Pusha T recently took to Instagram to extend warm birthday wishes to none other than the “Rager” himself, Kid Cudi. In a heartfelt post, Pusha T expressed gratitude for Cudi’s friendship and unwavering loyalty over the years. The heartfelt birthday tribute comes on the heels of Kid Cudi’s star-studded 40th birthday celebration at the Beverly Wilshire on Tuesday, January 30. The event featured performances by Busta Rhymes and the Clipse, adding a musical flair to the festivities.
However, Pusha T shared glimpses of the memorable night on Instagram. Showcasing the camaraderie and joy that filled the venue. In the post, King Push wrote, “Great night surrounded by friends and family celebrating the one and only ‘Rager.’ Happy Birthday Cudi, your friendship and unmatched loyalty doesn’t go unnoticed. Always love…” The celebration wasn’t short on star power, with notable personalities gracing the event. Attendees included Ty Dolla $ign, the dynamic sibling duo Jaden and Willow Smith, comedian Bill Bellamy, producer BNYX, and actor Timothée Chalamet, contributing to the glamour and excitement of the evening.
Kid Cudi, appreciative of the gesture, responded with heartfelt words in the comments section. “MY BROTHER!!! LOVE U FOR LIFE AND BEYOND G!!! Was truly one of the best days of my life thanx to u guys. Always riding for u no matter what!!! Fam FOREVER my n-gga!!! Malice I missed u brother!!” The exchange between the two rap legends not only highlights their deep bond but also offers fans a glimpse into the genuine friendships that thrive within the hip-hop community.
Moreover, the mutual respect and love expressed in the Instagram exchange affirm the enduring connections forged over years of collaboration and shared experiences. As fans revel in the shared moments from Kid Cudi’s birthday bash, it’s clear that the celebration went beyond a typical star-studded event. It was a testament to the lasting bonds and genuine camaraderie within the hip-hop fraternity. Furthermore, Pusha T’s touching tribute serves as a reminder that, beyond the spotlight, these artists share authentic friendships that withstand the test of time.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of January below.
Kali Uchis — Orquídeas
Geffen
Kali Uchis had a huge January: Not only did she reveal that she’s pregnant, but she also dropped a terrific new album, Orquídeas. She’s released it in a few vinyl variants, too, including standard black, milky clear vinyl (pictured above), and a picture disc.
Scottish ethereal rockers Cocteau Twins wrapped up their esteemed run with two final albums, Four-Calendar Café in 1993 and Milk & Kisses in 1996. Now, these two albums have gotten a new vinyl release that’s significant for American fans of the group, as this is the first time these two albums have been released on vinyl in the US.
Coleman is literally the father of free jazz: the term itself comes from his 1961 album Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation. A year before that project, though, he dropped Change Of The Century, which is the subject of a new Rhino Hi-Fi reissue. This edition was given a detailed manufacturing treatment, so the album sounds as good as it ever has, and most relevantly, it’s limited to just 5,000 individually number copies.
Uproxx’s Steven Hyden wrote of the new album from the Radiohead offshoot, “Thom and Jonny’s forthcoming sophomore effort isn’t as groovy as the first. On A Light For Attracting Attention, they strutted like a British art-rock redux of Booker T. And The MG’s, with Thom and Jonny clearly vibing on Tom Skinner’s relentless syncopations. Wall Of Eyes is rockier and, well, more Radiohead-esque.”
Tune-Yards — I’m A Virgo — Prime Video Original Series Soundtrack
Lakeshore Records
If you watched the Prime Video series I’m A Virgo from the great Boots Riley and found yourself liking the music, that’s not surprising since it came courtesy of Tune-Yards. A vinyl release of the soundtrack was announced today and will be available on April 5 via Lakeshore Records. It comes pressed on lovely limited-edition yellow vinyl and accompanied by a color insert.
It’s been five years since Maggie Rogers broke out with her well-received debut album, Heart It In A Past Life. To mark the occasion, this new anniversary reissue comes with the album pressed on cobalt vinyl, a “Love You For A Long Time” 7-inch, and a 12-inch by 20-inch poster.
M. Ward — Duet for Guitars #2 (Reissue) and Transfiguration Of Vincent (Reissue)
Merge
Duet For Guitars No. 2 was M. Ward’s first album, while Transfiguration Of Vincent was his first with Merge Records. Now, the label has pressed both of those albums onto vinyl for the first time, making these editions must-haves for Ward completionists.
