He's a noted music industry outsider, but there's one person Kid Cudi has always connected with: Kanye West. After meeting 'Ye at the SoHo BAPE store in the mid-'00s, Cudi aspired to make music like what he heard on College Dropout. He dropped his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi in 2008—and West showed up to his release party after hearing the music through Plain Pat.
The two started working together on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 and, most notably, Kanye's 808s & Heartbreak. Cudi signed to West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint and began his career with Man On The Moon. Through countless interviews, performances, and a lot of his music, Cudi has professed how important Kanye West has been in both his career, and his life.
Yesterday, Cudi announced that he was leaving G.O.O.D. Music and would focus his efforts on his own label, Wicked Awesome Records. It left fans in shock but Cudi insisted it was all on good terms and that he knew six months ago that he would be leaving. It's been a long ride for Cudi, and Complex has been there for all of it. We look back on Cudi's career and his history with G.O.O.D. Music.
Written by Lauren Nostro (@LAURENcynthia)
RELATED: Kid Cudi: Life After Death (2013 Cover Story)
RELATED: Kid Cudi: "I'm No Longer On G.O.O.D. Music"
RELATED: G.O.O.D. Music Issues Statement About Kid Cudi Leaving The Label