The rapper who takes responsibility for Kid Cudi’s career
It began as any other studio tale in New York: a rapper, a record company, and an opportune meeting that would result in the career of one person being altered forever, and this time, Jim Jones was at the podium, taking credit for one artist.
The Harlem rapper, Dipset veteran and self-proclaimed hustler executive recently sparked controversy, arguing that he is the only reason why Kid Cudi has achieved such success. The majority of the fans have always thought that Kanye West had already found Cudi in 2008; however, Jones claims the story begins with him. He explained to Revolt that he was confident about his influence on the man who would eventually inject hip-hop with emo introspection.
The meeting came at a time when Jones was a vice president of urban A&R with Koch Records. Between meetings and sessions, someone had shown him a crude video of an unrecognised kid called Scott Mescudi rapping on a rooftop, looking crazy. The song was ‘Day ’n’ Nite’, and Jones instantly saw potential and offered a trade against it, proclaiming, “Give me the record, and I will allow y’all to shoot me a videotape”.
Several days later, he would have his own verse added to his remix of the song and would post it to the internet to obtain it a New York co-sign. Soon, Hot 97 picked it up, with Jones claiming it was only played because his name was on it, coasting on his belief that he made a bedroom recording into a radio hit.
However, once the Fool’s Gold Records’ version of ‘Day ’n’ Nite’ came about, Jones saw himself removed altogether. He was never given a cheque, not even a call, but he nursed no apparent bitterness, only pride in having known talent better than the world. “I only manage the career of Kid Cudi,” he said, repeating it like a mantra, with a mixture of ego and truth. As soon as Kanye West signed Cudi to G.O.O.D. Music later the same year, the life of the young artist started flying high: A Kid Named Cudi hit, 808s & Heartbreak followed, and Man on the Moon: The End of the Day made him a star.
Nevertheless, fans are split on this theory. While some believe that Jim Jones should be given credit over the fact that he saw the spark at the beginning, others hold that Cudi would have done it by himself. The variation of the mythology of ‘Day ’n’ Nite’ did give it a twist, making it the top Billboard song at number three, and certified as a diamond record.
It is undeniable that Jones was truly the one to contribute towards quickening the process of Cudi’s career, and where he started with moving the record, others were bent on pushing him towards becoming an immortal force.
More to the point, perhaps, is that Kid Cudi has remained silent concerning the allegation made by Jones. He has mentioned Kanye countless times as having changed his life, but has never made any comment publicly on that early remix. Perhaps it is because both of them are true: Jones helped him with the first push, and Kanye helped him get the wings.