Get Duet for Guitars #2here. Get Transfiguration Of Vincenthere.
Spiritualized — Amazing Grace (20 Year Anniversary Edition)
Fat Possum
As the title suggests, Spiritualized folded a profound gospel influence into the mix of Amazing Grace. Now, it’s the latest album to get remastered as part of The Spaceman Reissue Program: Curated by J Spaceman. This edition comes in a standard black vinyl pressing and a limited dove grey vinyl.
Fleetwood Mac — Fleetwood Mac (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
Vinyl Me, Please
Fleetwood Mac has been consistently popular for decades, but they had a big revival in 2020 when “Dreams” went viral online. Well, for new fans who listened to Rumours and dug it, the album that preceded it, 1975’s Fleetwood Mac, is one of the Vinyl Me, Please albums of the month, pressed on 180g Black & White Quad vinyl.
Kid Cudi had one of the year’s first major hip-hop releases with Insano. Just like he went hard on the album, he also went all in on the vinyl, as he has a few different cover art options for different editions. (He even had some signed LPs, but those are currently sold out.)
It’s been almost 6 years since XXXTENTACION was tragically murdered but the rapper’s influence hasn’t faded. Many contemporary musicians still cite him as both an influence and for some even a close friend. Last year Spotify released some statistics about the most streamed rap songs on their platform and X was well represented. His 2018 album ? is the single most listened-to rap album on the entire platform.
Another place where he’s remained influential is within the world of fashion. During his life, he founded the Revenge brand after his 2016 song of the same name. While the brand was a hit right away it became astronomically more popular following the rapper’s tragic death. And the brand remains popular to this day as they just dropped a new collection in celebration of what would have been the rapper’s 26th birthday. Unsurprisingly, the collection sold out almost immediately. Consequently, every single piece listed on the brand’s website are now sold out in all sizes. But in addition to the new pieces, fans couldn’t help but love the way they were promoted. Check out the photoshoot for the new line of clothes below.
XXXTENTACION’s son Gekyume steals the show in the promo for the new Revenge clothing line. In pictures shared to Instagram he sports his father’s now-iconic mugshot on a white t-shirt. He stars among other young models sporting various hoodies and sweatshirts with the brand’s logo.
Additionally, X just made a posthumous appearance on one of the first big rap albums of 2024. He appears on the song “X & CUD” from Kid Cudi’s new album INSANO. In a recent interview Cudi opened up on securing the posthumous feature. “I loved his cadence and his melodies on the verse. I thought it would be cool for fans to see me be inspired by him and do his vibe. And be in his space for a little bit. Then, I wanted to just have the second half be like, this is the uplifting part. This is where we’re at right now. The light, the love. We came from the darkness,” he said. What do you think of XXXTENTACION’s son Gekyume modeling some of the clothes from the new Revenge fashion line? Let us know in the comment section below.
During a recent interview, Kid Cudi raved about the feud-ending apology he received from Kanye West. However, it seems that not all of Ye’s apologies are made equal.
In 2022, the “Through The Wire” rapper found himself in a storm of controversy following a string of insensitive remarks made toward the Jewish community. The comments continued during West’s sit-down with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson. The public backlash grew increasingly difficult to manage when West doubled down on his stance. However, in December 2023, West seemingly had time to reflect on his statement and decided to issue an apology. But it appears West has had a change of heart.
While hanging out with fellow musician Jpegmafia, West was photographed wearing a t-shirt of alleged neo-nazi heavy metal musician Kristian Varg Vikernes. As the pair posed for the flick, captioned: “Can’t talk right now. Doing hot girl sh*t,” users flooded Jpegmafia’s comment section to call out his rumored collaborator’s wardrobe choice.
West isn’t the only rapper to face a heap of blowback due to their clothing. Last year, fans called out Doja Cat for wearing merchandise of alleged ne0-Nazi Sam Hyde. Shortly after, Doja Cat released a public apology, though many believe the statement was insincere.
As of January 21, West has not addressed the matter.
Life’s too short to be tied into unnecessary rap beef. If “Heaven’s Galaxy” musician Kid Cudi could repair his previously rocky relationship with Kanye West, mending things with Lupe Fiasco was a piece of cake. Shortly after Fiasco’s abrasive comments on X (formerly Twitter), the pair seems to have ironed out their issue. Unfortunately, that moment of peace didn’t last long.
However, on January 20, Cudi revealed that after a tense conversation, their beef had officially come to an end. “Just talked to Lupe,” he wrote on X. “[We] had a great talk. I know I was wrong and told him I shouldn’t have done that fuck sh*t I did. I called myself looking out for the fans in the moment, but in reality, I was just hating. I apologized, and he accepted it. Which I appreciated for real. I understand the anger and vitriol he had for me all these years, and I wasn’t mature enough to step up and just have a conversation and admit I was wrong.”
“We, as black men, need to be united.,” he added. “He always had love for me. Always supported me. I shouldn’t have done him like that. I wanna thank my guy Ibn for setting the call up, and u, the fans, for being real with me and urging us to speak. We are good now. Brand new journey.”
Just talked to Lupe. Had a great talk. I know I was wrong and told him I shouldnt have did that fuck shit I did. I called myself lookin out for the fans in the moment, but in reality I was just hating. I apologized and he accepted it. Which I appreciated foreal. I understand…
During Cudi’s interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he revealed the origins of their friction, which triggered Fiasco’s online remarks. The beef between the two music had been brewing for a long while.
In a surprising turn of events, Kid Cudi has taken a step towards reconciliation, extending an apology to Lupe Fiasco after their recent public spat on social media. As HNHH previously reported, Kid Cudi offered an apology to Lupe Fiasco earlier today. Cudi expressed regret and a desire for resolution, emphasizing the brevity of life and urging for a way to move past the conflict. However, it didn’t appear to be enough for Fiasco. Cudi’s initial tweet read, “Love u g. Im sorry if i hurt u man. Life is too short. Hope u can find it in ur heart to get past this,” accompanied by an acknowledgment that he had sent a direct message to Lupe.
Moreover, the gesture, seemingly heartfelt, indicates Cudi’s willingness to mend bridges and move forward. Lupe Fiasco initially responded with a concise “All I needed,” hinting at the potential for reconciliation. However, in a subsequent tweet, he expressed the complex emotions he felt upon receiving the apology, admitting that despite a moment of release, the desire to settle the matter physically still lingered. Fiasco later tweeted, “This lying a** bitch a** nigga… Aight…” And many were left puzzled. The exchange escalated when Kid Cudi requested Lupe to refrain from using derogatory language, emphasizing his approach with love and sharing the DM he had sent. Cudi also expressed his commitment to resolving the issue and stated his intention to talk with Lupe the following day.
I thought him apologizing would help. But it didn’t. Because I gave up on that happening years ago. So when he said it. I had a moment of release. Then when I looked at how he said. I felt that I still wanna beat his ass on sight. https://t.co/kbu4Oc1Jpo
You tryna to come years later with this peace shit, half apologize. Nigga you could have settled this years ago with a simple phone call. Now you ain’t got the room after the due date. Nigga you will always be a bitch to me. I just want to hear that… https://t.co/LQwmLDfA9e
Lupe’s response, however, was unyielding as he questioned Cudi’s sincerity, challenging the timing of the peace offering and accusing him of attempting a half-hearted apology years later. The tweets unveiled the deep-seated animosity between the two artists, with Lupe insisting on hearing a direct apology before considering any resolution. “Or what b**ch a** n**ga? You tryna to come years later with this peace s**t, half apologize. N***a you could have settled this years ago with a simple phone call. Now you ain’t got the room after the due date. Ni**a you will always be a b**ch to me. I just want to hear that apology from your mouth then you can kick rocks. Every n**ga I know you know think you a b**ch too. This ain’t nothing new.”
The ongoing drama took a new turn with the revelation of an interview where Kid Cudi discussed his new album INSANO. Cudi opened up about his creative inspiration, including a transformative experience at a Kendrick Lamar live show. However, he also shared a story about hiding from Lupe Fiasco during his early days at a Bape store in New York. This revelation triggered a Twitter storm from Lupe, reigniting their years-long beef. Despite the renewed tension, Kid Cudi, in a series of tweets, seemed determined to rise above the negativity, expressing regret and reaching out for a private conversation to settle their differences. The hip-hop community waits to witness the next chapter in this evolving saga.
Earlier today, Lupe Fiasco caused chaos after reacting to an interview that Kid Cudi recently did for Apple Music. In it, Cudi described hiding from Fiasco (and all other rappers) who came into his job in 2008 while working at a Bape store. His reasoning? He didn’t want it to be used for any diss tracks — and pointed out that Fiasco “hates me ’til this day.”
“Kid Cudi is a b*tch,” Fiasco posted on Twitter/X. “And continues to be a b*tch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his b*tch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous b*tch with a cool job.”
