(AllHipHop Features) In the music game, artists are inspired by other talented stars, and it’s always best to give influential people their flowers while they can still smell them. Kid Cudi received overwhelming support from his fans and peers when the Cleveland native announced he was checking into rehab for depression.
One of Cudi’s musical scions took it a step further by creating a 6-track project dedicated to the man born Scott Mescudi. With production by Taokescheap, Hassan Khaffaf, Humbeats, Phresh Produce, Pablo Dylan, and Montage, OG Maco’s For Scott… is a collection of heartfelt reflections on the artistry of Kid Cudi.
In part 2 of my conversation with Maco, the 24-year-old Atlanta spitter talks about his appreciation for the creator of the classic album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. The discussion also includes Maco Mattox’s thoughts on his relationship with Hip Hop and the music industry.
[ALSO READ: A Conversation With OG Maco On ‘Blvk Phil Collins’, Inspiring The Colored-Hair Trend & Fan Reaction To His Deep Songs]
@KidCudi is dead ass one of my heroes.
His ascension is long over due.
?????
— #FREEOGMACO (@OGMaco) September 14, 2016
There’s been a lot of conversation about Kid Cudi and what he’s dealing with in his personal life. There has also been a lot of outpouring of support because his music has impacted a lot of people. You’ve said he’s somebody that you look up to as a musical hero.
I wish nothing but the best for Scott. I can’t put a value on how much he touched my life. I honestly cannot. It’s a lot of moments where I wouldn’t have made it without Cudi. He didn’t know it. Even that realization right there helps you keep going. Even this year with [Maco sings] “beautiful morning,” people are really starting their day with that. He’s giving people joy at the darkest time in his life. So I really hope he finds whatever he needs to be happy. I hope he focuses on himself because he did so much for us.
I like to look at people’s social media accounts before I interview them because I feel like that gives a window into their mind. I noticed you had a couple of posts that suggest you’re not really into the rap game or the music industry at the moment. Would you say that’s a fair assessment?
That’s a pretty fair assessment.
What has led you to have that feeling about the business you’re in?
When you come into rap, you know a lot of sh-t is f-cked up. But you never expect to see how f-cked up it is so fast. A lot of people don’t [see it] because they had to grind for years and years. Things slowly happen over time. But for me, it was like I immediately went to the big boy pool. It was like random guy – boom – big boy pool.
People didn’t even give me a lot of time to become a celebrity. I had to go from being me to… this is something that nobody ever did. I was the first of my kind – being me for the whole world. No apologies for it, but at the same time, people held me up to a standard like 2 Chainz or Drake or somebody. They’ve been doing this sh-t forever.
Even people behind the scenes, people who’ve been through the same thing, they’ll even sh-t on you for something so simple when they’ve done the same things. Or watching people who you helped get into situations let something so simple change them into whole different people.
It’s all that kind of sh-t. There’s f-ckery with the business with the sh-t that goes on. It will disillusion you from the passion of the music. Especially when they’re vilifying you for trying to help them.
All that kind of sh-t will f-ck with you when you know you can get money a million other ways. You don’t really care about sh-t as much. You love it the same, but you just don’t care about it as much. I know I do this well, but the things you gotta do to succeed at this… I can’t even be happy with me if I do all that.
I want to ask you about Quentin Miller, but I don’t want to go back because I feel like that story has already been told. But because you guys were friends, or at least associates, before all that happened, do you think that relationship could ever be mended?
That’s with Quentin and whatever the f-ck he got going on. The narrative is pitched like that sh-t happened and me and Quentin never saw each other again. That’s not what the f-ck happened. I’ve seen Quentin at least ten times since then on random passes and at mutual friends’ cribs.
You can only avoid a n-gga but for so long. And I never avoided Quentin. I don’t have no problems with him. I listen to Quentin’s music. Go to my Soundcloud, go to my likes and see how many times you see Quentin Miller in my likes. I listen to “Dodger” all the time. I put hella random and big people onto that sh-t.
I don’t give a f-ck. All these n-ggas is sensitive is what I’m saying. All these rap n-ggas are sensitive as f-ck. All of them act like girls on their f-cking period. Then when their period is off, they want to be friends again. But when their period’s on, it’s like it’s the end of the world. I don’t rock like that. If you’re my n-gga, then you’re my n-gga. If I didn’t want you to die yesterday, I don’t want you to die today.
How long do you think you’re going to stay in this game? Do you have any ambitions to go into another field and leave Hip Hop?
Nah, I think people misconstrue what I’m saying. I’m being prevented from what I need to do here. What amazes me is you see Future go on tour in Europe and he gets a big ass Fader post. Drake goes on tour in Europe and gets a big ass Fader post. AllHipHop and everybody were talking about it.
But I’m about to do my second tour with just as many countries. I’m not going for four or five dates. I go for f-cking sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty f-cking dates at A1 venues. I sell them out. But everybody acts like it didn’t happen. I go to China and do a whole f-cking tour, and everybody acts like it didn’t happen.
They act like I’m trying to find my way or some sh-t. I’m not trying to find sh-t. I really wish people would start asking me about that: Why the f-ck aren’t people giving you the respect they’re supposed to give you?
Everybody wants to ask me questions about Quentin Miller and about my f-cking eye and about random sh-t. But why not ask me how the f-ck I feel about being one of the best n-ggas doing this sh-t and n-ggas not acting like that’s what’s the f-ck’s going on? How about they ask me about that? That’s how I feel.
I’m going to get money regardless. I’m not going to stop getting money from this sh-t because I earned that. But what I’m saying is I’m not in the same pursuit as everybody else. I’m gonna do the same sh-t [Dr.] Dre did. He spent his whole life trying to get a certain amount of money and in one move made more money than he ever made.
That’s what path I’m on. I’m not on this petty ass sh-t. And I’m still going to be the best n-gga doing this sh-t at the end of the day.
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