Kid Cudi

Kanye West's 'Cruel Summer' Premieres In Cannes

23 May 2012 21:06:33 EDT

Kid Cudi tells MTV News watching himself on seven screens simultaneously during 30-minute film 'was weird! But it was dope.'
By Alicia Malone

CANNES, France — Kanye West is nothing if not ambitious. The rapper/designer/mogul has added a few more slashes to his name, as producer, writer and director of the experimental short film "Cruel Summer," which had its premiere during a splashy party Wednesday night during the Cannes Film Festival.

The 30-minute short, inspired by West's upcoming G.O.O.D. Music compilation of the same name, was projected onto seven screens inside a tented pyramid, designed to give viewers a fully immersive experience. "Cruel Summer" stars G.O.O.D. artist Kid Cudi as a car thief who falls for a blind Arabian princess. The seven screens alternately come on and off, sometimes showing different angles of one shot, other times acting as an extended wide screen, complete with a ceiling and floor. This means the audience looks around them at the images, instead of staring straight ahead, which, as Kanye explained in a speech, was to reflect real life.

"It related to a post-Steve Jobs, post-Windows era, where we're always on our BlackBerry in a ball game or at the movies," West said. "I was very particular about having the screens separate, where your mind puts the screens back together, the way you put memories together. I'm not the best director in the world, but I had an idea that I thought would be amazing to inspire people, like a dream of one day this being the way people watch movies. You know, [Quentin] Tarantino doing a movie like this or a horror movie like this, animation, 3-D ... in this form that surrounds you. People want to go back and see it more and more because they missed something to their left or to their right, and it feels more like the experience of life."

"Cruel Summer" plays like an extended music video, in a similar way to 'Ye's 2010 online film for "Runaway," with sparse dialogue and striking slow-motion images set to a rocking soundtrack. The music is provided by various G.O.O.D. artists, many of whom make cameos in the film, and there's a super quick appearance by comedian Aziz Ansari.

Among the celebrity names attending the premiere party at the Palm Beach Club were Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian and Kid Cudi, who told MTV News the experience of watching himself on seven screens was surreal.

"It was weird! But it was dope," Cudi said. "I'm nervous, just like with anything I do, with people watching, but I'm really proud of it. I'm happy that Kanye had me as part of it. It's so humbling. He's a genius, he's the best, the illest ... you can quote me on that!"

"Cruel Summer" was co-directed by Alexandre Moors, who previously worked with 'Ye on the videos for "Runaway" and "N---as in Paris." The script was based on a screenplay by Elon Rutberg, and it was shot entirely in Qatar in the Middle East.

"We were literally shooting in Qatar less than a month ago," West said. "It was the most impossible feat, all odds were against us having this moment, showing this at Cannes. The reason why I went so hard is that this is my goal. What I want to do post-Grammys is I want to change entertainment experiences. Like if [late fashion designer Alexander] McQueen or [director] Tarsem [Singh] was to meet the entertainment value of Cirque du Soleil or Walt Disney. We're going to bring it to New York to Qatar and re-edit it ... so you guys are seeing the rough draft of this concept."

Although the world premiere of "Cruel Summer" coincided with the Cannes Film Festival, it is not in competition or part of the official screenings. The film is now open to the public in Cannes until May 25.

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Kanye West, Kid Cudi Working On Video Project In Middle East?

25 Apr 2012 12:41:15 EDT

Sources say Kanye is filming 'top-secret' project in Qatar.
By Jocelyn Vena

Kanye West and Kid Cudi seem to be up to something. The two are rumored to be shooting a video project in the Middle East, in Qatar.

Kanye and a film crew were spotted in the nation late last week, outside the capital of Doha in Education City. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the country's Doha Film Institute is helping back the project. And according to student sightings, Kanye, along with desert animals like camels, was spotted on set. Other sources say that locals were used as extras and that they were dressed in a "culturally sensitive" manner.

A source said that the project will be similar to Yeezy's 2010 short film, "Runaway," which was released in the lead-up to his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

"It's going to be approximately 30 minutes long, in between a long-form music video and short film," the source said. "Kanye conceived the story, which is set in the Gulf. It's supposed to showcase the beauty of the region, a piece that's culturally sensitive and embraces the customs and traditions of the region."

Further information about Cudi's role in the flick wasn't given, which seems to be the way the rapper wants it. An eyewitness told the Doha News that "the whole thing was pretty top-secret."

