Considered his breakout project, the mixtape marked Cudi's first official release, issued prior to his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009).

Notably, the album contains the song "Day 'n' Nite", Kid Cudi's commercial debut single, which reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

[4] While working different Manhattan retail jobs to support himself, he would go on to make several connections in the music industry, the first being American record executive Plain Pat at a Def Jam meeting.

[4] He would later be kicked out by his uncle and forced to find a new place; the parents of Dot da Genius, a new frequent collaborator of Cudi, allowed him to stay with their family in Brooklyn, as long as he kept creating music with their son.

[4] With its production overseen by Plain Pat and Emile Haynie, Cudi's debut mixtape would be released on July 17, 2008, by NYC streetwear brand 10.Deep, in conjunction with indie record label Fool's Gold.

[7] An electro-house remix produced by Italian duo Crookers and an abundance of rappers recording their own verses over the original production, helped Cudi gain major recognition.

Guido Stern of Rapreviews wrote "Kid Cudi is creating the biggest buzz out of Cleveland since Bone Thugs", concluding with "We've already learned from Lil Wayne and Kanye West that the public is willing to embrace the martian—if accordingly entertaining.

From a Mims-esque 'This Is Why I'm Hot' beat in the single 'Day ‘N’ Night', to the slowed down tracks 'Man on the Moon' and '50 Ways to Make a Record' that will remind you of something by Gym Class Heroes.

[16] The early 2020s saw popular mixtapes from the late 2000s be reissued on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, including Cudi's Republic Records label-mates Lil Wayne with No Ceilings (2009) and Nicki Minaj with Beam Me Up Scotty (2009).

"[25][26] The mixtape was commercially re-released and made available on streaming services for the first time, on the announced date of July 15, with "50 Ways to Make a Record" being the only track omitted from the reissue.

Cudi revealed that the track, which samples the 1976 Billboard number-one hit single "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by American singer Paul Simon, could not be cleared for an official release.