King Wizard

{{Infobox song

| name = King Wizard

| cover = King-Wizard.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Kid Cudi

| album = Indicud

| released = December 18, 2012

| recorded = 2012

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|progressive rap}}

| length = 4:17

| label = {{hlist|GOOD Music|Universal Republic}}

| writer = Scott Mescudi

| producer = Kid Cudi

| chronology = Kid Cudi

| prev_title = Just What I Am

| prev_year = 2012

| next_title = Immortal

| next_year = 2013

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|FmvU3urYQgI|"King Wizard"}}}}

}}

"King Wizard" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kid Cudi, taken from his third studio album Indicud (2013). The song was officially released on December 18, 2012 as the album's second official single, along with its accompanying music video, which was directed by Cudi himself.{{cite web | title=King Wizard (feat. King Chip) – Single by Kid Cudi |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/king-wizard-single/id572145822 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126220859/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/king-wizard-single/id572145822 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 26, 2013 | work=iTunes Store | publisher=Apple | accessdate=December 29, 2012}}{{cite web | url=http://www.xxlmag.com/bangers/2012/12/kid-cudi-king-wizard-video/ | title=Kid Cudi "King Wizard" [Video] | publisher=Harris Publications | work=XXL | date=December 18, 2012 | accessdate=December 18, 2012}}

Background and release

On September 2, 2012 Kid Cudi took to his tumblr to preview lyrics from a new song titled “King Wizard”.{{cite web |url=http://cudlife.tumblr.com/post/30751487200/king-wizard-by-scott-mescudi |title=King Wizard By Scott Mescudi |publisher=datnewcudi.com |date=2012-09-02 |accessdate=2012-10-03 |archive-date=2013-01-09 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130109120931/http://cudlife.tumblr.com/post/30751487200/king-wizard-by-scott-mescudi |url-status=dead }} On September 29, 2012, Cudi released a podcast, where he previewed "King Wizard", a new song he was "very excited about".{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/09/video-kid-cudi-previews-king-wizard-off-upcoming-album-indicud |title=Kid Cudi Previews "King Wizard" Off Upcoming Album "Indicud" |publisher=complex.com |date=2012-09-29 |accessdate=2012-10-03}} On October 3, 2012, one day after "Just What I Am", the album's lead single was officially released via iTunes, Cudi liberated "King Wizard" as the second offering from Indicud via SoundCloud.{{cite web |url=http://datnewcudi.com/2012/10/02/new-music-kid-cudi-king-wizard-produced-by-kid-cudi/ |title=New Music: Kid Cudi – King Wizard (Produced by Kid Cudi) + Lyrics |publisher=datnewcudi.com |date=2012-10-03 |accessdate=2012-10-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004055031/http://datnewcudi.com/2012/10/02/new-music-kid-cudi-king-wizard-produced-by-kid-cudi/ |archive-date=2012-10-04 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151189953418586&set=a.133406013585.109354.90352253585&type=1 |title=PREMIERE: "King Wizard" |publisher=facebook.com |date=2012-10-03 |accessdate=2012-10-03}}

Cudi, who also produced the track, had teamed up with Samsung Mobile to release the clean version of the newly mastered “King Wizard” as a free download. The download was available by heading to Samsung Mobile USA's Facebook page under the “music” tab. The explicit version and the music video were officially released via iTunes, on December 18, 2012. On the day of its release Cudi announced via Twitter that the song was a promotional single and to expect Indicud in March 2013.{{cite news|last=Horowitz|first=Steven|title=Kid CuDi Plans To Release "indicud" In March 2013|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.22259/title.kid-cudi-plans-to-release-indicud-in-march-2013/|accessdate=18 December 2012|newspaper=HipHopDX|date=18 December 2012}}

The single's cover art is a self-portrait, which Cudi took with his iPhone. "I took the picture on the King Wizard single cover myself w my iPhone and I think its really fuckin funny ha the lil silly things in life", tweeted Cudi.{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/ducidni/status/281297159519887360|last=Mescudi|first=Scott|date=19 December 2012|work=Twitter|publisher=Kid Cudi|accessdate=30 December 2012}}

Charts

scope="col"\| Chart (2012–13) !scope="col"\| Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
scope="row"{{singlechart\|Billboardhot100\|91\|artist=Kid Cudi\|song=King Wizard\|artistid={{BillboardID\|Kid Cudi}}\|accessdate=December 29, 2012}}
scope="row"{{singlechart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|28\|artist=Kid Cudi\|song=King Wizard\|artistid={{BillboardID\|Kid Cudi}}\|accessdate=December 29, 2012}}
scope="row"{{singlechart\|Billboardrapsongs\|24\|artist=Kid Cudi\|song=King Wizard\|artistid={{BillboardID\|Kid Cudi}}\|accessdate=December 29, 2012}}