The video shoot comes as fans are eagerly anticipating the release of Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music compilation, which may coincide with the release of this super-secret short film. And with Kid Cudi appearing on the album, it would make sense for the two to be doing something together.

While there is still no release date for the G.O.O.D. album, Mannie Fresh shared that it's all "pretty close" to finished. "The cool thing about G.O.O.D. Music is it's a bunch of great ideas and I'm one of those ideas," he explained. "[Kanye's] trying to find the most talented producers, most talented artists, put 'em all in a room and say, 'Go for it. Y'all energy, like whatever is creative to y'all.' "

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Kid Cudi Says WZRD Success Proves There's 'Method To My Madness'

12 Mar 2012 18:21:58 EDT

Cudi tells MTV News joint project's #3 chart debut is the best response to 'naysayers and people that didn't really believe in it.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias

To call Kid Cudi's WZRD's a passion project would be an understatement of downright sorcerous proportions. From the moment he and producer/bandmate Dot da Genius conceived the idea of making a rock record — which recently inspired a spate of irate tweets accusing his label of failing to support said record — Cudi hasn't exactly been shy about expressing his feelings about the band, its self-titled album or the success they've had in spite of pretty much everything.

"We were recording the last Man on the Moon album at Cudi's house, and we just finished 'Trapped in my Mind,' which is the last song on the album," Dot explained to MTV News last week. "Cudi wanted to implement guitar. So we got a guitar in the building, he picked it up, started playing and fell in love immediately. And, like a week later, I went back to his house and he was like, 'Yo, we got to do this.' "

"I was like, 'Let's start a band,' " Cudi laughed. " 'It's going to be called WZRD and it's going to be awesome and it's going to sell 70,000-plus records its first week, with no promo.' "

And, yes, that last jab is pretty telling. Because though Cudi backtracked a bit on his previous assessments of Universal Republic's promotional efforts for WZRD, he's still clearly enjoying proving everyone wrong. And those first-week sales figures (and #3 debut, the highest of any new album last week) are only adding to that enjoyment.

"I think it definitely proves a point, that there was a method to my madness, that the kids are out there and they want the music. It's just like a that's-what-I-f---ing thought-type of thing," he said. "Not just to the label or whatever — I'm not going to say the label had no faith in the project — just kind of to the naysayers and people that didn't really believe in it.

"It's not Man on the Moon numbers, but, sh-- man, it's more than we thought," he continued. "To debut at #3 on the charts, that's dope, that's some Man on the Moon sh--. I debuted #3 last album and #4 on the first album, so, you know, it's dope."

What do you think of the WZRD album? Share your reviews in the comments!

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Kid Cudi Accuses Label Of Under-Shipping WZRD LP

29 Feb 2012 13:18:14 EST

'They treated this like some indie side project,' Cudders tweets about new joint project with Dot da Genius.
By Rob Markman

Kid Cudi has been known to rage against the machine, so it came as no surprise when he blasted his label for their handling of his newly released group LP WZRD. The collaborative album between Cudi and "Day 'n' Nite" producer Dot da Genius hit stores on Tuesday — but some fans just might find it a little hard to find.

"Ok so just a heads up, my weak ass label only shipped 55k physicals cuz they treated this like some indie side project tax [write-off]," Cudi tweeted on Tuesday, lashing out at Universal Republic. "So its def gonna be tough to find one in the stores guys, I'm sorry about that."

With its rock feel, the album is a bit of a departure from the Kid Cudi sound fans became familiar with on his first two albums, Man on the Moon: The End of Day and Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. 2009's MOTM earned Cudi a gold plaque and the second installment sold a solid 169,000 copies its first week out in 2010. To the G.O.O.D. Music singer/rapper, WZRD is no throwaway project. Cudi has high hopes for the LP and the next single, "Teleport 2 Me, Jamie."

"Im lettin Universal Republic have it, f--- it. What they gon' do, spank me?? Hahahaha," Cudi wrote as he went off about the lack of radio support the LP has received. "AND Teleport 2 Me, Jamie aint on the radio!!!! like helloooooooooo????? HIT HIT HIT!!!"

On the day of the album's release, even Cudders had a hard time finding a copy, since Universal Republic, he claimed, never sent him a finished version. Or maybe it just got lost in the mail, but after a little hunting he was able to make a purchase. "Bought a couple albums today, mine included, feeling good feelin great," he tweeted. "I cant believe I just finished my 3rd studio album! wild yo."

What do you think of Kid Cudi and Dot da Genuis' WZRD LP? Tell us in the comments or on our Facebook page!

