Vert, XXXTentacion, and Juice WRLD. When Kid Cudi dubbed himself the "lonely stoner," the texture of contemporary hip-hop was forever changed. The young rapper droned over purple blips and skitters on "Day 'N' Nite," unaware that he was terraforming the foundation of rap. As the decades wore on, the song came to symbolize a changing of the guard, and the next generation of kids were about to get really sad on the mic.