GOOD Music
A label built on collaboration, from Cruel Summer to an unfinished sequel.
GOOD Music is an American record label founded by Kanye West in 2004. The label's first collaborative album, Kanye West Presents: GOOD Music – Cruel Summer, was released on September 14, 2012, by the label and its parent company, Def Jam Recordings. The compilation featured West alongside then-signees Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Common, D'banj, and Malik Yusef, as well as affiliates like Jay-Z, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, and Cyhi the Prynce. Production was primarily handled by members of the label's production wing, Very GOOD Beats, including West, Hit-Boy, Hudson Mohawke, Travis Scott, and Lifted.
Quick Facts
- Key artists
- Kanye West
- Common
- Pusha T
Lore & Background
Kanye West first announced plans for a GOOD Music album in October 2011 via his Twitter account. The title Cruel Summer was revealed in part with a film of the same name, written by Elon Rutberg and produced by Alex Rosenberg, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. The album was originally slated for release on August 7, 2012, but underwent several delays. Pusha T recorded over 20 verses for the album, including a scrapped song with Big Sean and Common called 'Trash Bags.'
Azealia Banks also recorded with West in 2012, but her contributions were not included. The album's artwork was designed by DONDA, West's creative agency. A sequel titled Cruel Winter began development in 2016, and a single ('Champions') was released as promotion, but the album was ultimately unfinished and never released. Plans to turn the album into a series of four albums—including Cruel Autumn and Cruel Spring—were mentioned in an interview Complex held with Cyhi the Prince, but those records never came into fruition. As of 2026, none of the artists featured on Cruel Summer are still with the label.
Reader's Guide
GOOD Music was founded by Kanye West in 2004. The label's first compilation album, Cruel Summer, was released on September 14, 2012, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. The album featured West, then-signees Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Common, D'banj, and Malik Yusef, plus affiliates Jay-Z, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, and Cyhi the Prynce. Production was handled by Very GOOD Beats members including West, Hit-Boy, Hudson Mohawke, Travis Scott, and Lifted.
The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 205,000 first-week sales. As of 2020, Cruel Summer is tied with Shady XV as the second-best performing record label compilation album on Billboard's year-end Compilation albums chart, behind Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (3) in 2007, since records began in 2006. A sequel, Cruel Winter, began development in 2016 but was never released. As of 2026, none of the artists featured on Cruel Summer remain with the label.
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