Fresh off the heels of his album Kids See Ghosts with Kanye West, Kid Cudi is giving fans an update on his ongoing battle with depression.
Kid Cudi, born Scott Mescudi, has covered the gamut of emotion in his music over the years. His struggles with depression, maintaining good mental health and learning to go with the flow have dominated much of his work. A recent interview with Billboard gives his stans a closer look into how these issues have affected his process and what it was like working with Yeezy.
This year so far, according to Cudi, has been a good one for the rapper.
"I’m focusing on my art again and throwing myself back into it and wanting to write something with more of a positive outlook on things," he told Billboard. "Because I’ve written the dark so well for so long. I wanted to bring the opposite of that, you know? I’m at a place where I was able to do that."
In 2016, Cudi revealed to the world in a long Facebook post that he struggles with "suicidal urges," anxiety and as well as depression. Fans saw this a call for help. Cudi saw this as a chance to initiate change in his life and march toward a new truth.
That year also was a time of beef between Cudi and 'Ye. He accused the Chicago rapper of using ghostwriters to produce his content, and 'Ye made disparaging comments at him during his Saint Pablo tour. All of the beef seemingly vanished when Cudi appeared on stage with 'Ye in November 2016.
This newfound friendship led to Kids See Ghosts.
"It’s really just for my fans, because I know that they get off on that sh*t," Cudi said of the bold new directions on the album. "They like when I try new stuff. That’s what it has always been about. All my albums have explored so many different sounds from day one. Sonically, we’ve always been, or tried to be, a step ahead of everything that’s out there."
Cudi has carved out a loyal fanbase in a time when SoundCloud rappers and old heads still fighting for relevance. He knows he is blessed to do what he does, and says his success has helped him overcome the darker moments of his life.
"A lot of motherf*ckers never leave home, get the f*cking strength to pack up their sh*t and head out to the unknown. That’s why I like to say I’m the chosen. It’s kind of like a funny thing, but I [do] feel like I’ve been chosen. When I look back at my journey, it’s like everything happened for a reason."
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