In 2009, Scott Mescudi aka Kid Cudi released his debut LP, Man on the Moon: The End of Day. A genre-bending album that broke barriers by featuring songs dealing with depression, anxiety, and loneliness, it resonated deeply with young listeners and launched Cudi as a musical star and cultural hero. Director Robert Alexander’s A Man Named Scott explores Cudi’s journey over a decade of creative choices, struggles, and breakthroughs, making music that continues to move and empower his millions of fans around the world.
Kid Cudi is probably one of my favorite artists of all time. I was literally speechless when Amazon offered to send me a screener of his latest documentary, “A Man Named Scott”.
Last night, I decided to have movie night and invited someone who is an even bigger Cudi fan than I am- an artist named Lem. The film left us emotional and extremely inspired. The 96-minute documentary opens with commentary from Pharrell Williams; the visuals and soundtrack are absolutely stunning. Williams details what it’s like to be an artist currently and how Kid Cudi has always been ahead of the curve.
“A Man Named Scott” comes at perfect timing as we observe November as men’s health month. If you’re familiar with Cudi’s career, you already know about his mental health journey and struggle with addiction. But this film gets deep. It goes beyond news headlines and delves into his personal relationships and demons.
I cried.
Sometimes, I feel things that I don’t exactly have the words for and this documentary filled that void. A number of Cudi’s closest friends were featured, including his day one collaborator, Dot Da Genius. A psychologist also appears in the doc to breakdown some of what the artist was going thru between 2009 and 2016. It was interesting to hear her understanding of some things. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “Kid Cudi’s music saved my life”.. on the surface, it sounds like the ultimate compliment. But for someone battling a mental health disorder, that has to be overwhelming.
At times, the documentary was intense, but it mirrored what the artist was experiencing. However, it ended on such a beautiful and hopeful note.
Prime Video will release A MAN NAMED SCOTT globally on November 5, 2021
Directed by Robert Alexander
Starring Kid Cudi
Featuring Kanye West, Timothée Chalamet, Shia LaBeouf, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Lil Yachty, and Pharrell Williams
