K.I.D CuDI (Fool 's Gold, USA) @ Exposed
Saturday, 5th July 2008
In a time when the mass-production and commercial success of hip-hop is held in higher regard than originality, few fresh-faces stand up from the pack and demand to be counted. Luckily for us, KiD CuDi (aka Scott Mescudi), is one such face.
Originally from Cleveland, CuDI has called Brooklyn home for the past 3 years – a move he credits with his somewhat rapid rise to fame. After all, this was where he came to meet G.O.O.D Music A&R figure, Plain Pat, who worked closely with none other than Kanye West on his “Graduation” release.
Fusing alternative rock and hip-hop with a sprinkle of r n b, CuDI’s tracks are laced with his unmistakable mellow, laidback, mid-west flow. Of most notoriety is “Day N Night” – the ever-so-catchy stoner’s anthem of 2008 - which was recently released by burgeoning American label Fool’s Gold - co-owned by A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs and home to Kid Sister, Flosstradamus, Cool Kids and our very own Bag Raiders. With each verse of “Day N Night,” CuDI unashamedly unveils flaws in his personality with a strikingly powerful effect:
“I look for peace but see I don’t attain… Madness the magnet keeps attracting me.”Powerful words for someone who only celebrated his 23rd birthday last year.
A far cry from the monotonous rants about booty, bling and ballin’ that many of his fellow rappers have become renowned for, CuDI quite deliberately leaves a piece of himself in each record:
“People like records they can relate to, even if you can’t relate to something I speak about, you’ll at least understand my mind, I won’t lose anyone. Even if they haven’t walked in my shoes, they’ll feel me for me.”
Perhaps this is why A-Trak had no hesitation in asking CuDI to join him, Sinden, Steve Aoki, Sammy Bananas, Jokers of the Scene, Treasure Fingers and more on the Fool’s Gold vs DIMMAK Screaming Blood Murder Tour that left a path of devastation all over North America in April.
More recently CuDI received acclaim from both FADER and URB Magazine’s, who have touted his upcoming “A Kid Named Cudi” mixtape and forthcoming debut album “Man on the Moon,” as records to watch out for in the future.
Not enough for you? Well we’ll let Rolling Stone, who featured CuDI in the “Best Indie Hip-Hop” category (along with Cool Kids) in their “Best of Rock 2008” issue, have the final word on this one:
“The Cleveland rapper with a killer sing-song flow got a major boost at South by Southwest, where he showed up higher-billed acts like Chromeo and Kid Sister.”
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