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Kid Cudi 'Broke Down' Over Fan Ben Breedlove's Death

29 Dec 2011 11:52:45 EST

Teenager who posted YouTube videos about his heart condition died on Christmas Day.
By Andrea Duncan-Mao

Kid Cudi wrote on his blog that he "broke down" over the death of Ben Breedlove, an 18-year-old fan from Austin, Texas, who suffered a fatal heart attack on Christmas Day.

Cudi heard about Breedlove after a pair of YouTube videos the fan made went viral before his death. In the videos, Breedlove silently holds up cards that tell the story of living with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a disease that causes the heart muscles to enlarge, making it difficult to pump blood properly. He says he "cheated death" three times: the most recent time in early December when EMTs used shock pads on his chest after his heart stopped. He described a vision of being in a white room and being with his "favorite rapper, Kid Cudi" wearing white suits and feeling "happy and peaceful" and he "couldn't stop smiling." He ended his videos with a card that read "Do you believe in God and angels? I do."

After watching the videos, Kid Cudi wrote: "I am so sad about Ben Breedlove. I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I cant describe, this is why I do what I do."

Cudi went on to say, "To Ben's family, you raised a real hero, he's definitely mine. You have my love."

Breedlove's parents released an obituary in the Austin American-Statesman on Thursday (December 29) referencing the videos and writing, "Now the world has come to know our Ben. He was a genius at using the Internet to reach and influence his peers. ... In the weeks prior to his death, he had faced some scary situations with his health, but had been given an amazing gift that he was determined to share; first with us, his family, and then, not surprisingly (and generously) with his YouTube audience."

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Wale, Kid Cudi 'Focused' On Friendship For New Collabo

22 Aug 2011 17:24:39 EDT

Ambition track brings duo back together after calling a truce on Twitter.
By Alvin Blanco

NEW YORK — Wale and Kid Cudi's reconciliation will be certified with a new song. The Maybach Music Group rapper's sophomore album, Ambition, is dropping November 1 and will include a song called "Focused," which features Cudi.

While previewing his album for select media outlets, Wale dropped hints about the collaborator — a friend of his that lived in Brooklyn while he was living in SoHo — on the song he was about to play last.

"We're 23 years old at this time, we're trying to figure it all out," Wale told MTV News. "We went from not having sh-- to having money at our disposal, so it kind of f---ed up our friendship. He doesn't smoke as much anymore, but his name is Scott."

That "Scott" is Scott Mescudi, a.k.a. Kid Cudi. The two rappers started gaining notoriety in the hip-hop world almost simultaneously a few years ago, with Wale even appearing on "Is There Any Love," a bonus track from Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of Day debut. However, the pair had an infamous falling-out, which, according to Wale, was rooted in a lack of communication.

"The last time me and him spoke was Governor's Island maybe three years ago," Wale said. "It was a weird exchange. ... When you don't talk to somebody for a long time and you see them on TV and you're trying to figure them out through music ... we bumped into each other, and we spoke, and it was just weird. It was already animosity for me, because I was like, 'Yo, this is my guy and it's just weird now.' Just weird.

"I can't say that word enough," Wale continue. "So [later on], it was Drake's birthday party in D.C.; he was there. I'm getting off the elevator and I see him. So he was like, 'What's up?' I was like, 'What's up?' And that was it. Next thing I see is the Complex interview. That was maybe like a year after that."

After that Complex interview, many thought the two would never be friends again. Nevertheless, earlier this year, they reconciled via Twitter. Wale recalled not believing it was Cudi who called him to make up before their Twitter truce.

"The main reason why I didn't believe it was him was because his voice was really light, and I remember it always being raspy," Wale said. "He was like, 'I don't smoke weed anymore, bro. My voice is changing. I'm about to hit you on Twitter right now. This is really me. I saw it was him. I was like, 'Sup, man, how you been?' He said, 'I been good, man. I just wanted to get right to it: I know I've been acting kind of f---ed up and weird,' and this that and a third and all that other personal sh--. He threw that out there, and we just made amends. The next morning, he called me like, 'I just wanted to let you know I wasn't high or anything when I called you. I really meant it.' "

Wale then further extended the olive branch by saying he had a track he felt Cudi would be perfect for. "I never really thought we capitalized off what we had," Wale said. "I sent him the beat, and we made this record I've been trying so hard to keep for myself for a long time."

"Focused" features Wale rapping, with Cudi supplying a chorus in his sing-song, Mr. Solo Dolo type of delivery over a synth-loaded uptempo track.

