Kid Cudi // Origins

How did an outsider from Cleveland have such a huge impact on the rap game?

Life is hard sometimes. It is for everybody, but to be able to listen to the words of a true poet through a completely gangster and arrogance dominated genre of music, that's absolutely amazing. Kid Cudi will always be something special to me, the way he describes and presents his emotions and ups and downs are just non comparable to any other rapper. 

Cudi or Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi was born on January 30, 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the youngest of four children having two brothers and one sister. Cudi's mother was an elementary school teacher who raised Cudi and his siblings alone after Cudi's father passed away from cancer. Cudi was 11 years old when his father passed away. 

Cudi said this about his mother on the Joe Rogan Experience:

"That is something that I will always look up to. How she just sacrificed everything and took care of us. You know? On a teachers salary"

Cudi with his mother at the 2009 BET Awards

Cudi's mother has always supported him in his creative path. When he took his serious interest and pursuit in rap music she supported him through it. 

After high school Cudi started at Toledo University, but he dropped out after only a year and moved to New York to pursuit his true passion, a music career. This is a sick story, cause did you know that when Scott moved to New York the only things he had were 500 dollars and a mixtape he made 2 years prior? The mixtape was called "Rap Hard". For the first 5 months Scott stayed with his uncle and tried to find a minimum wage job. Unfortunately Scott didn't record any music during this period, which is sad thinking about how many emotions he must had been going through. I would have loved to see him expressing them. 

The cover art for Rap Hard

A this time Scott was broke. Scott was so broke that buying music wasn't even in the picture. That why this coincidence is just to big. Scott was in the music store one day, looking at CD's he couldn't even buy. And guess who suddenly stood beside him? Kanye West. Scott didn't waste any time and quickly introduced himself to Kanye. Scott wanted to get signed and he asked Kanye for it. 

Kanye answered like this:

"Man, I've got so many artist right now man that i'm tryna deal with right now. And unless you on some Biggie and Tupac type stuff"

A random encounter with an idol of Cudi's didn't work out. But he wasn't done trying to break through. 

Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius

Cudi was working at Abercrombie & Fitch when a coworker introduced him to Dot Da Genius. Cudi and Dot quickly became close and started making music together. 

Around this time Scott's uncle kicked him out before he had any chance to find another place to live. With no money and no house Scott was ready to stop his pursuing of happiness and move back to Cleveland. 

Luckily Dot's parents stepped in and Dot's dad told Scott, that he could stay with them for as long as wanted. Both living under the same roof, Dot and Scott got more work done than ever. 

One night in early 2007 inspired by loneliness, struggles to find a job and relationship with drugs Scott wrote a hook that he showed Dot. Two days later a masterpiece was finished. The hook was of course for his hit "Day 'N' Nite".

Emile Haynie is a producer from Buffalo, New York

Cudi uploaded the song to his Myspace page and the song attracted attention form Emile Haynie. If you don't know Emile Haynie he's a producer with big contacts including Kanye West, Plain Pat and Eminem. Shortly after Plain Pat invited Cudi to Emile's studio and the two immediately became friends. At this point Emile and Plain Pat were both managing and producing for Cudi. This was the time when Cudi was working on his debut mixtape at Emile's studio in Soho. Crookers remix of "Day 'N' Nite" blew up and attracted a lot of attention to Cudi who soon after booked a two week tour of Australia. This meant Cudi had to quit his job at the Bape store. Quiting his job at the Bape store was a hard choice for Cudi since he had worked really hard on getting the job and he wasn't sure he could rely on just the rapping. 

Soon after this Plain Pat called Cudi and told him Kanye wanted him to come to Hawaii. 

So they flew him out there. The first night he got there at like 8 pm and he got to the studio. He went around and said hello to everyone and Ye was there and he was super excited. Ye told him he already had 8 beats that Cudi needed to start vibing to. So he gave him all the beats and Cudi went to sit on the patio. Cudi felt ambivalent cause he knew he needed to perform. He needed to think like Jay-Z he said in an interview. Cudi smoked cigarettes at the time and he said he was smoking cigarettes back to back while trying to come up with a hook. He remembers he had one idea which he was scared to tell Ye about. But he knew he needed to show him. Before he knew Ye came outside hyped as hell and ready to get to work. Cudi was inspired by this one beat which turned out to be the beat for "Already Home". 

"Already Home" is a track on Jay-Z's 2009 album The Blueprint 3

After returning to New York again this time with an official Kanye co-sign, Cudi was ready to show the world. On July 17, 2008 he released his debut mixtape "A Kid Named Cudi". This release really showed people Cudi's potential and he claimed his spot as more than a one-hit-wonder. The huge difference in his songs with some being almost carefree with him feeling on top of the world and some of them being him reflecting over life and it's problems, he really showed the world what he was capable of. 

