A Kid Named Cudi

Apr, 10. 2009 by Andrew in Media

Before this begins, I demand that you watch this video. That was the promo trailer for his debut mixtape, “A Kid Named Cudi”. Originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio, Scott Mescudi moved to New York at the age of 20 to follow a dream. And “without sounding too preachy,” he sought to inspire people with his own story and make it happen because he “wasn’t playing fuckin’ games.”

“There’s not a rulebook to this shit.”
Kid Cudi’s journey out of Cleveland wasn’t one of desperation, but more of self-exploration. His approach to his music was not exactly felt or in his mind, understood in a city that demands thug appeal and toughness in lyrics from an artist who claims he doesn’t even know how to throw a punch. His journey to New York brought him the opportunity to expand his form of expression and find an audience willing to listen and grow with him. And although he spent the first five months in the big city finding work from modeling and working retail at the BAPE NY store, his commitment to his craft was undeniable. In between various meetings and extra work, he auditioned to work with some record producers and label executives from Def Jam before he ran into Plain Pat and exchanged numbers. After some good fortune, he convinced Pat to become his manager and help him on his demo which found its way to Pat’s close friend Kanye West, who expressed an immediate interest to sign him to his G.O.O.D Music label after hearing the “Day N Nite Remix” in just about every club around the world. That’s where it begins.

“If you believe in something — like, not just say it and like the idea of it, I mean literally believe and see what you want everytime you close your eyes — then it’s your destiny.”
No one is more respectful of his elders than Mescudi, but honestly, never in the last decade has there been a hip-hop artist so committed to the artistry and message of his work. His energy seems to radiate through each song. But what resonates with each listener is the depth of his lyrics and quality of his observations. “All I can really say is, ‘Listen.’ As simple as that sounds, that’s all that can be done. Try not to think I’m suicidal either — I’m just a brokenhearted, sensitive kid who lost a whole lot before he was even in middle school.” His passion seems to emanate from the implicit loneliness in his transition to the new city, commitment to his beliefs, and the heartbreak he felt when his father passed away in 1995. In fact, he hasn’t even seen the rest of his family since 2004.

“The sky might be falling, but remember you can fly high.”
Looking forward, things seem brighter than ever. In the demise of Chris Brown and awkward success of artists like Flo-Rida who seem to sample just about anything out there, Kid Cudi is a refreshing dose of effort and tag-less, quality lyrics. His self-made teaser trailer for “Sky Might Fall” for the upcoming Transformers movie received so much attention that he is now in talks with the production team behind the movie to actually adapt the song. His influences on Kanye’s “808′s and Heartbreak” album were written in bright bold letters. His status has been acknowledged by just about every urban publication out there and although there was talk about his retirement after his upcoming solo album, “Man on the Moon”, all that has since been squashed. Look out for his album this summer and much more to come.

Click here to download the mixtape “A Kid Named Cudi.” Click here to listen to the mixtape online.