"It's a testament to where I am lyrically, spiritually, all of that, because this song almost never happened, as y'all know," Wale said of "Focused." "It feels like the record that 'Is There Any Love' was supposed to be. When they kept talking about me and Cudi in every magazine, this is the record I felt like they needed to hear — the one that everybody was going to get behind, and it was going to go top 40 and not be corny. This is like the best top 40 non-cheesy record that you're ever going to hear in your life. That's how I feel about it."

Wale recently dropped a new mixtape called The Eleven One Eleven Theory, which temporarily crashed Hulkshare's site upon its release. The project features a song called "Chain Music," that will also be on Ambition.

What are you expecting from Wale and Cudi's collabo? Let us know in the comments!

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Kid Cudi 'Fully Focused' On 'How To Make It'

20 Jul 2011 17:07:22 EDT

HBO co-stars Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk talk to Mixtape Daily.
By Rob Markman

Celebrity Favorites: Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk

Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi has already mastered music. Next up: acting. According to his "How to Make It in America" co-stars Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk, fans will see Cudi's onscreen growth in season two of the HBO series.

"He has his head on straight. He really saw what an amazing opportunity this was," Greenberg told MTV News on the set of "How to Make It." "My hat goes off to him because he is fully focused, and they wrote a lot more for him this season."

Cudi, who plays party guy Domingo in the New York-based series, had a limited role in the first season, but Rasuk promises fans they will see more of the lonely stoner when the show returns to HBO this fall. "Definitely, for sure, Kid Cudi stepped up on season two on all different levels," he said. "He definitely has a lot more, and his character is involved a lot more."

Though he has given Mescudi acting advice, Greenberg takes no credit for the work the G.O.O.D. Music artist has put in, and Greenberg, who has a musical side himself, picked up quite a bit from Cudi in the studio. "I learned from him on the music tip when he came in and did that track for me, 'You Can Run.' It was on my record," Greenberg said of the song that appeared on his 2011 album, We Don't Have Forever. "It was just amazing because I thought he was going to come in and rap, and he just came in and started singing, and I was like, 'OK.' And then I heard it back, and I'm like, 'Awesome.' "

Fans of the show shouldn't expect Cudi's musical influence to rub off on Rasuk, however. "I'm a fan. I have no music," he said. "I can dance though."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Shia LaBeouf Explains His Kid Cudi Connection

24 Jun 2011 06:53:05 EDT

'Transformers' star says he ended up directing Cudi's 'Maniac' and 'Marijuana' videos because of mutual friend Cage.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

From the outside looking in, the friendship and working partnership that actor Shia LaBeouf and rapper Kid Cudi have established recently seems only slightly unlikely. However, upon closer examination of Cudi's track record in working with Hollywood types, and LaBeouf's relationship with "Maniac" featured performer Cage, their collaborations on two of Cudi's videos, "Maniac" and "Marijuana," isn't that unexpected.

When MTV News caught up with LaBeouf recently as he promoted "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," we asked the aspiring director how the Cudi/Cage/LaBeouf magic began with music, and how it ended with a trip to Amsterdam's infamous Cannabis Cup.

"[Cage] is one of my good friends. Cage, Chris Palko, and I had been trying to make a movie about him for a while," LaBeouf explained. "Cudi hit [Cage] up and did a song with him. Cage sent me the song, called 'Maniac,' so initially, we started prepping this video, which is really like a short horror movie that I made that comes out on Halloween," he said. "In the interim, while we were finishing up the effects on it, [Cudi] told me he was going to Amsterdam for the Cannabis Cup."

LaBeouf jumped at the chance to continue working with Cudi, and joked that a trip to the legendary land where cannabis is legal was too good to pass up.

"It's as big as Spielberg," he said with a laugh. "It is for a 25-year-old male who has all these crazy fantasies about Amsterdam, which every male my age has, there's that college trip you always want to take," he admitted. "And to do that with Cudi when he's a judge, and I get to roll with him with my 8mm camera [like] an 'Easy Rider' documentarian, I felt like Cameron Crowe or something."

Despite all the references to the drug, that trip and the clip that came from it are Cudi's send-off to smoking weed.

"It was almost like an R.I.P. video to my whole smoking career," Cudi told MTV News of the "Marijuana" clip earlier this month.

What do you think of Shia teaming up with Kid Cudi? Let us know in the comments!

