Many mainstream Hip-Hop fans will credit Kanye
West as the king of abstract [Ed. Note: no disrespect to Q-Tip]. But in reality
Scott Mescudi p/k/a Kid Cudi
may be one of the reasons why Kanye West’s G.O.O.D.
Music may reach the level of its founder’s success. West has openly admitted to being inspired by the Cleveland
born MC who is fast becoming one of Hip-Hop’s rising stars. While out in the UK with
the Glow in the Dark Tour, we caught up with the 23-year old and got him to
speak on riding for Kanye West, why he wanted to
actually be on the front of that magazine cover and beefing with Consequence,
amongst other things. All while prepping to blow up in ’09.
AllHipHop.com: Did you expect your song “Day ‘N’ Nite” to take off like it has?
Kid
Cudi: I kind of did and I kind of didn’t. I
remember when I recorded it, I told my homeboy ‘O Dot who produced the track,
“This is going to be a number one track in some country, I don’t know what
country but it’s going to take off in some country,” and he was like, “I don’t know
about all that, maybe. It is a good record but number one?”
I believed in the
track but it was still kind of on that street dreaming kind of level, like in
my dreams I wish this will happen, I wish this record will take off and it
actually ended up blowing up and not because of any label or like an investment
or big corporations pushing it, but because it just organically created a buzz
on it’s own. That’s the best feeling that people naturally just took to the
record, they connected to it someway and it’s overwhelming and crazy but it’s
also a dream come true.
AllHipHop.com: When you say number one is some country, did you not
anticipate America taking to it?
Kid
Cudi: Well, yeah because it was different. I
really felt like no one in America was really going to rock with it and then I
started to have doubts about putting it out because I rather be known as an MC
but I was worried if I put this out first then they wouldn’t see me as an MC
because I was singing. That was me just being self conscious about what people
would think and ultimately I decided “f**k that” and did what I wanted to.
AllHipHop.com: Kind of like the Kanye
West mentality?
Kid
Cudi: Yeah but this was pre 808 &
Heartbreaks and pre-Graduation, pre-“Stronger.” I recorded this song a really long time ago. I
recorded this song pre anything that was next level in Hip-Hop especially from
anybody who was on an underground level. Me and my producer
were always ahead of the curve when it came to trying new stuff in the
underground scene. I’ve always been trying to expand because I’ve always felt
being that I’m from Cleveland and Cleveland isn’t recognized as a place for
Hip-Hop, that I really needed to step it up if I ever wanted to make myself
known and if I ever wanted to have an impact on music.
I felt like I really
needed to create something that people could really feel. I did trial and
errors and worked things out and I’ve kind of found my vibe, though I’m always
still creating and I like to reinvent myself with every song.
AllHipHop.com: Kanye has said in interviews that you inspire him
that must feel pretty great?
Kid
Cudi: Yeah, yeah… It’s dope because Kanye has really been helping out and really been
supportive. It’s overwhelming how supportive he’s been. It’s like people always
have negative things to say about him and like now all those negative things
people say about him, I take that s**t personally. I’m like, “Nah, your wrong,
this dude is seriously cool.”
AllHipHop.com: So you think he is misunderstood?
Kid
Cudi: Yeah. But I guess everybody’s going to
be misunderstood if you’re on some other s**t. If you’re not doing what
everyone else is doing then your going to be misunderstood. People are going to
wonder why you’re trying to be different; it’s just a natural instinct. If I was to walk down the street in a kilt then dudes would
wonder why I’m doing that, they’d think I was different or that I was gay or
something because I’m walking down the street with a kilt on. It’s just a
natural instinct for people in this world to judge people and to point fingers.
That’s my whole reason for trying to switch things up, don’t judge a book by
it’s cover.
