Kid Cudi Ended a Show Because the Audience Kept Throwing Things at Him
As the schedules begin to drop for this summer’s music festivals, Rolling Loud recently announced its headliners. One of the nation’s biggest hip-hop fests, the three-day extravaganza draws big-name rappers. This year, the event will feature headliners Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, and Playboi Carti and special guests Kodak Black, 21 Savage, and Lil Uzi Vert, among dozens of other artists. But when Kid Cudi performed last year, he cut his set short after concertgoers kept throwing objects at him. So it’s no surprise his name doesn’t appear in this year’s lineup.
Rolling Loud is a 3-day spectacle
The first Rolling Loud was a one-day event held in 2015 in Miami, Florida. Over the years, the festival has expanded to larger venues, increased its format to three days, and collaborated with other states and countries to sponsor similar events.
In 2021, the Florida-based fest took place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and featured Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, and Post Malone. Over 200,000 people attended the successful event.
Last year, Kanye West was supposed to headline. Days before the July event, the “Ghost Town” singer canceled, leaving organizers scrambling for a replacement.
In a statement, festival organizers said, “We were looking forward to Ye headlining Rolling Loud Miami 2022. We spent months working with him and his team on the performance. Unfortunately, Ye has decided that he will no longer be performing.”
West never explained why he canceled. When Kid Cudi was announced as the new headliner, many ticketholders were unhappy with the last-minute decision.
Here’s what happened before Kid Cudi walked off the stage at Rolling Loud 2022
Kid Cudi, who once collaborated with West, knew he had a hard act to follow but didn’t know the audience would be so unruly. After taking the stage, he got hit with a water bottle.
“Cudi was performing the fourth song of his set, ‘REVOFEV,” when what appeared to be a bottle thrown from the crowd hit him square in the face,” NBC News reported.
The “Pursuit of Happiness” rapper angrily responded, “Yo, I will walk off this stage if you all throw one more f****** thing up here. I will leave; I will leave right now.”
As the crowd continued throwing full bottles of water at the artist, he replied, “Throw one more f****** thing on this stage, and I’ll walk off. I’m not f******* playing; I’m not f****** playing. You will ruin it for everybody.”
An angry audience member ignored the rapper’s final warning and threw another water bottle. Cudi promptly stormed off the stage, ending his performance 15 minutes after he started.
West, who had caused the commotion by canceling at the last minute, showed up during Lil Durk’s set that night. Yene performed his classic “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” which coincidentally features vocals from Cudi.
In response to the chaos, festival organizers said, “Rolling Loud is a family. Our fans, the artists, and everyone involved need to look out for each other. Share the love and be respectful to everyone. We love you, Cudi. Please take care of each other, and let’s have an amazing day 2!”
Kid Cudi later commented on the fiasco
Two months after the incident, Cudi appeared on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music show to discuss the soundtrack of his animated Netflix program, Entergalactic.
Asked about Rolling Loud 2022, the “Man on the Moon” rapper said, “It’s supposed to be an unspoken agreement amongst artists and fans that you’re supposed to give the utmost respect and not interfere with the performance.”
The 39-year-old artist, whose real name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, explained he was “closing the chapter on Kid Cudi,” saying he wanted to spend more time with his 12-year-old daughter. He’s also exploring television writing, has launched a production company, and created a new clothing line, Members of the Rage.
All of this comes on the heels of a public social media fight with West, who dropped the artist from his Donda 2 album. Cudi responded on Instagram, “Too bad I don’t wanna be on ur album u f****** dinosaur hahaha. Everyone knows I’ve been the best thing about ur albums since I met you. Ima pray for u brother.”