Kid Cudi is a bitch. And continues to be a bitch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his bitch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous bitch with a cool job.
However, instead of fighting back, Cudi appeared to extend an olive branch to Fiasco on social media. “Love u g,” he wrote, tagging the fellow musician directly, along with a prayer emoji. “Im sorry if i hurt u man. Life is too short. Hope u can find it in ur heart to get past this.”
“Lupe love me yall dont get it twisted,” Cudi added in a now-deleted tweet. “He just hurt. He beefin w himself at this point. Holdin that much hate in ur heart for someone for so long holds u back in life bro. Thats the devil using u. Hope he finds some peace man. Now its just sad.”
Fiasco himself has since responded and seemingly forgiven Cudi for the matter. “All I needed…” he quoted of Cudi’s post.
Check out Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco’s tweets below.
Love u g. Im sorry if i hurt u man. Life is too short. Hope u can find it in ur heart to get past this @LupeFiasco
Earlier today a new interview of Kid Cudi hit the internet. He sat down with Zane Lowe of Apple Music to discuss his new album INSANO and a number of other subjects. During the interview, Cudi tells a story about Lupe Fiasco, who he’s publicly had a beef with for years now. The new story was about a time that Lupe came into the Bape story Cudi was working at before he was famous. “I was in the back and they were like, ‘Yo, Lupe’s here.’ I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t.’ Stayed down the stairs, waited until he left. They were like, ‘What you down here for?’” Cudi detailed. “”I explained it to my dude the same way I explained it to you. I was like, ‘Yo, bro, if I get famous one day, I don’t ever want this n*gga saying like, ‘He sold me clothes. You my son.’”
Clearly, Lupe Fiasco caught wind of his comments pretty quickly and they didn’t sit right with him. Lupe didn’t hold anything back in his first tweet responding to the situation. “Kid Cudi is a b*tch. And continues to be a b*tch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his b*tch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous b*tch with a cool job,” his response tweet read. The profanity laced tweet turned out to not be an outlier as it served as the first in a long series of attacks going on all day. Check out the first tweet that started the rant below.
Kid Cudi is a bitch. And continues to be a bitch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his bitch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous bitch with a cool job.
In successive tweets Lupe elaborated on his feelings and where they came from. First, he claimed that he wanted to beat Cudi up which caught some fans off guard, though others found it funny. Next he told the entire story of how their beef started. He explained that he was a fan of Cudi initially and reached out to him while he was dealing with difficult times.
But when Cudi brought up money in a strange tweet aimed at Lupe things went sour and never recovered. What do you think of Lupe Fiasco re-igniting his beef with Kid Cudi through an explosive series of tweets? Let us know in the comment section below.
Cudi recently sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe for an interview, and during the chat, he spoke about his time nearly brushing into Fiasco in 2008 while working at Bape’s retail store in New York. Cudi spoke about hiding from rappers when they would shop at the location to avoid giving them ammunition for future diss tracks. One of those rappers so happened to be Lupe Fiasco.
“If I get famous one day, I don’t ever want these n****s saying, ‘Yo, you sold me clothes. You my son,’” he said. “I couldn’t have that. This was my explanation. And when you think about it he hates me ’til this day. He hates me. So, it’s like I was right. I was onto something. I sensed something in the universe.”
On January 19, after getting wind of Cudi’s interview, Fiasco took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a message with his longtime foe. He wrote, “Kid Cudi is a b*tch. And continues to be a b*tch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his b*tch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous b*tch with a cool job.”
Kid Cudi is a bitch. And continues to be a bitch. Ain’t nobody finna bring up he used to work at the Bape Store to diss his bitch ass for having a regular job before he was a famous bitch with a cool job.
He just couldn’t stay away, as INSANO‘s release marked Kid Cudi’s return to music—kind of. His short-lived retirement threw fans for a loop, but not everyone was convinced he would be gone for long, even Cudi. As the reviews pour in for Cudi’s 11th album, the hitmaker chopped it up once again with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1. These two have a history of intimate conversations encompassing Kid Cudi’s life, career, and personal growth, and this falls right in line.
As expected, the pair discussed INSANO at length, especially Cudi’s fairweather retirement. He admitted it wasn’t anything that he was set on, but Cudi didn’t feel as if fans were really hungry for new music. With INSANO, it seems that Cudi is welcoming criticism with open arms. “I’m just trying to compete,” he said.
