Biography
From Cleveland to the Moon: the life and career of Kid Cudi
Cleveland beginnings
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 30, 1984, and grew up in nearby Shaker Heights and Solon. His father, Lindberg Mescudi, died of cancer when Scott was eleven, a loss that later surfaced throughout his music as a study of grief and isolation. He attended Shaker Heights High School and Solon High School, ultimately earned a GED, and briefly studied film at the University of Toledo before dropping out. A planned path into the Navy did not materialize, and by the mid-2000s he was redirecting his energy toward rap, citing alternative hip-hop groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and the Pharcyde as early influences.
New York and the mixtape breakthrough
In 2005 Cudi left Cleveland for New York City with limited savings and a demo tape, staying first with his uncle, jazz drummer Kalil Madi, in the South Bronx, and later sharing a Brooklyn apartment with producer Dot da Genius while working retail jobs in Manhattan. He began rapping in 2003 and, after chance encounters with Kanye West in the city, saw "Day 'n' Nite" spread across music blogs following its upload to MySpace. The song led to a 2008 single on Fool's Gold Records and the mixtape A Kid Named Cudi, issued that July with streetwear brand 10.Deep. Its reception helped Cudi sign to West's GOOD Music imprint and earn credits on West's 808s & Heartbreak, including co-writing and vocal contributions to tracks such as "Heartless" and "Paranoid."
The Man on the Moon era
Released on September 15, 2009, through Dream On, GOOD Music, and Universal Motown, Man on the Moon: The End of Day introduced Cudi's five-act concept format, narrated by Common and produced with help from West, Emile Haynie, Plain Pat, and others. The album opened at number four on the Billboard 200 with roughly 104,000 first-week copies in the United States and has since been certified quadruple platinum. Its singles, including "Day 'n' Nite," "Make Her Say," and "Pursuit of Happiness," became career signatures, with "Day 'n' Nite" reaching the Hot 100's top five. The direct sequel, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, followed in November 2010, deepening the Mr. Rager persona and earning platinum certification while yielding the singles "Erase Me" and "Mr. Rager." During these years Cudi also appeared on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 and became a fixture of year-end critics' and fans' watchlists.
Experimentation and reinvention, 2011-2016
After the first two Man on the Moon albums, Cudi deliberately widened his palette. He formed the rock project WZRD with Dot da Genius, whose self-titled 2012 debut topped Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, and then issued the self-produced Indicud in 2013, his final album with GOOD Music, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon in 2014 and the grunge-leaning Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven in 2015 drew mixed reviews, while Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' in 2016 restored critical goodwill with the Pharrell Williams-featuring single "Surfin'." In October 2016 Cudi publicly announced that he was entering treatment for depression and suicidal urges, an episode he framed as part of his recovery and artistic honesty.
Kids See Ghosts and the trilogy's return
Following a public rift and reconciliation with Kanye West, Cudi reunited with him as Kids See Ghosts. Their self-titled seven-track album, released June 8, 2018, through GOOD Music and Wicked Awesome with Def Jam distribution, drew widespread critical praise for the pair's chemistry and its psychedelic, recovery-focused themes; it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2020 the single "The Scotts," issued with Travis Scott, gave Cudi his first Hot 100 chart-topper, and that December he closed the planned trilogy with Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number two, with guest appearances from Phoebe Bridgers, Pop Smoke, Skepta, and Trippie Redd.
Acting, entrepreneurship, and advocacy
Cudi's screen career grew alongside his music. After early television work and assorted film parts, he appeared in Luca Guadagnino's We Are Who We Are in 2020, Adam McKay's Don't Look Up in 2021, and Ti West's X in 2022, and starred in the Entergalactic animated special that year, a project he co-created and that later brought NAACP Image Award recognition. He launched the Mad Solar production company in 2020, whose first release was the documentary A Man Named Scott in 2021, and has operated Wicked Awesome Records since 2011. In fashion he has collaborated with houses and brands including Giuseppe Zanotti, Virgil Abloh, Bape, Coach, Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Levi's. Cudi has also been a prominent public voice on mental health, pairing candid discussion of his own struggles with advocacy work intended for younger fans.
