By Mitch Cohen
When it comes to rapper friendships, the one that has lasted the longest is between Kanye West and Kid Cudi. These two have made several songs together such as “Gorgeous” and “Moon,” and even made a collaboration album called “Kids See Ghosts.” However, it seems that their friendship has been severed due to the feud between Kanye and Pete Davidson. Since Davidson has stated many times that Kid Cudi is his hero, it made Kanye feel betrayed. The question is why did this partnership turn into a rivalry?
Up until recently, Kanye West and Kid Cudi had a very strong relationship. Cudi has considered West to be a “big brother,” despite leaving his label in 2013. In 2018, Cudi told Rolling Stone “Italy” that “Kids See Ghosts” saved him. “At the time, I didn’t know if I was going to keep making music or not, and Kanye was there for me, to help me get up,” said Cudi. What made the friendship so strong was how they were willing to stick together, despite not always agreeing. For example, during West’s support of then President Donald Trump, Cudi claimed that he disagreed with West’s political stance. “I think he knows where I stand, and I think he doesn’t bring it up to me” said Cudi. This shows how loyal Kid Cudi was as a friend, as even though he wasn’t a Trump supporter, he still stuck by West. Ultimately, it was clear that Cudi and West had a strong personal and professional relationship. So how did this brotherhood result in such a turbulent falling out?
Kanye West and Kid Cudi performing at The Hollywood Bowl in 2015.
In the late 2010s, Pete Davidson came onto the scene. Next to “Saturday Night Live,” Davidson is known for being a diehard fan of Kid Cudi’s music. During a 2016 interview with The Breakfast Club, Davidson claimed that Cudi’s music ended up saving his life. Unfortunately for West, his ex, Kim Kardashian ended up dating Davidson. Making matters worse was Cudi and Davidson’s friendship, enraging West. As a consequence, West removed him from his album, claiming that he’s friends with “you know who.” Cudi called West a dinosaur and said he didn’t want to be on the album. Eventually, fans made memes about the situation, such as a parody of “Captain America: Civil War.” In my opinion, Cudi did the right thing sticking by Davidson, as it would be wrong for Cudi to stick with someone who puts his friends down.
As for how I feel, I was shocked to hear that their friendship was over. Since these two collaborate frequently, I was disappointed to hear that Cudi wasn’t appearing on West’s new album. However, West brought this onto himself, as he constantly posted how he wanted Kim Kardashian back. By doing this, West put his kids in danger because he made his family problems open to the public. While I am not a fan of Davidson, I think that West is misappropriating his anger towards him. In order to solve this issue, I think West, Kim, Davidson and Cudi should meet with a therapist in order to work out their differences. By doing this, it would allow West to express his feelings to each person he has wronged.
Ultimately, the rivalry between Kanye West and Kid Cudi is disappointing to see. It’s unfortunate because these two are incredible on songs together, and it’s a shame that this rivalry was responsible for destroying a strong friendship. Here’s hoping that West and Cudi will work out their differences and make new music soon.