Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, has continually changed the world through redefining the hip-hop genre and delves deeper into his musical journey through his biopic “A Man Named Scott.”
Director Robert Alexander created a beautiful timeline centered around the making and the release of Cudi’s songs, including interviews with other artists, producers and famous fans. Pharrell Willams, Dot Da Genius, Travis Scott, Kanye West and Schoolboy Q spoke about the impact that Kid Cudi had on the hip-hop/rap genre and their own lives.
Most people associate Kid Cudi with his first popular song, “Day N’ Nite.” What many fans may not know, which is revealed in the biopic, is that it was first released on MySpace and he was considered one of the first “internet artists” to have his work published.
The film provides many nostalgic photos and videos from Cudi’s early days, his first few interviews in 2009 tugged at this longtime fan’s heartstrings.
Throughout the film, multiple interviews are played featuring the people closest to Cudi that were there through every moment of his journey. They knew that he was something special from the very beginning, they knew that he would shape the hip-hop genre forever.
Shia Labeouf, Timotheé Chalamet and Lil Yachty opened up about how Cudi’s music gave them the freedom to open up emotionally and express themselves without fearing ridicule.
Kanye West describes his creating process alongside Cudi for “808’s and Heartbreaks,” highlighting their longtime friendship and creative partnership. Their partnership continues to touch the hearts of their listeners, and I especially loved diving deeper into their collaborations. A common trend throughout is the words that people say about Cudi. Everyone in the interviews and myself agree that he is a melodic genius, or A$AP Rocky called him “wizard.” As well as someone who showed people that they could break away from the systemic pressures of society, especially people of color.
Cudi’s producers, Plain Pat and Emile Haynie, spoke about his rise to fame, and how as he started to become successful, things became dark. Hearing about Cudi’s struggle with addiction, depression and suicide put knots in my stomach and a lump in my throat. The director seems to ask, what is the toll that creation takes on the artist?
That toll is wholly felt when watching Cudi relive his darkest moments and reflect on his past. No one likes to think about those times when they were at rock bottom, but seeing Cudi’s battle and victory over his demons was truly inspiring.
He turned all of his demons and depressing thoughts into works of art that gripped the souls of the lost and the hurting. The film reminds everyone that Cudi molded the hip-hop genre into something entirely his own by softening its hard exterior and redefining masculinity. It highlights how he masterfully molded both individuality and art, reflecting on the social change he brought about. The rare musician-centered documentary brought attention to the man behind the music through the help of industry professionals and created a film as sensitive and inspiring as Kid Cudi. You can watch “A Man Named Scott” on Amazon and for free with Amazon Prime now.