My background is not
a typical background of [a] Hip-Hop MC. I didn’t grow up in the projects. I
grew up in a single family home in a middle class suburb; that doesn’t mean
that I didn’t have any hardships but to me it’s not about that and my music is
about the future and where we trying to take it and it’s about what I go
through day to day. What my mind is thinking and hopefully it can touch other
people and help them out.
AllHipHop.com: Have you felt misunderstood or experienced
that in the music industry?
Kid
Cudi: Yeah, a lot. I mean from all angles.
Some people just don’t want to see change but at this point in time and the way
the world is right now; people are looking for change and people are more open
to change. People are more hopeful for something new in music and even with the
bigger picture like with Obama. Overall the world is changing. So now people
are more open minded to things that they weren’t so open minded to, say, ten
years ago.
AllHipHop.com: You recorded the “Day ‘N’ Nite” when you were not
in a great place emotionally, is that true?
Kid
Cudi: Yeah. I was going through a lot of
stuff at the time in my life and so I felt like I needed to write those things
down just to get them off my chest. I wasn’t really thinking about making a hit
record or anything like that, I was just making the song to get my feelings
out. That was where I was at mentally at the time when I created the song and
it turned out being a really dope song.
Kid Cudi Vs Crookers
“Day ‘N’ Nite” Video
AllHipHop.com: And how did you feel about the Crookers remix? What was your initial reaction when you
first heard it? ?
Kid
Cudi:?I immediately loved
it. I thought they did an amazing job. I was blown away actually. I didn’t
think it was going to be as ill as it was. Before I heard it I was thinking, “Aah it’s techno so it’s going to be all cheesy,” but it
came out really f**king ill so I loved it.
AllHipHop.com: Even though the Crookers
are from Italy, the sound of the track is a lot like what is coming out of the
UK grime and bass-line scenes at the moment. Are you a fan of those genres? ?
Kid
Cudi:?Now
I’m familiar withthem. I think it’s dope and that’s what music’s about; crossing over into
different worlds and hitting them with something new and different and I’ve
done that so I’m excited and happy to see where we take it from here on out.
?
AllHipHop.com: You were chosen by XXL Magazine as one of the
top ten “Freshman” to watch out for in 2009. That’s a
great look…
Kid
Cudi:?It was an honor, but at
the same time, I felt like there is a lot of politics with it. It was
definitely dope being recognized. It was a lot of fun as we all got interviewed
at the same time and a lot of those guys I had never met before, so I had the
pleasure of meeting them and got the chance to hang out and talk to them which
was really cool…
AllHipHop.com: You say politics? What exactly do you mean?
Kid
Cudi:? Yeah politics… Me and my life, I’m all about facts and what’s fair and
what’s right. Music doesn’t work that way [laughs]. For example you have two
artists both crazy talented but one has more attention on him, they are going
to rock with the artist that has more attention on him at that particular time
because that’s just how it is.
AllHipHop.com: So you felt you didn’t get the attention you
deserved?
Kid
Cudi:? No, I got attention but
I’m never satisfied. I’ll keep it real; I felt I should have been on the front
page. I think all ten of us artists that were being recognized should have been
on the front page. I don’t think they should have split it like front page,
second page, third page… I felt like we all should
have been on the front page or at least I feel I should have been on that front
page. I don’t know how everybody else feels. I just know that I felt like I
should have been on that front page, not because I’m cocky or anything like
that but because I deserve it, I deserve everything I get because I’ve worked
hard for it.
It’s just politics;
they didn’t put me on that cover because I didn’t have a major deal. That’s
just what it was. That’s my opinion. I don’t have nothing
against XXL, I know the game. I
probably shouldn’t be even saying this but day by day, every interview I do,
90% of the time I never say what I want to say. So f**k it.
I’m going to say what I want to say and I felt like I should have been on that
cover and not when you open it up, all up in the crease and s**t man. If you read
the round table interview I’m one of the one’s doing most of the talking; me and Wale.
