Kid Cudi first came on to the rap scene in 2008 with the song “Day and Night”, and ever since that moment, we have been loving every single and album the Ohio rapper has released.
With his last album released in December of 2015, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Cudi’s newest album; after all we’ve already gotten amazing albums from Beyoncé, Solange, Frank Ocean and Rihanna earlier this year, so it was only natural to add Kid Cudi to the list.
It wasn’t long until our dreams were answered, and Kid Cudi announced we were going to get a new album. Last Friday, however, we were told we weren't getting the album we so desperately wanted, the hold up being were the samples not getting cleared.
The samples getting cleared were the least of Cudi’s problems and he was battling demons we didn’t even know about. On Tuesday, October 4, Cudi posted a message on his Facebook page that shocked everybody. “Its been difficult for me to find the words to what Im about to share with you because I feel ashamed…”
What Cudi next admitted to scared me.
“Yesterday I checked myself into rehab for depression and suicidal urges. I am not at peace. I haven't been since you've known me. If I didn't come here, I wouldve done something to myself.”
For Kid Cudi to tell the world something so personal, is both unexpected and heart wrenching in this day of celebrity. The public is so used to knowing about the intimate details of a celebrity’s life, but never about their mental health. Instead, we are used to hearing about a celebrity’s battle after they have had treatment, without fully knowing how bad it is for them.
Another profound aspect Cudi’s admission brought is, the acknowledgement of mental illness in the African-American community. For many children, mental illness is something that is “made up” or something that can be cured by going outside and thinking positively. With his outwardness about depression, more men were aware of the positivity that came with Kudi’s statement and the #YouGoodMan was made. The hashtag came as a part of helping black men become okay with their own mental illnesses, and by letting them know it’s okay to ask for help.
For many kids growing up, Kid Cudi’s music helped them be okay with their weirdness, something that every kid, including me, needed to hear especially in 8th grade. His music was important to us, because it was something new we hadn’t heard before. Kid Cudi let us know that it was okay to be depressed and to have anxiety however, little did we know, Cudi was still suffering.
Kid Cudi has been there for us at a time when little people were. He helped us transition into brave adults, who still blast “Man On The Moon: The End of Day” like it just came out last week instead of eight years ago. Most essentially, he showed us how important taking your mental health seriously is.
So to Kid Cudi or, Mr. Rager or, Scott--however you want to be addressed-- I would like to say thank you. Thank you for always being there for me, even though you never knew you were. I will always be there for you and I hope you know you’re not going through this alone.
