Kid Cudi isn’t holding back. In his new book, “Cudi: The Memoir,” the rapper – whose real name is Scott Mescudi – reveals some of the darkest hours early in his career, and how he managed to turn the page.
Retelling dark moments in new memoir
Mescudi grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland. At 11 years old, he lost his dad to cancer. Nearly a decade later, he left his hometown for New York City. There, he met a producer who went by the name Dot da Genius, and was invited to move in with him and his family.
“Dot’s dad is single-handedly responsible for the rise of ‘Kid Cudi,’ you know,” Mescudi said.
Together, Dot and Mescudi changed hip-hop. Mescudi found a unique way to carve out his own identity in the music industry: he was honest.
“You never heard a hip-hop artist say they’re lonely,” explained Mescudi, referring to the lyrics in his hit song “Day ‘n’ Nite,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance.
He was even embraced by Kanye West.
“Standing next to Kanye really, you know, his fame kind of bled into my world. And there was a huge spotlight on me early that I just wasn’t prepared for that,” Mescudi said.
The sudden success was overwhelming, and Mescudi admits he turned to drugs.
“The reason I was doing cocaine was so I could maintain, so I didn’t blow my brains out,” Mescudi said.
In 2016, while in rehab, he suffered a stroke at 32 years old. His doctor told him that because he was young, he could “bounce back from this.” Mescudi left rehab thinking, “If I ever do cocaine again, I’m going to die.” He’s stayed clean ever since.
Testifying in “Diddy” trial
In May, Mescudi returned to New York to testify in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs was acquitted in July of sex trafficking and racketeering, but convicted on prostitution-related counts. He will stay in jail until his sentencing hearing in October.
“It was really hard. I didn’t want to do it. I got subpoenaed,” said Mescudi, recalling he made eye contact with Combs at the time while on the stand.
He told the court that Combs broke into his house in 2011 after finding out he was dating the music mogul’s ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura.
“I knew I was helping Cassie. I just wanted to be there and help her out,” he said, adding, “I know I did the right thing, so that’s all that matters.”
But Mescudi said the backlash to his testimony was swift.
“I had a lot of people that supported me, but there were a few that were — had some opinions about it,” he said. “It was interesting because I’m not no street dude. I don’t live by no code, you know? So I guess it’s because I’m a rapper. People just threw that on me. But, like, my music has never been about that and I have never tried to pretend I was about that.”
Complicated relationship with Kanye
Mescudi’s relationship with Kanye West, now known as Ye, is more complicated. He describes them as “polar opposites” who once worked on the same frequency.
He described their fallout as “really heartbreaking” and says it’s a “sad thing” that their partnership is over.
“I think he has [broken my heart] over and over multiple times,” Mescudi said. “Just the code of friendship. He’s said some things that there’s just no coming back from.”
Specifically, Mescudi mentioned Ye’s disparaging comments about the late Virgil Abloh, his former creative director. Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton and founder of the brand Off-White, collaborated with both Mescudi and Ye.
“Every time he took a dig at Virgil, it just made me super angry. Virgil was an angel to everyone,” said Mescudi, noting that Ye’s remarks continued even after Abloh’s death from cancer at age 41. To Mescudi, there’s no coming back from that.
“I loved Kanye, you know, I really loved him. He was part of my life changing and at some point he was a really good friend, you know. But the man he has become – I just don’t know that guy anymore,” Mescudi said.
Turning the page
But Mescudi is looking ahead to his next chapter in life. He married fashion designer Lola Abecassis Sartore in the South of France in June.
He joyfully recalls the moment his “hands started shaking” as he got down on one knee to propose to her at a temple in Kyoto, Japan, in December 2023.
The achievement that he is most proud of is being the father of 15-year-old Vada Mescudi.
“See me in parent mode or Uncle Scott mode, I’m on fire,” he said.
Kid Cudi’s new book, “Cudi: The Memoir,” is now available.
