Kid Cudi Talks State of Hip-Hop, Suicidal Thoughts, & Surprise Album on 'Arsenio'
With his movie Need for Speed in theaters, Kid Cudi stopped by “The Arsenio Hall Show” for a candid interview and performance. Wearing a Green Day T-shirt and ripped jeans, the 30-year-old rapper-turned-actor discussed the state of hip-hop, his surprise album, his struggles with depression, and using music to help others fight suicide.
“I think the money, cash, hos thing needs to be deaded,” said the former G.O.O.D. Music signee. “I feel like that’s holding us back as a culture, as black people. That doesn’t advance us in any way, shape, or form. We’ve been doing that thing for years now. It’s been like four decades of the same ol’ [expletive].”
When it comes to hip-hop, he doesn’t feel there are many people pushing the boundaries. “If anything, I’m the only one.”
With his own music, he’s had two missions. “All I wanted to do was help kids not feel alone and stop kids from committing suicide,” explained Cudi, who’s contemplated suicide himself.
“There wasn’t a week or a day that didn’t go by where I was just like, ‘You know, I wanna check out.'”
Last month, he took a gamble when he dropped his album Satelitte Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon on iTunes with only two hours notice, and it debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. “I just wanted to do something different and it worked.”
He also listed his many pricey cars, from a Mercedes SLS to a Range Rover Autobiography, and shared some of his favorite bands.
Plus, he capped off the show with the first performance of “Internal Bleeding” off his latest album.