“I want to have the best album of the year. You know what I mean?” Cudi continued. “I want people to arguably have the debate about my sh*t being one of the best albums of the year. I didn’t want to have any doubts. I wanted to make something that was completely undeniable.”
Moreover, it isn’t just Kid Cudi’s music that has found the Ohio native under scrutiny. His public fallouts with good friend Kanye West have made headlines, leaving many to believe their cemented bond was fractured. Yet, these two are more than simply collaborators and friends, and Kid Cudi spoke about reuniting with Ye for a fresh start. He even said Ye is aware of the impact of his controversies.
“I had this moment to think about the past and the journey that I’ve had with this person, and I know that in his soul,” said Cudi. “There is a good man there because I’ve seen it, and you don’t give up on people. He’s learning, and he’s growing. He knows he made some mistakes and I think that that’s the beauty of it, is this is a beautiful thing.”
Check out a few highlights from Kid Cudi’s chat with Zane Lowe—his feelings about approaching 40, snagging an XXXTentacion posthumous feature, working with Lil Yachty, why he wants to make the best music possible, and hiding from Lupe Fiasco (and other rappers) while working at the BAPE store back in 2008.
Kid Cudi On His Short-Lived Retirement & Returning To Music
[When I said that] I was kind of out of it. I was just in this place where I was thinking about my future, and it didn’t seem like, I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like there was really an appetite for my music in the ways that there used to be. Finally got through that whole retirement thing because I talked to my friend Brian, the world knows him as Kaws. But he was like, “Hey, man, I don’t mean to get in your business, but I think you should rethink this retirement thing. I think you could be around for a long time.”
to see Brian kind of come to me real like that, and he’s never approached me about my music or what I should do with my music ever before. So, it hit me in a different way as if it was like it could have been Dot or Chip or Dennis. It was different. And literally after that message, I was like, “Sh*t, man. He’s right. I’m just getting warm. I’m just getting warm.” I mean, 15 years is a long time to be doing anything, but it’s just the beginning.
I was still in this place trying to figure out what that album would sound like. And I was in Paris, I just finished my European Runner tour, and I go to see Kendrick. And this motherf*cker, it blew my mind. I’m sitting there, I’m watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show to the end of the show. People were in it, party mode, singing every f*cking word.
Not saying this doesn’t happen at my shows, because it does. But all the way through, I don’t have that experience. You know what I mean? And it’s like I had this moment where I was like, “You know what? This is the reaction I want. I want people to feel good and it to be a joyous occasion when I’m performing.” So I took that, the inspiration from Kendrick’s show. And Kendrick has always been my top three artists in the world.
Kid Cudi On His Relationship With Kanye West & Working With Ye
It’s usually one person does something where the other one has to defend themselves, but usually you like to keep these things private. But sometimes, they can come out. I think in my situation, it’s a little bit more complicated. Me personally, I just pray on it and walking the light. The new Scott is not angry at anyone. The new Scott doesn’t have beef with anyone, and I just try to focus on that.
Any past thing I ever had, sometimes it’s been I might fall out with somebody and never talk to them ever again. And then sometimes I fall out with somebody and might not talk for a couple years, and then we reconnect, and it’s squashed, and it’s all good. So, it depends. It’s like friendships, really it’s beyond friendship, is about when it’s brotherly, sisterly sh*t, family sh*t. It’s just a little bit more complicated.
So, you go through things, but family is always there. You don’t give up on family. And I think in the thick of it, when it was going down, I wanted to walk away. I wanted to give up, but in thinking about it the past couple years, it’s like this is someone who is my brother ultimately who came into my life and championed me and did things for me that nobody else did for me early on in my career. People don’t even know that Kanye paid for the first “Day ‘N’ Night” video when I didn’t have a deal. This was like, he needs a video, so I’mma pay for it. Guy saw me to shoot it, saw me the first director. Didn’t know me, but was sure just doing a favor.
And so, sh*t like that. I had this moment to think about the past and the journey that I’ve had with this person, and I know that in his soul, there is a good man there because I’ve seen it, and you don’t give up on people. He’s learning, and he’s growing. He knows he made some mistakes and I think that that’s the beauty of it, is this is a beautiful thing. It’s like he knows he’s been on one hell of a ride, and he knows he’s said some things that he might not be able to come back from in a lot of realms, in a lot of spaces from certain people.