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Kid Cudi 'Stepped Up' His Acting On 'How To Make It In America'

14 Jun 2011 17:30:17 EDT

'This season, my character has a lot more depth than the first season,' Cudi tells MTV News of HBO show.
By Rob Markman

Scott Kid Cudi Mescudi made his acting debut last year as party animal Domingo Brown on HBO's "How to Make It In America." While he was satisfied with his performance, this year, he aims to make strides.

"This season, my character has a lot more depth than the first season, and one of the things that I really took seriously was preparing. I got an acting coach; I wanted to step it up," Cudi told MTV News after filming a scene for season two. "With anything that I'm doing, I always want to take it to the next level — whether it's music or acting."

The first step toward the G.O.O.D. Music rapper/singer's acting growth was to review tape, similar to how professional athletes analyze game film. "One thing that I did, I studied the first season, I studied my performance. I knew that I was gonna get a lot more this season," he said. "I wanted to deliver. I wanted to make the people at HBO happy. I wanted to make my management happy."

Cudi also kept his series co-stars in mind using Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk as motivation to get better. "I wanted to be able to step on the camera with cats like Victor and Bryan Greenberg, who are pros at this sh--, guys who have been doing it for years, and to be able to do a scene with those guys and maintain and really deliver with the focus. I really feel like I stepped it up a whole lot, and I'm excited to see it."

The budding thespian may have to wait a few more weeks to watch: As of now, the series is rumored to begin airing during the summer with no specific date announced yet. When season two does eventually air, fans can expect to see Cudi's Domingo with an expanded role and a little more depth.

"The biggest lesson I've learned, I guess, is just the focus part of it, transforming into this character," he said. "First season, my character was in six out of eight episodes, and I kinda popped up and I was here and there, and my character was more perceived as the party guy. But I really did what I could with the first [season] without having many skills."

Are you looking forward to the return of "How to Make It in America"? Let us know in the comments!

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Kid Cudi Talks Growth, New Single And Quitting Drugs

06 Jun 2011 12:25:33 EDT

'I like myself better off drugs ... it's about becoming mature,' Cudi tells MTV News about recording after giving up marijuana.
By Rob Markman

Kid Cudi doesn't care what you think about his music — he likes it and that's that! Last week, Cudders dropped his new Dot Da Genius-produced single, "Perfect Is the Word," and it was quite different from what some fans were used to getting from the Cleveland representative.

"I'm very proud of it; it's something that a year ago I wouldn't have ever imagined that I'd be able to do. It's different, I get that," Cudi told MTV News while on the set of his HBO show, "How to Make It in America." "Some people are going to get it, some people aren't. That's cool. I just don't really give a f--- who does and who doesn't. I mean, I care about the people that do, because that means, alright cool, there some people who have an open mind, who are smart and who get art." The "Day N Nite" star has been transcending the lines of rap music with each new release, and on his latest song, Cudi goes for a distinctively dark rock feel. He is especially proud of the fact that he was able to play the guitar on the track and deliver something worth recording. "It's just some people who are very one-track minded. The world that I am coming from, hip-hop, is so regurgitated and repetitive that some people are used to that and they don't want change, they don't like change," Cudi maintained. "And I get that, that's cool. Luckily for me, I'm confident in myself as an artist where I can do what I want, and as long as I'm cool with it, I'm cool with it." "Perfect Is the Word" is the first track from Cudi and Dot Da Genius' upcoming Wizard album, and while the song is different, it isn't the only change that the musician has exhibited this year. In February, the G.O.O.D. Music artist took to Twitter to announce that he was leaving the Dream On label, which he launched back in 2009 with partners Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds and producer Emile Haynie. He also assured fans that he was still with Kayne West's G.O.O.D. Music. That wasn't all, though: In April, Cudi revealed that he'd quit smoking marijuana on his Tumblr page. The rapper, who used to call himself the Lonely Stoner, now is experiencing a bit of backlash, but he remains undeterred and is pleased with his new material. "There were a lot of write-ups where people were just sh--ting on it and there were a lot of people who were like, 'We liked you better when you were on drugs,' " he said with disappointment. "It's kinda like, 'Man, OK, well you weren't a fan to begin with so f--- you,' and I like myself better off drugs. So it's about me and it's about evolving and it's about change. It's about becoming a man; it's about becoming mature." Ultimately, Kid Cudi just wants room to grow. "Ten years from now I'm going look at my discography and I'm gonna be proud of it," he said. "I don't want to be 10 years from now looking at my discography, like, 'Man, I was a f---ing knucklehead when I made that.' " What do you think of Kid Cudi's post-marijuana work so far? Share your opinions in the comments.

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