I have a lot to say
and for a reason. I’m passionate about my work, I’m
passionate about my craft and where I can take it. Don’t get me wrong, I felt
like everyone in that room deserved to be treated like number one. I’m not
saying I’m better than anybody. We all deserved to be number one, we all
deserved that shot to shine and be in that same position on that front cover.
We were all recognized for the same reason. See I just don’t like the politics.
AllHipHop.com: Any UK acts that you like?
Kid
Cudi: I actually spoke to Dizzee
Rascal at the Glow In The Dark Tour. He came backstage. He was so cool, I know
about his work and when I think of Dizzee Rascal,
he’s the only MC I really know from the UK so when I met him, I was like, “Oh
s**t it’s Dizzee Rascal” [laughs]. DJ Semtex [BBC 1xtra] hooked us up; we exchanged numbers so
hopefully we’ll do some stuff together, guest spots and all that. We’ll
definitely work it out. He’s dope. He’s got something to say too. M.I.A came to
the states and she blew up, he will too. People just need to stop hating man.
Obviously it’s a different type of sound, even if it’s just because of his
accent but so what? People from the South that you can’t even understand are
making worldwide hits. People just need to be open minded. Dizzee
Rascal is someone who should be on that XXL
cover. Seriously.
AllHipHop.com: What can you tell us about your forthcoming
album?
Kid
Cudi: I’ve been telling everybody it’s going
to be the most magnificent and creative album of 2009 and that’s just what it
is [laughs]. I’m not going to say it’s the greatest album of our time, I’m not
going to say it’s the greatest album ever because hopefully somebody comes out
and tries to top that and hopefully does top it. That’s what it’s all about; stepping it up, stepping it up, stepping it up. I want to
surpass the first album when I come out with my second album.
But of 2009 I’m
really trying to push the envelope and it’s going to be a really amazing album.
People who love “Day ‘N’ Nite” and people who like my mixtape – they ain’t
heard s**t yet! Once they hear the album…just be f**king ready. It’s going to
be some real, real, real next level s**t.
AllHipHop.com: The album of course is coming out on G.O.O.D.
Music. How did you link up with Kanye West in the
first flace?
Kid
Cudi: My manger Plain Pat kind of made that
situation happen indirectly. He would occasionally play stuff for Kanye and eventually he was just out at a couple of places;
I remember one story where he was out with Jay-Z at a club and the remix came
on, or he was out in Paris and he just heard it at some club he was at.
Everywhere he went it was like the song was just following him and he always
liked the record but he was like, “Man, what’s Cud’s situation?”
I know G.O.O.D. Music
already had some artists so I never really tried to pitch myself to Kanye, it was just a mutual situation like, “Hey what’s good?” He always supported our s**t but we
didn’t have no label situation, we was still trying to figure things out and
G.O.O.D. Music was the only thing that made sense. Being a part of something
like that is epic for me. I’ma play my part and I’m
definitely trying to make history with Kanye and
G.O.O.D. Music and everybody involved with the label. The other artists are
really trying to take it there like Mr. Hudson, Big Sean, Consequence, Bentley,
Really Doe, Tony Williams, GLC – we’re all trying to just step it up and
take it to the next level. So I’m excited to see what we’re going to do.
AllHipHop.com: I saw a video that
fellow G.O.O.D Music artist Consequence made that seemed to be going at you?
Kid Cudi: Yeah it was about me but everything is cool now. But for
the record, I didn’t do anything wrong. He misunderstood something that
happened but everything is cool now.
AllHipHop.com: So everything is good within the camp…
Kid
Cudi: We’re
a movement, we’re all cool. Even Mr. Hudson
who is coming from a whole different place – he still has his spot in
G.O.O.D. Music. We’re all on each other, we all kick it. It’s like a family now for real and I’m
happy to be a part of something like that. I’m going to be the first artist to
spearhead the new G.O.O.D. Music so I’m excited about that too. It’s a lot of
pressure, but I’m not worried about that because I know I’m gone have my s**t
ready [laughs].
