Kid Cudi has faced adversity during his time in the limelight and has been public about that. From dealing with mental health issues in the midst of a seeming Drake feud to having to deal with backlash for expressing himself in a manner he felt fit, the Man on the Moon rapper has been through and like the title of his 2009 track, Cudder has been on the "Pursuit of Happiness" and sometimes, it's been a nightmare.
However, with Cudi's ever-evolving personality and fashion sense garnering more and more appreciation as time has gone on, the Cleveland rapper has seemingly been taking more control of his life and doing exactly what he wants without as much concern for the outside perception. From rocking a long, floral dress designed by Virgil Abloh during his performance on SNL (a tribute to Kurt Cobain), to his New York Fashion week look which featured a Nirvana tee over a long, black skirt and bright blue hair, to all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the 2021 Met Gala, and Cudi's look specifically.
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Showing up to The Met with fluorescent green hair, black eye makeup and jewels to match, a Louis Vuitton sweater and another floor-length skirt with LV sneakers and a massive KAWS chain Ben Baller said was the most intricate piece he had ever created during his time as a jeweler, it was clear Cudi was feeling himself and it was clear he was not afraid to show it, despite the look being dragged by fellow rappers on IG.
Today, over a week since shutting down the Met Gala and subsequent after parties, Cudi took to Twitter with a heartwarming message, tweeting "Its taken me 37 years to say it but ... I love my life."
Last week, Cudi welcomed Lil Nas X to the Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People of 2021 List and wrote about the "homophobic cloud" that plagues hip-hop and how it is so important to have a "gay man in hip-hop, doing his thing, crushing records." Cudi continued to explain that having someone like Lil Nas who expresses themself despite adversity and backlash is "huge for us and for Black excellence," and based on his evolution over the last handful of years, it seems Cudi has become more comfortable with himself and stepping into a role as a unabashed expression of his true self.
Such a simple, one sentence statement, "I love my life," is a sentiment not many fans expected they would hear or read from Kid Cudi. The ups and downs of his career have put on full display and at this point, over a decade into his time in music, it's really amazing to read that the man who's struggled so much until this point can say he loves his life.
Here's to Kid Cudi and to honor the "Christian Dior Denim Flow" rapper, drop your favorite Cudi song in the comments.