John david Winter I Want to Love Again
Wonderland.
Speaking to John David Washington, he reflects on the expansive world he's built across music and flick, and how he'due south still growing within it.
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Taken from the Winter 2022 consequence. Pre-guild your re-create at present.
11 years ago, the world was formally introduced to Kid Cudi with his debut album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day. While there was already a fizz building effectually him — both for his beginning mixtape A Kid Named Cudi and his piece of work on Kanye West'due south 808s & Heartbreak — no i had foretold the confusing bear on the tape would have. Living up to its grandiose title, Homo on the Moon established Scott Mescudi'due south own psychedelic infinite in the music industry and, retrospectively, reshaped the perimeters of rap.
Merging haunting melodies with trippy samples and experimental product, Mescudi'southward audio was innovative and immersive, challenging the standard of hip-hop that had dominated the 00s. Lyrically he pushed boundaries too, with unfiltered introspection that dealt honestly, but optimistically, with themes from isolation and alienation to insecurity and rage.
Afterward kickstarting the decade with follow-up album Man on the Moon Two: The Legend of Mr. Rager, over the by 10 years nosotros've got to know Mescudi every bit a multifaceted artist outside of his output as Kid Cudi. Musically, he's evolved his sound beyond a number of records and joined forces with friends and collaborators, forming rock-leaning band WZRD with Dot da Genius in 2010, Kids Meet Ghosts with Kanye West in 2022 and THE SCOTTS with Travis Scott this yr — whose eponymous debut runway gave the artist his starting time No. ane single.
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After his get-go on-screen advent in 2010's How to Make It in America (playing a character HBO asked him to create), Mescudi has established himself every bit an actor too, most recently starring in Luca Guadagnino's heady coming-of-age series We Are Who We Are. Reaping the rewards of the respect he'due south earned in Hollywood, his current projects include executive producing Sam Levinson's highly-predictable film Malcolm & Marie (Zendaya, John David Washington), a role in Adam McKay's Don't Await Up (alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet), and his newly-launched production company, MAD SOLAR.
Just kickoff, a full-circle moment to run across out 2020: the long-awaited arrival of Man on the Moon Three. Put together unexpectedly over a number of weeks in quarantine, Mescudi says the project, like its previous counterparts, paints a picture of the inner workings of his mind at the time. Merging the signature Kid Cudi audio with new perspectives both musically and lyrically, it feels like a plumbing equipment bookend to the trilogy whilst looking firmly to a new dimension of the Scott Mescudi universe.
Speaking to his friend and early album confidant John David Washington, he speaks well-nigh his creative process for the trilogy and why 2022 finally felt like the right time to consummate information technology, the value of feedback from the likes of Shia LaBeouf and Timothée Chalamet, and why it ultimately represents his survival.
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JDW: I'chiliad and then excited to be talking to you at present. Only being a truthful fan, I want to back upwards fifty-fifty before this new album — how was the concept of Man on the Moon conceived? And was it always your intention to tell it inside iii albums?
SM: The whole Homo on the Moon theme came to me later I saw Jim Carrey in the moving-picture show Human on the Moon, about Andy Kaufman. I felt that his arroyo to comedy was like my arroyo to music — this unfiltered, could exist disturbing blazon of shit, you know? Shit that really fucked with the census, fucked with the people. So I ran with that. And I remember in kindergarten, my teacher took us to the planetarium and I was obsessed with the stars. That whole feel really rattled my soul, so since I was a kid I've always been obsessed with the planets and astrology. With the kickoff album, I was like 'How can I brand this a real personal opus? How can I really put the Scott Mescudi Dna all through this shit?' And I thought I am a spacey dude — I was smoking weed like every twenty-four hour period writing music, so I was this lonely stoner. I put it all together and was similar 'Man, I feel like I am on the moon, away from the world, in space'. After I did that, I was thinking virtually how would I wrap this off every bit a sequel. How could I miss the sophomore slump? That whole expletive of the second album existence terrible and non every bit good as the commencement. So I had this thought: I want to do a trilogy. I feel like information technology needs to exist what I'g dealing with right now, and the next year what I'one thousand dealing with and then, and the year after what I'm dealing with so. Hopefully in that location'll be some type of arch, a story that would take people on a ride. I was writing my life, I was literally living it and writing information technology down. All the Mr. Rager stuff, the darker shit, that wasn't me creating some grapheme and being witty. That was me trying to explain what I was feeling at the time.
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JDW: I'chiliad and so glad you're sharing that with all of u.s.a., because that's what resonated with me: the honesty in your albums. […] I detest watching myself on screen, so knowing that a movie I'yard in is about to come out terrifies the hell out of me. Do you observe that happening right earlier a release?
SM: I think there's always a lilliputian fearfulness, merely that'due south the excitement about the whole thing. Information technology's like if I'm not scared of information technology, so I did something wrong.
JDW: That makes sense to me.
SM: Being scared is a good feeling, and it took me years to know that. With my showtime album, I was scared shitless. I couldn't sleep for the iii nights before the album came out.
JDW: There was no sound similar yours before this too.
SM: That made it even more intense! Ordinarily, well-nigh of these kids have some shit to lean on. It'south like 'Oh, this sounds like this guy'. Literally, I was coming out the gate sounding like nobody and my shit was very different and psychedelic and foreign. I know that. And the climate of hip-hop at that time was pretty much 99.9% gangsta rap. I've got a vocal similar "Pursuit of Happiness" man… I was like 'The hood ain't gonna fuck with this shit!' I was really nervous. But then you encounter what happens and you come across how people embrace information technology. So that was a existent teachable moment where I learned existence scared, that means I'm on the right rail.
JDW: Amen. So thinking nigh that time, you lot disharmonism, of so much pain, sorrow, and yet there'southward always hope introduced in your songs. Thinking nigh now — what we've all been waiting for, Man on the Moon 3 — is that still in at that place? Is this similar 'OK people, I've made it, this is where I wanted to end upwardly'? Or is it 'This is where I am at present'?
SM: I recollect it's really dope that you lot pointed that out, because that's always been my thing. I think there'southward merely i vocal that I've ever written where it was completely sad and in that location was no hope, and that was "All Along". That's a song that I can't perform to this day considering it'southward such a downer. Information technology's just hard for me to sing that, [lyrics] like "I guess I'grand meant to be alone". There was no low-cal at the end of the tunnel, that was it. Now I'1000 36, all these years later on, I don't feel that way anymore. I do like to always have the light at the stop of the tunnel considering I know kids demand that hope, and this album will be no different. One of the things that I wanted to do was bring more energy. That was something that I'm sure y'all noticed on this album that was really different from the last two — information technology moved a lot quicker. Merely it'south still one hell of a ride as far every bit the emotion and the experience and the melodies. All the things that people have come to love of Child Cudi for the past 10, eleven years.
JDW: That was my experience when listening to it. It felt similar everything we dear near what you lot do. The people that have only been lis- tening for so long, and even some of the new fans within the past five years, are gonna enjoy, sonically, what nosotros're experiencing. But to me, I was really keying in on what you're doing lyrically. I think information technology is extremely mature, and by that I mean it seems like y'all were setting a personal challenge of cut in lyrically.
SM: Man, I appreciate you. That was definitely something that I was aiming for. I always like to think 'With this projection, what could I do new that I oasis't really done before?' It's been a long time since I've done an album where it'southward been virtually 90% bars, just rapid. And Kid Cudi rap is melodic, but there's a fusion there. There's some songs where in that location'due south no melody in the rap and at that place'due south some songs where in that location'southward a hybrid, where it's a little flake of both, and there's some songs where it'due south my classic Cudi shit.
JDW: For fans out in that location, it'south only exciting that it seems like a completion of this thought of Human being on the Moon. To me, every bit an actor, I just honey when we're able to show range — when we're able to show that nosotros can be funny, we tin can be serious, we can be damn well-nigh depressed, we can exist the most jovial like preacher, religious person. Whatever it is, we're really playing these characters. The difference though is that this is your real life, yous know? You're showing your different colours, and you're also being able to do this differently musically. I really appreciate that. […] Going over all of your piece of work and where you are now in your life, with this album Man on the Moon III, do you remember much about the legacy you've created? What practice y'all want that legacy to be?
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SM: I hope that it's OK to say I do retrieve most my legacy. And that's why I make some choices now in my adulthood, because I'm thinking nearly the kids and how shit may bear on them. I think almost all the mistakes and all the things I've been through… I want to be a role model now, more than than always. Back then, when I was doing Mr. Rager shit, I was kind of just like 'Fuck it'. Because I'm young, yous know? It was all rage. But at present it'south like I want people to know that I'one thousand hither for good and that I've always wanted to help people. I take problems and I'm human being, and people know I've been going through it. But we survive, and I want people to know that I'm a survivor. We however deal with shit; even with this new anthology yous'll see that there's things I'g still dealing with, simply nosotros get through. I'grand talking to you today, I feel fucking great.
JDW: You lot await good, human. I love how you said you survive, and this album, I guess you lot're embodying that. 'Cause if you lot're talking nearly the journey of Man on the Moon, in some songs, some instances, you're not sure. Fifty-fifty though y'all introduce hope a lot, you don't know.
SM: Right
JDW: And at present you're saying, at this point in your life, with this album when it drops: I've survived. And that nearly feels similar you're taking responsibility. That's a mature thing.
SM: I call up that's something I've learned, and I credit women in my life teaching me that.
JDW: Like who?
SM: I think my ex, really, is one of the main people that taught me that — that I take to own upward and take responsibility for things. I idea I made all these changes, but I however had a lot of stuff to piece of work on. It didn't work out with us; it wasn't her fault, it was me. So yeah, I'yard nevertheless learning. I'm 36. I'g open to growing. I want to grow.
JDW: What are your hopes for the manufacture and our world going into next year?
SM: I simply want to come across us come together a little bit more than. I want to see a little chip more unity and a lot more than love. I want to see more than Black stories, I feel like we need that. I was just in a situation where at that place was this movie that I really wanted to exercise but I didn't have the time, but it was this really stellar, all-Black cast. And I was like 'Man, this is the shit I want to be a part of'. That'south the whole shit with my production company, and nosotros tin get into that as well. But that's one of my priorities, to find more Black storytellers.
JDW: These are the kind of opportunities you lot're looking to create — more people of colour, collaborative environments, and telling our shit, telling our stories?
SM: Yeah, and also to have a hub, a place where I tin develop my own stuff for me to do as an thespian. […] Now I'm in a position where I tin can develop a book, I can develop a script with a friend, with Shia [LaBeouf]. We can write the movie and get information technology fabricated in a couple months. All these things are at my fingertips now and I tin can really exercise things and I have money behind me.
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JDW: And the correct collaborators to help get it done, right?
SM: Yes, exactly. I retrieve this partnership with BRON [studios] is a large first step. We as well have this pic we start shooting adjacent year, it'due south chosen X. Ti W is directing it and we're doing that with A24. That's our first, and I'g a big horror fan so this is dope. This is my first horror movie.
JDW: I'thou looking forward to that… This has been a time of reflection — 2022 has been wild, every bit you know. What have been the most signifi- cant takeaways in 2022 for you lot?
SM: Just being with myself and being OK with beingness lone was a big matter for me, not being able to distract myself by going out and exercise- ing things. Information technology helped me go more dorsum into my middle and effigy out what Scott needs to exist happy — whether it'due south working out, or any. Even having my friends come up over and we just shoot the shit for a little scrap and play Xbox. Merely nigh of the time I'm alone, and I had to just deal with that and be OK with that. It was cool; it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna exist, because I am someone who really hated being lone and I know a lot of people out there feel that mode. I thought this whole pandemic was gonna exist really hard for me, but I concluded up making a fucking anthology in weeks.
JDW: Wait a minute, hold on — this album, Man on the Moon Three, this was all done in quarantine? Wow. And everything you said with that that went into it — being alone and all these things that you lot found in your life that was happening — information technology only poured into the tracks?
SM: Yeah, and I was dealing with a lot. I was going through some personal bug and I only threw myself into the music and wrote my center out. That's one of the reasons why I haven't done Human being on the Moon Three for so long, considering I was like 'There's no way kids are going to honour this. They're going to recall it'due south non as good equally the first 2, and the simply bending I have is to make a really positive album'. And I don't real- ly think that's dope, I don't want to make some cheesy fucking positive anthology, y'all know? And so I was downplaying information technology, like 'I'll just practice these 2 and that will just be it'. But dealing with things all over once again, so I was writing songs that wasn't for Enter- galactic and information technology wasn't for THE SCOTTS. It was some other shit, and after I made like three songs I was like 'Yo, I'm making Man on the Moon 3. This is it'.
JDW: That's so crazy, man. That's got to experience skillful too when you lot're in a period like that. Information technology sounds like once you got it going, you lot knew exactly what you were doing. […] Yous know how I feel about you lot, just existence an creative person, and I know there's other artists out in that location — like Shia, similar Timothée [Chalamet] — who really respect you. When you get feedback from a Shia or a Timothée, exercise you like that? Does that motivate yous?
SM: Yeah, it'due south actually dope. These are guys that are masters at their craft, so to get any slither of advice from these two is priceless. Me and Shia, nosotros've known each other for years, information technology's been about 10 years now. And Timmy'southward a new friend, just I have this real bail with them. The Kid Cudi shit is very distant — I mean information technology's more nowadays with me and Timmy 'crusade Timmy and me met at a unlike time, when he was young and I helped him up during a moment when he needed information technology. Information technology really connects with him in a unlike way. I'll telephone call him and play him music and get his stance — I scout him on FaceTime; I watch his whole shit and spotter him go through the motions, him endmost his eyes, feeling it, and I approximate his reaction. There's some songs that I play Timothée where he'll be like 'That's absurd, that's cool', and in that location'southward some songs where he'll exist like 'Holy shit! Holy shit! Yo, play that back!' And same matter with Shia. Shia sits there and gives me the truth likewise.
JDW: You need people like that in your circumvolve, I think that shit'due south important.
SM: That's why I dearest Shia, and that'due south why playing him this new music was really important. Same with you. I really needed to know you guys' stance, because this is the most im- portant album of my career thus far.
JDW: There it is, you said it. Intermission that down, why?
SM: It's x years of anticipation for this album. If this album fails, if this sucks, I'chiliad over! I'grand gonna get live on an island somewhere…
JDW: I cannot wait for the masses to experience this, homo. Information technology is an incredible piece of piece of work. It's mature, information technology's informative, it really took me back to moments of my life that you lot were heavy in my life with your music. I just love what yous said: you've survived. I love that. Considering that's, in some ways, how I experience similar a lot of my life. Where I'thousand at correct at present, it feels like I survived in my "Pursuit of Happiness", if I volition… And it comes off. This album comes off that way. Information technology's a beautiful piece of work. I'm so proud of you lot.
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Source: https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2020/12/11/kid-cudi-winter-issue-interview-john-david-washington/
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