Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi is the stage name of Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 30, 1984. He grew up in Shaker Heights and Solon, in a family tied to music, education, work, and service. His mother, Elsie Harriet Banks, was a school choir teacher. His father, Lindberg Styles Mescudi, was a house painter, substitute teacher, and World War II Air Force veteran of African-American and Mexican descent. When Cudi was 11, his father died of cancer, a loss that had a strong effect on his personality and his music.

Cudi first began rapping in 2003, near the end of high school, inspired by alternative hip-hop groups such as the Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest. After leaving Cleveland in 2005 with $500 and a demo tape, he moved to New York City to pursue music. He stayed with his uncle, jazz drummer Kalil Madi, in the South Bronx, worked in Manhattan clothing stores, and later shared an apartment in Brooklyn with friend and collaborator Dot da Genius. His rise belonged to the MySpace and music-blog moment: he first gained wide attention after posting “Day ’n’ Nite” online, where it became a hit.

That song led Cudi to work with producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie on his first full-length project, the mixtape A Kid Named Cudi, released in 2008. The project helped him build a fanbase and drew the attention of Kanye West, who signed him to GOOD Music by late 2008. His debut studio album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, arrived in 2009 with “Day ’n’ Nite” as its lead single. The album was both a critical and commercial success, received quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA, and included “Make Her Say” and the diamond-certified “Pursuit of Happiness.”

Cudi followed with Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager in 2010, which was certified platinum and included “Erase Me” and “Mr. Rager.” With Dot da Genius, he formed the rock band WZRD, whose 2012 debut album topped the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. His later albums included Indicud, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, Entergalactic, Insano, Insano (Nitro Mega), and the 2025 pop album Free. In 2018, he and Kanye West released the acclaimed self-titled album Kids See Ghosts. His 2020 single “The Scotts,” with Travis Scott, became his first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Beyond music, Cudi has acted in television and film, including How to Make It in America, Comedy Bang! Bang!, We Are Who We Are, Need for Speed, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Don’t Look Up, and X. He launched the production company Mad Solar in 2020, whose first release was the documentary A Man Named Scott in 2021. He has also worked in fashion and modeling with brands including Giuseppe Zanotti, Virgil Abloh, Bape, Coach, Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Levi’s, before launching his own clothing line in 2022.

Cudi is recognized as an influence on contemporary hip-hop and alternative acts. His lyrics often draw from childhood depression, loneliness, alienation, drug struggles in adulthood, spirituality, heartbreak, dissipation, and celebration. His music blends hip-hop with psychedelia, R&B, electronica, synthpop, dance, house, punk, and indie rock. That openness is why a line like “Sometimes you think you want to disappear, but all you really want is to be found by someone” fits so naturally beside his work. Across more than 22 million units sold domestically and two Grammy Awards, his voice has stayed close to the fears and hopes many listeners carry quietly.