In Kid Cudi’s (a.k.a. Scott Mescudi) song “Soundtrack 2 My Life,” he opens up to all of the problems he has had growing up. From coping with his father’s death to coming to terms with his own depression, listeners understand the many hardships he has dealt with.

“But they all didn’t see, the little bit of sadness in me, Scotty.”

Mescudi completely accepts vulnerability not only in this one song, but throughout his album “Man on the Moon: The End of Day” in order to create the extremely down to earth and relatable character that drew so many listeners to his unique style.

That album came out in 2009. Since then, Mescudi released multiple projects that barely received half of the praise his debut album did. Kid Cudi went from being in the front of the changing music industry to being the exact opposite.

Mescudi recently became a trending topic on social media, not for his announcement on a new album, rather for a statement he released on Facebook. Mescudi wrote to his fans about his decision to check himself into rehab due to depression and suicidal urges. He spoke about how he was “ashamed of himself” for doing this but promised that there would be more music and that he would come back “stronger”.

Thousands of people liked and shared the post. From his dedicated fans to adults who had no idea who he was, everyone came together to show Mescudi there is no reason for him to apologize and that they would support him through his recovery.

A majority of those people that took to social media to talk about Mescudi’s situation were students. They were the ones his music spoke to the most given that a common theme throughout his work speaks of the troubles of growing up. I, as well as millions of other kids, listened to songs like “Solo Dolo” where Mescudi sings about escaping reality through his dreams and felt so connected to his words. Lot’s of students deal with sadness on various levels and when a person braves the stage to speak out on his/her own experiences with it, we listen just to feel as though we have one more person on our side.

It’s that brutal honesty that attracts us.

Mescudi isn’t the only musician known for breaking through walls of vulnerability. More popular musicians such as Lady Gaga (a.k.a. Stefani Germanotta) are known for writing music that tackle social justice issues, such as sexual harassment, based off personal experiences. Germanotta takes it beyond the music by campaigning with organizations that advocate for sexual harassment survivors.

Learning more about a musician truly changes the way we listen to their music. In 2015, Mescudi released “Speeding Bullet 2 Heaven” which was a long awaited album release. The album was unlike anything I had ever heard from Mescudi. He stepped away from the alternative hip-hop he was known for and experimented with punk rock influences. To be honest, I didn’t like it. No one did. That album was considered the worst album of year and at the time it seemed rightfully so. 

However, after learning about the hardships Mescudi endured, I gave it another listen. I still didn’t like it … but I gained a newfound respect for it. It held it’s own unique complexity in and of itself. Mescudi simply tried to tell a story in a different fashion, regardless of whether or not people would like it.

It’s important we realize that musicians don’t always create to connect with others; sometimes it’s their own plea for help because no matter how famous they are, they’re still humans with the same emotions we all have.

Saketh is a freshman in DGS.
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