There's no denying Kid Cudi's influence on the world of hip-hop. From Kanye West to Kevin Abstract, Cudi has had a lasting impact on countless musicians young and old. To celebrate Cudi's legacy, Beats 1 aired a special dedicated to him which featured some of his best work and praise from some of the artists he's left a big impression on.
Speaking about Cudi during the episode, Travis Scott explained, "I idolize Kid Cudi a lot. That's like, my favorite artist." Scott has always been vocal in his appreciation for him, and during the Beats 1 special he very much reiterated how important his work has been. "I think he can go bar to bar—like some people think Jay Z is the best rapper. I feel like he can compete with that and still have his own wave. I f*ck with him, because he always had his own lingo. He created a world for kids like me, who wasn't just like, the ultimate like drug dealer. He created that vibe and that planet, where you can mack on bitches and still be smooth, and still feel like you’re the king scientist. Not everyone is as real as their music is. That artist comes once every decade."
Cudi has also had a lasting impact on some of the newer waves of rappers, too, with Brockhampton's Kevin Abstract being a key example. "I love how he incorporated melody into his raps," Kevin explained. "A kid like me would say, like, Kid Cudi saved my life."
During the show, Logic also spoke about how Cudi's music inspired him to open up about mental health in his own music. "He was the dude that was like, 'It's okay to be sad. It's okay to talk about these things, and go through these things.' Especially now, because like I've said, I've been made to feel terrible or this or that about being emotional, or whatever the case may be, which is, to me, it's almost like a Neanderthal. It's such a backwards way of thinking. I had that just through his music, in general."
Lil Yachty also offered up a comment about Cudi's impact, claiming he's "one of the biggest Kid Cudi fans of all time." He says, like Logic, that Cudi's music helped him realize that rap could talk about emotions more up-front. "He was one of the only artists making the music at the time for like, emotional people going through something, or just taking dream journeys. Like, the real creative kids who are in the world."
Listen to the whole show, which also features interviews with Sheck Wes, Pharrell Williams, and Raury, here.
