Kid Cudi

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( KUDD-ee), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition following the release of his song "Day 'n' Nite." Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fan base, soon catching the attention of high-profile rapper Kanye West—who subsequently signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label imprint by 2008.Read More

With "Day 'n' Nite" issued as its lead single, he released his debut studio album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009) to critical and commercial success, receiving quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album included the follow-up singles "Make Her Say" (featuring Kanye West and Common) and "Pursuit of Happiness" (featuring MGMT and Ratatat), the latter received diamond certification (10x platinum) by the RIAA. His second album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010) received platinum certification and spawned the singles "Erase Me" (featuring Kanye West) and "Mr. Rager." Later that year, he formed the rock band WZRD with long-time collaborator and producer Dot da Genius; their eponymous debut album (2012) debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart.Cudi then released his self-produced third album Indicud (2013), which was certified gold by the RIAA and spawned the platinum-certified single "Just What I Am" (featuring King Chip). He would depart from GOOD Music after its release, following up with the experimental and tepidly-received avant-garde albums Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014) and Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven (2015), the latter was led by the grunge-inspired single "Confused!". His sixth album, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' (2016) saw an improvement in critical reception and was supported by the lead single "Surfin'" (featuring Pharrell Williams). Cudi later formed the duo Kids See Ghosts with former label boss West in 2018, releasing their eponymous collaborative album in June of that year to widespread critical acclaim. In April 2020, Cudi earned his first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with the single "The Scotts" (with Travis Scott), foreseeing the release of his seventh album, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (2020) to commercial resurgence and favorable reception. Cudi released his eighth album, Entergalactic (2022) to coincide with his adult animated special of the same name, both of which were critically praised. His ninth album, Insano, was released on January 12, 2024.

Outside of recording, Cudi has launched his own vanity labels: The now-defunct Dream On, and his label imprint since 2011, Wicked Awesome Records. Cudi ventured into acting with the HBO series How to Make It in America in 2010, and has since appeared in numerous feature films: Goodbye World (2013), Need for Speed (2014), Entourage (2015), Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020), Don't Look Up (2021), and X (2022). In addition, he has made appearances on television shows such as One Tree Hill, The Cleveland Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Westworld. In 2015, he was the bandleader on the IFC series Comedy Bang! Bang! and in 2020 was added as a cast member for the HBO mini-series We Are Who We Are. In 2020, he launched Mad Solar, a production company for film and television, which produced a documentary titled A Man Named Scott (2021), storying Cudi's music career. In fashion and modeling, Cudi has notably partnered with Giuseppe Zanotti, Virgil Abloh, Bape, Coach, Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Levi's, on multiple campaigns and collaborations. Cudi launched his own clothing line in 2022.

Kid Cudi has been widely recognized as an influence on numerous contemporary hip hop and alternative acts. His lyrics are often autobiographical, describing childhood hardships of depression, loneliness and alienation; his struggle with alcohol and drugs into adulthood and themes of spirituality, heartbreak, dissipation and celebration. The majority of his impact stems from his ability to display vulnerability and address bouts with mental health. He is also noted for his experimental nature, combining elements of psychedelia, R&B, electronica, synthpop, dance, house, punk and indie rock in his music. Cudi has sold over 22 million units domestically and has won two Grammy Awards from five nominations. He has worked with prominent artists spanning numerous genres in the music industry, namely Jay-Z, Drake, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, David Guetta, Shakira, Ariana Grande, and Michael Bolton, among others.