Kid Cudi is pretty fucking brave.
As a longtime fan of his music—shoutout to all my fellow “Day n’ Nite” Myspace addicts—I’ve always been in awe at his ability to conjure up contagious melodies out of thin air. But it’s the revelations interwoven in between each of those notes that tell the tale of a tortured soul who longs for a sense of purpose and belonging.
“Nightmares kept a nigga from closing his lids,” he confesses on the forlorn “Baptized by Fire” from 2016’s Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’. “Since a kid, I’ve been haunted by visions of death/ Such a trip, now it’s normal, I customed the grip/ Think they gone? Nah, they’re just dormant, them haunters ain’t left.”
I’ve always admired creators who pour their wounds into their art. And throughout the course of his decade-plus career, there’s been no better example of someone who’s done exactly that than Kid Cudi, whose grisly wars with depression, heartache, anxiety, and drug abuse have transformed unspeakable agony into critical acclaim. But while Cudi has made it a point to cordially introduce us to his demons via his prolific output of music, for the first time in his career, the former G.O.O.D. Music rapper is courageous enough to take us behind the veil with an intimate documentary.
A Man Named Scott, produced in partnership with Mad Solar, Film 45, and Amazon, couldn’t have a more fitting title. Over the course of an hour and 35 minutes, we’re treated to Cudi’s philosophies on life, art, and the burdens of fame—courtesy of not only the man himself, but the co-conspirators and collaborators who know him best. Everyone from Pharrell to Lil Yachty to actor Shia LaBeouf take turns singing Cudi’s praises while also bearing his flaws.
“I appreciate him for being him so I could be me,” Lil Yachty says, denoting Cudi’s undeniable impact on the cultural zeitgeist.
These touching moments of transparency also help peel back the layers of a recurring theme throughout the film: Cudi’s tumultuous journey with mental health.
In 2016, the Grammy Award-winning artist checked himself into rehab in order to treat depression and suicidal urges. But as A Man Named Scott reveals, Cudi’s war within was waging long before he ever sought out professional help. As someone whose own mental health has been put to the test throughout the course of this pandemic, hearing producers Dot da Genius and Jeff Bhasker recall feeling helpless as one of their closest friends lapsed into dangerous bouts of isolation and self-destructive behavior hit a little too close to home. But that’s the nature of the beast as a creative, in which lofty expectations often require us to destroy ourselves for a living.
It’s a troubling fact that I discuss frequently among my peers, as each of us have more than our fair share of testimonies. But Cudi’s transparency in unveiling the depth and scope of his demons in A Man Named Scott takes a level of fearlessness that a vast majority of us will never have. This is part of what makes this documentary such a crowning achievement, in that it’s a testament to both his courage and his innate desire to inspire others to find their own means of liberation.
Check out the trailer for A Man Named Scott below and make sure you catch this film on Amazon Prime Video on Nov. 5.
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