But we grow, and I think I pray for him, and that’s my brother. And the reason why we became cool again is because he apologized to me, and it was sincere. I was just like, wow. Kanye does not apologize to anybody and say sorry to anyone. And that’s my brother, man. I know he loves me, and there’s just nothing like Kanye and Cudi. We like the duo that everybody loves to see.
On Wanting To Make The Best Music Possible
LONG BEACH, CA – APRIL 29: Rapper Kid Cudi performs onstage during the Smokers Club Festival at The Queen Mary on April 29, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
I feel like all these years, I’ve kind of been exploring as an artist, and I’ve been on a quest. A quest to acquire my powers to be able to compete one day, and that was one of the goals I had going into this. It’s like, no, I’m not going to just make my just offbeat different sh*t and just be in my own lane. No, I’m just trying to compete. I want to have the best album of the year. You know what I mean? I want people to arguably have the debate about my sh*t being one of the best albums of the year. I didn’t want to have any doubts. I wanted to make something that was completely undeniable.
On Closing In On 40 Years Old
CHICAGO – AUG 01: Kid Cudi performs at 2015 Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 1, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
I feel great. It’s like most people my age are afraid to tell their age. But I have found from experience that time gives me wisdom, and growth, and maturity. And when I think about my twenties, I would not want to live that over again. I would never want to go through that. And based on my experience, the older I’ve gotten, the better my life has. I just feel really good about being where I’m at. Being 40, I didn’t even know I would get here. I feel really blessed, man. It’s kind of crazy to know that I went through that hell. I didn’t see any way out of it at that time. I didn’t think…
On Working At The BAPE Store In NYC & Hiding From Rappers
Man, Kirk Franklin came through one time, and I helped him out with some clothes. Kirk Franklin, you remember me, man? Kirk Frank is the freshest dude, man. He’s so fresh. So when he came in, I was like, yo, Kirk Frank’s in the BAPE store shopping. He was buying mad sh*t. I was running down, getting him new shoes. He was like, “Yo, what you think about this with this?” I was like, “Oh yeah, man, this is dope. You could wear this with this. This is dope fit right here.” I was hooking them up, setting them up with fits, all sorts of sh*t. But I also had this phobia that rappers would come into the store and see me working there and then have beef with me later and bring up the fact like, “N****, you sold me clothes.” So, I would always hide in the stockroom.
On Working With Lil Yachty
There’s new people that I’m working with like Yachty, of course, who I’ve learned that we have crazy chemistry on record as well. You know what I mean? And we’re actually—there’s something going on with me and Yachty…like just more music between me and him. We’re trying to figure something out. Every so often, I’ll work with somebody and be like, oh my God, he’s like me. He has powers. Yachty got powers. And when we were sitting there, we must’ve banged out three, four songs. So, there’s a little bit more of Yachty on the deluxe, and he sounds amazing.
On Making A Song With XXXTentacion
Well, it was really like one of these things where I’ve heard it’s this version of a song that X had did on one of my songs on “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven,” and I tweeted out, “Is this real?” And I ended up connecting with John Cunningham, who worked very closely with X, and he met up with me. He came to the studio. We talked a little bit. He played me the joint. It’s amazing. At some point, we have to give it out. I want them to have it. I don’t even want it. I just want to make sure that they have what they need. I’ll clear it, whatever they got to do.
But I didn’t want to ask them for a verse. I think that’s weird. So, I was like, “Man, maybe there’s something that he’s done that I could probably flip.” And I couldn’t really find that except for “Orlando” because it had no drums. And it was hitting me out of all the songs that I heard, just like, I was like, if this is not calling me to the Cudi vibes, this is just speaking to me. And I hit up John, I got the pieces to the session, got the vocals, and we were like, “Yo, just produce it up and make it brand new.” I was like, “Man, this is a gift. It was there. It was ready to be manipulated. It had no drums. It was really bare. It was there.”
So, I took that as a sign from the Heavens and went to the studio and just conjured up something and pieced together parts. And I loved his cadence and his melodies on the verse. I thought it would be cool for fans to see me be inspired by him and do his vibe. And be in his space for a little bit. Then, I wanted to just have the second half be like, this is the uplifting part. This is where we’re at right now. The light, the love. We came from the darkness.
Because X is just a reflection from my younger days, to me. I see a young man that’s hurting. I was hurting. And this song, I felt his pain. Even though it’s a verse that’s been out before, I saw some people complaining about that, whatever. But it was like a remix. My way of just showing love and giving people an idea of what an X and Cudi feature would sound like.