Cover art for A Kid Named Cudi

Following the mixtapes release Cudi signed to Good Music and assisted Ye on his album "808's & Heartbreak". 

A couple months afterwards he was named as part of the XXL Freshmen Class Of 2009. 

Just 14 months after Cudi released his debut mixtape he released his debut album. "Man On The Moon: The End Of Day" which is one hundred % one of my personal favorite albums. The album is a deep one and it reflects Cudi's deepest thoughts. Cudi expresses how he deals with living up to peoples expectations, anxiety and drug problems. The album has a huge diversity with some songs being carefree and up beat and other songs going deep down in the mind of Cudi. 

Cover art for Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

Cudi really showed his way of bringing emotions out in people and how music isn't just sound but feeling. 

On November 9, 2010 about a year after his first album was released, Cudi dropped his second studio album "Man On The Moon ll: The Legend Of Mr. Rager". Cudi personally said the album is dark by nature. Instead of bringing people into his dreams like on this first album, he wanted to bring people into his reality both good and bad. It touches sensitive topics like loneliness and addiction. Addiction being the topic of "Mr. Rager" one of the best songs on the album. 

Cover art for Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager

Following the album release Cudi released a rock album called "WZRD" with his long time friend Dot Da Genius. 

On April 12, 2013 Cudi released his third album "Indicud". For this album Cudi handled all the production by himself. "Indicud" brings way more of a party feeling than the other two albums as Cudi feels more clarified with life. 

Cover art for Indicud

On February 25, 2014 Cudi released his fourth studio album "Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon". He announced the album release while touring in Texas and the album was released shortly afterwards. Personally I don't enjoy this album as much as his prior released ones. Cudi himself said the album should serve as a bridge in his Man On The Moon project and I think it does just that. 

Cover art for Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon

"Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven" is his fifth album and it was released on December 4, 2015. Many people thought his next release would be the long awaited Man On The Moon 3, but Cudi had different plans.

Cover art for Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven

"I'm always making music. The beauty in that is that I have a lot of material. And I'm actually thinking that it would be good to release something in the meantime, before Man on the Moon III comes out. Another Kid Cudi album, it's just kind of along the lines of what I did with Indicud or Satellite Flight, which is just its own standalone thing but still a Kid Cudi album. The Man on the Moon III album is something that's gonna take some time but I know the fans are gonna be patient and I really appreciate that guys, thank you for your patience. But Man on the Moon III is coming, there may be an album before that just to tide you over"

On December 16, 2016 Cudi released his sixth album "Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'". This album has a lot to offer and it feels like Cudi had been working on it a while prior to release. 

Cover art for Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'

In October 2016 Cudi revealed on his Facebook page that he had checked himself in to rehab because of depression and suicidal thoughts. Like Cudi has said in many of his lyrics he has had a long time battle with cocaine. His drug abuse mostly comes from him not feeling like he can live up to what people wants him to be. 

In an interview before the release of "Kids See Ghosts" Cudi spoke about finding peace in the stressful life he has. I think "Kids See Ghosts" fusion of all of the bits in his life. Him and Kanye West released the album on June 8, 2018. Cudi has many times expressed what the record meant to him and his life and how it helped him find peace. Cudi said the album was created by doing what he loves and expressing himself in an easier way. 

Cover art for KIDS SEE GHOSTS

Be sure to read my review for KIDS SEE GHOSTS!

On December 11, 2020 Cudi released the final piece in his Man On The Moon Trilogy called "Man On The Moon lll: The Chosen". This album was pretty much produced all by himself but he did get some help from fx. Plain Pat and Dot Da Genius. While looking down on the other two Man On The Moon albums, Cudi looks directly at you on this album cover. Luckily I don't have to find all the symbolistic in the cover cause there is already an explanation on the back of the album:

"In the last 10 years, Scott Mescudi has been through hell and back. After feeling like his world was over, he found hope and overcame the darkness that was plaguing his life. But happiness isn't forever. What he thought was peace turns into a nightmare. He finds himself lost dealing with the same pain he had not felt in years. In one night, he must face himself again and fight back to win his soul from the evil Mr. Rager"

This is the synopsis on the album cover which in a good way sums up the whole reflection of the life Cudi presents in the whole album. 

Cover art for Man On The Moon III: The Chosen

I think in many ways Cudi lead the way to more new artist to express there feelings through the music and that he positively took the whole rap game up a bit by putting more meaning to the music. He normalized feeling down, sad, confused and depressed and made it into a topic not just a taboo. He's truly a great artist and he will always be.