Kid Cudi

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (/ˈmɛskʌdi/ MES-kuh-dee; born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi (/ˈkʌdi/ KUHD-ee; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition for his song "Day 'n' Nite". Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team up with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fanbase, catching the attention of rapper Kanye West—who signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label by late 2008.

With "Day 'n' Nite" issued as its lead single, his debut studio album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009), was released to critical and commercial success. It received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned two hit singles: "Make Her Say" (featuring Kanye West and Common) and the diamond-certified "Pursuit of Happiness" (featuring MGMT and Ratatat). His second album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010), was met with continued success; it received platinum certification and spawned the singles "Erase Me" (featuring Kanye West) and "Mr. Rager". Cudi formed the rock band WZRD with long-time collaborator and producer Dot da Genius; their eponymous debut album (2012) debuted atop the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart.