2 weeks ago
4
NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — Kid Cudi is the latest personage being called to attest astatine Sean “Diddy” Combs ′ enactment trafficking proceedings successful New York.
The fashionable melodic rapper is expected to instrumentality the basal Thursday and archer the assemblage astir his little narration 14 years agone with Combs’ ex-girlfriend, the R&B vocalist Cassie.
According to tribunal filings and testimony, the Cassie-Cudi relationship, which grew retired of the 2 moving connected euphony together, sent Combs into rages successful which helium bushed her. Prosecutors contend that Combs was truthful upset helium arranged to person Cudi’s convertible firebombed.
Combs has pleaded not blameworthy to charges that helium leveraged his presumption arsenic a powerfulness broker to maltreatment women.
Here’s what you request to cognize astir the 41-year-old Cudi, whose ineligible sanction is Scott Mescudi.
The Cleveland born-and-raised, skinny-jean wearing, Grammy Award-winning rapper has agelong been celebrated for his alternate hip-hop, affectional euphony that effortlessly weaves genres unneurotic successful astonishing ways.
Music blogs and different tastemakers rapidly caught connected to Cudi's 2007 single, “Day ‘n’ Nite,” with its unsocial singsong benignant that aboriginal appeared connected his blockbuster 2009 debut, “Man connected the Moon: The End of the Day” arsenic “Day ‘n’ Nite (Nightmare)." The album's hits included “Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)” and is easy 1 of the astir influential rap records of the past 2 decades. In September, “Day ‘n’ Nite” was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Cudi began arsenic something of a protégé of Kanye West, erstwhile the then-uncontroversial rapper signed Cudi to his G.O.O.D. Music statement successful 2008. Cudi near successful 2013.
He is featured connected Jay-Z's “The Blueprint 3” and West's landmark “808s & Heartbreak.” Cudi has ever had an oculus and receptor toward innovation. In 2022, his medium “Entergalactic” was released alongside a Netflix adult-animated romanticist drama of the aforesaid name, which helium told The Associated Press allowed him to “explore the abstract.”
Cassie, whose ineligible sanction is Casandra Ventura, has been the trial’s cardinal witnesser with her accounts of years of unit and intersexual abuse.
She testified that Combs arranged for her to conscionable Cudi successful 2011 to enactment connected music. The 2 began dating soon after, and she said she got a burner telephone to pass with Cudi successful secret.
Cassie said she and Combs had breached up astatine the time, though they inactive engaged successful enactment parties that Combs orchestrated. It was during 1 of these that Combs looked astatine her telephone and learned of the Cudi relationship, Cassie testified.
In response, she said helium lunged astatine her with a corkscrew and kicked her successful the back.
When Cassie and Combs were retired of the state successful 2012, Combs told her that Cudi’s car would beryllium blown up and Combs wanted Cudi’s friends determination to spot it, Cassie testified.
On Tuesday, Cassie’s mother, Regina Ventura, testified that Cassie told her Combs was truthful aggravated astir her narration with Cudi that helium planned to merchandise sexually explicit videos of her and nonstop idiosyncratic to wounded Cassie and Cudi.
Cassie testified that Cudi came to sojourn her astatine her mother’s Connecticut location astir Christmas successful 2011 and she broke up with him, fearing for some of their safety.
The Associated Press does not typically sanction radical who accidental they person been sexually abused unless they travel guardant publicly, arsenic Cassie has.
His latest album, “Insano,” arrived past year. Soon aft its release, “Insano (Nitro Mega),” a spouse grounds that featured Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, Steve Aoki and more, arrived.
On May 9, Cudi released his latest single, “Neverland.” A abbreviated movie of the aforesaid name, directed by Ti West and produced by Monkeypaw Productions, volition premiere astatine Tribeca Film Festival this June.
Also successful May, Cudi officially launched his caller apparel label, WZRD.
Daring manner has been a longtime passionateness for Cudi; the rapper has partnered with brands specified arsenic BAPE and Adidas. He collaborated with the late decorator Virgil Abloh, and successful 2021 channeled Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain by wearing an Abloh-designed Off-White floral formal connected signifier astatine “Saturday Night Live.”
Last week, helium announced his engagement to menswear decorator Lola Abecassis Sartore.
Cudi is besides a celebrated actor, having appeared successful a fig of diagnostic films and tv programs. They see 2020s “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” the 2021 Netflix archetypal “Don't Look Up,” the HBO bid “How to Make It successful America” and the glossy “House Party” remake successful 2023, successful which helium played it consecutive arsenic an anti-social lurker who doesn’t similar parties (“too overmuch laughing”) and lone wanted to spell to springiness his pal LeBron a poem, arsenic The Associated Press' Lindsey Bahr wrote successful her review.
___
Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak and Andrew Dalton contributed to this report.
English (US) ·