Kid Cudi is getting real about his falling out with fellow rapper and former close friend, Kanye "Ye" West. In an interview for Esquire's new September issue, the 38-year-old gives fans an intimate look at where he’s at in his life, both personally and artistically, including addressing the demise of his once-friendly relationship with West.
Cudi and West had a public falling out over Cudi's friendship with Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson -- who famously dated West's ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. News broke on Aug. 5 that Davidson and Kardashian had called it quits after nine months of dating.
Earlier this year, West shared a since-deleted post featuring him, Cudi, Davidson and Timothée Chalamet having dinner. On the picture from the dinner, West put a big red ex over Davidson’s face.
"I JUST WANTED MY FRIEND TO HAVE MY BACK," West wrote next to the since-deleted post. "THE KNIFE JUST GOES IN DEEPER."
West also shared that Cudi would not be on his Donda 2 album after he appeared to continue his friendship with Davidson.
Cudi took to the comments to defend himself, writing, "too bad I don’t want to be on your album you fu**n dinosaur hahaha," adding, "everyone knows I've been the best thing about your albums since I met you. Ima pray you 4 brother."
Speaking with writer Clover Hope for Esquire, Cudi says it would take "a motherf**king miracle" for him and West to rekindle their friendship. In fact, the Entergalacticstar doesn't see it happening, noting that West would have to "become a monk" for any resolution to be possible.
"I'm not one of your kids," Cudi says of the father of four. "I'm not Kim. It don't matter if I'm friends with Pete or not friends with Pete. None of this sh*t had anything to do with me. If you can't be a grown man and deal with the fact that you lost your woman? That's not my f**king problem."
"You need to own up to your sh*t like every man in this life has. I’ve lost women, too. And I’ve had to own up to it," Cudi adds. "I don’t need that in my life. I don’t need it.
On the other side of a years-long journey with his mental health that includes time spent in rehab back in 2016, Cudi says he has "zero tolerance for the wrong energies." With West specifically, he shares that he's seen people get repeatedly "burned by him doing some f**ked-up sh*t" only to quickly forgive him.
"And there’s no repercussions. You’re back cool with this man. He does it over and over," he notes.
Cudi also pushes back against the narrative that West "made" his career. While it was "really f**king awesome" to be enlisted for West's 808s & Heartbreak, Cudi says the rapper "did not come and pluck me out of Applebee's or the Bape store." Cudi asserts that his success is due to his own work, along with his original team of producers, Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds, Oladipo Omishore (aka Dot Da Genius) and Emile Haynie.
As for reconciliation with West, Cudi is firm that he means what he's said.
"With all due respect, I'm not Drake, who's about to take a picture with him next week and be friends again, and their beef is squashed. That's not me," Cudi says.
Meanwhile, the rapper's long-awaited Entergalactic animated series is set to premiere on Netflix next month. In the animated story, Cudi voices the main character, Jabari, and is joined in the voice cast by Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, and more. The project has been in the works for three years and includes a new album, which will be released simultaneously.
Back in January, Cudi touted the dual release as "the greatest piece of art" he’s ever made.
"I am so sooo f**kin proud of this show. U have no idea what ur in for. 3 years in the making," Cudi wrote amid a series of tweets praising the series.
"The voice acting was the most fun...the music too but I've always wanted to do more voice acting and idk it was like another dream come true foreal," he wrote in response to a fan asking him to name his favorite part of the three-year journey.
Entergalactic premieres Sept. 30 on Netflix.
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