Harsharan Landa: MAG COVERS: KID CUDI PUZZLED ON ‘COMPLEX’ OCT/NOV ISSUE

We saw this and thought of you...

MAG COVERS: KID CUDI PUZZLED ON ‘COMPLEX’ OCT/NOV ISSUE

by Christine

Rapper Kid Kudi is on the cover of Complex Magazine‘s October/November issue. Inside the Cleveland-native talked about where he vanished to following the release of his last album (Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager), how his personal life influenced his music as well as how he’s been able to manage his own career:

As soon as the album was released you disappeared. What did you do?
Hung out with my mom a bit. Went out to L.A., cleared my head. I had a couple shows here and there, but I wasn’t trying to tour.
At the top of the year you seemed to be spending a lot time in New York with Kanye.
I was at another place, another dark place. Me and my girl had broken up. I wasn’t fully healed yet. And being around Kanye and music was my escape. He’s a sober guy, he has a drink every once in a while, but seeing how he throws himself into the studio when he’s stressing about something, I totally admire that. Being around that was therapy for me.
So you’re managing yourself now?
I have been for a minute now. It’s fun! It’s easy ’cause I don’t live the life of a celebrity. My to-do list is limited to just two things: touring and studio. I record from home, so I don’t need to set up studio time. I book my own shows directly with my agent. I don’t do features with anyone, really. Other than Jay and Kanye, or if something cool comes along, like the Knux thing. And those are things that I’m really enthused about.
So not a lot of features in your future?
I’m not interested in being someone’s look. And that’s what it is nowadays—a look. It’s hard for me to charge people, because I do my stuff for free. I do all my stuff with Jay and Kanye on the house, because it’s a brotherhood. Besides them, I can’t really hit nobody with a fee, because then that’s a dispute. What I want to charge, motherfuckers might not have a budget for!
On top of that, it’s a commitment when you do a song with somebody. Like, “We need a single, we need the video.” And then—like I said in the last interview, being that I don’t fuck with most people musically—it’s tough for me to want to bend and be a part of people’s projects. [Source]