Entergalactic, Insano, and Free
Entergalactic, Cudi's 2022 studio album, arrived alongside the Netflix adult animated special of the same name, extending his habit of pairing records with visual projects; the soundtrack and special earned subsequent award recognition. The trap-influenced Insano and its companion Insano (Nitro Mega) followed in 2024. On August 22, 2025, Cudi released Free via Wicked Awesome and Republic Records, describing it as his version of a pop album; the rollout included the singles "Neverland," paired with a Ti West-directed short film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, "Grave," and "Mr. Miracle," along with his memoir Cudi: The Memoir. Free explored liberation from mental-health struggles and industry constraints, reinforcing Cudi's long-standing message that vulnerability can be creative fuel.
Selected moments
Career highlights
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A Kid Named Cudi mixtape breakthrough
Cudi's debut mixtape, issued with 10.Deep and Fool's Gold Records, featured "Day 'n' Nite" and helped lead to his GOOD Music deal.
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Man on the Moon: The End of Day released
His debut album opened at number four on the Billboard 200 with about 104,000 first-week copies and later earned quadruple-platinum certification.
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Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
The platinum-certified sequel extended the trilogy and yielded the singles "Erase Me" and "Mr. Rager."
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Grammy recognition for All of the Lights
Cudi shared Grammy wins as a credited contributor to Kanye West's "All of the Lights," honored in rap collaboration and rap song categories.
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Kids See Ghosts album with Kanye West
The self-titled duo album drew widespread acclaim, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
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First Billboard Hot 100 number one
"The Scotts," with Travis Scott, gave Cudi his first Hot 100 chart-topper; Man on the Moon III: The Chosen followed in December at number two on the Billboard 200.
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Entergalactic album and Netflix special
Cudi released the Entergalactic album alongside the Netflix adult animated special he co-created, earning subsequent NAACP Image Award recognition.
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Day 'n' Nite earns RIAA Diamond
Label announcements marked the single's Diamond certification and described Man on the Moon as a pioneering multi-Diamond hip-hop album of the 2000s.
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Free marks a pop turn
Released August 22 via Wicked Awesome and Republic, Free was billed as Cudi's pop album, led by "Neverland," "Grave," and "Mr. Miracle."
Recognition
Awards: Grammys, Image Awards, and film-music honors
Kid Cudi's awards span music recording and film-related work. The Recording Academy's artist page lists one competitive win and five nominations, centered on "Day 'n' Nite," "Make Her Say," and his credited contribution to Kanye West's "All of the Lights."
A broader awards compilation credits him with eleven wins and forty-three nominations overall, including NAACP Image Awards, a Society of Composers & Lyricists honor for "Just Look Up," an African-American Film Critics Association music prize for "Guns Go Bang," and a Critics' Choice Celebration of Black Cinema Groundbreaker Award for Entergalactic.
- Grammy Awards won
- 1
- Grammy Award nominations
- 5
- Wins across compiled award bodies
- 11
- Nominations across compiled award bodies
- 43
| Year | Award | Category | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Grammy Award | Best Rap Solo Performance, 52nd Annual Grammy AwardsNominee | Day 'n' Nite |
| 2010 | Grammy Award | Best Rap Song, 52nd Annual Grammy AwardsNominee | Day 'n' Nite |
| 2010 | Grammy Award | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, 52nd Annual Grammy AwardsNominee | Make Her Say |
| 2012 | Grammy Award | Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, 54th Annual Grammy AwardsWinner | All of the Lights |
| 2022 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year, 64th Annual Grammy AwardsNominee | Donda |
| 2022 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation AlbumWinner | The Harder They Fall Soundtrack |
| 2022 | African-American Film Critics Association Award | Best MusicWinner | Guns Go Bang |
| 2022 | Society of Composers & Lyricists Award | Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media ProductionWinner | Just Look Up |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Celebration of Black Cinema Award | Groundbreaker AwardWinner | Entergalactic |
| 2023 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or SpecialWinner | Entergalactic |