Kid Cudi on art, Akira, and creative polymathy

Scott Mescudi, known to the world as Kid Cudi, is entering a new creative chapter. In December, 2025, he made his inaugural appearance at Art Basel Miami, his first-ever public venture into painting, ahead of his debut solo exhibition in Paris at the Ruttkowski;68 gallery later this month. Miami also saw the premiere of Echoes of the Past, a short documentary by filmmaker Joshua Charow that offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of “Scotty Ramon,” his painter persona. The film captures the artist at a moment of transition, as he expands his practice into a new medium. Mescudi’s art world evolution is a natural extension of a career long defined by visual expression. The Cleveland-born singer, producer, actor, and fashion designer approaches creativity with an otherworldly imprint, consistently producing work that is visually rich across disciplines. From the playful logo of his fashion label WZRD, starring fellow artist Pusha T in the first campaign, to the neon vibrancy of the Members of the Rage (MOTR) label, Mescudi’s projects exude a dedication to color and form. That aesthetic mindset even led to Entergalactic, his warm-toned, cosmic animated film released in 2022 that accompanied his eighth studio album of the same name. Mescudi sat down with Jing Daily as part of our Masterminds interview series, spotlighting key protagonists shaping the luxury industry. From Tokyo inspiration to creative outlets, we explore the 2026 side of Kid Cudi. Jing Daily: Where have you found most of your inspiration recently? Scott Mescudi: Oh, man, I would say my life has always been an inspiration for me. My journey and what I'm dealing with, and I pull from that a lot. This year (2025) has been an exciting year: I got married, shot this movie, my first lead role, this horror movie, it's gonna be sick, comes out in 2026. You know, just painting. And while I'm experiencing all these joys in my life, it has made me reflect on where I came from and what I've been through, and that's where the inspiration came for my paintings. JD: Is painting a new evolution for you, or have you always wanted to explore different mediums? SM: Well, I've always wanted to explore different mediums, but I just feel like you have to do things in your own time. You have to be inspired. Like, I've definitely attempted to try to paint before. But it was a half hearted attempt, I wasn’t really in it. I only really added to my paintings when I did acid, so it was a disaster. But then, last year, I was at this place, where I wanted to try something different, and I wanted to grow and see what else I can do, you know. Tap into my creativity and the painting just really took off for me. JD: What creative wisdom runs through your oeuvre, whether that's painting or fashion designing or making music? SM: Yeah, just be brave. Just go for it, try new things, experiment ... That’s the most important thing, and not to be afraid. Be brave. You have to put yourself out there and not be afraid to fail. You learn lessons in failure, and you get back up and try again. Then you finesse it, and you get it right. JD: What prompted you to reveal this new side of yourself? SM: Well, I had a lot of friends that I was sending my artwork to, and they would be encouraging me while I was creating. You realize that there's no right or wrong with painting, it's all subjective. I think once I got that in my head, I was a little bit more free with what I was doing, instead of thinking about it so hard. Over time, I became more confident, and then started to have ideas, wanting to do an exhibition, and I got ready to put myself out there. As time went on, the more I created works, because that was another thing too. It's like, all right, is this just some random feeling I have right now, in this month, and then two months from now, I won't be painting? That was something for me. I had to really ask myself. But the more I got into it, and how often I was painting, in the amount of painting, the things I was making in one session, I just realized that I had tapped into a new bug, and I ran with it. JD: Do you have any rituals or habits that anchor your painting process and keep you in the zone? SM: Yeah, I love listening to classical music. I always put on some Bach and just kind of zone out. I love classical or any instrumental music. I feel like it really helps me kind of zone out and just not think and just create. It's usually during the daytime, because I want to get home to my wife in the evening, when she gets over work. JD: How do you balance business and creativity in your projects? SM: I just make sure that everything is for the art of it. You know, that's the most important. JD: Quiet luxury is a big thing in fashion, and you bring a lot of colorful, vibrant design into the industry. Do you think about trends when you're designing? SM: The people don't know what they want until they have it, you know. I don't let the audience dictate what I create. I make what I want to create and what I think the people need, and that's how I execute. JD: How does building the connections with your fans across East Asia impact your work? SM: Oh, it's super important. It’s been super cool to me to know that there's countries that honor me in such a way. When I go there and do a show, I just see all the excitement, and it touches my soul. It really means a lot to me to know that the music has transcended cultural barriers. And, you know, all over the world, people are consuming it and understanding my message and connecting with it. It’s really important to me. JD: Have Japanese fashion and culture influenced your creative fashion process? SM: Every time I'm in Tokyo, I always see some fly stuff. They know how to dress man, straight up. I just love the fashion in Tokyo. It's so inspiring. And that's one of my dreams to design a collection in Tokyo. JD: Are you a big anime fan? Is there a series that would be your dream collaboration? SM: I wouldn't say I'm a huge anime fan. I've seen a few, but if there's one that I would want to do a collaboration with, it is Akira. We actually have been in contact with them trying to set up something, and they were open to it. So we just have to see when the timing is right, but, yeah, definitely Akira. JD: How do you want to be perceived as a painter? SM: I want them to see the honesty in the paintings, you know, in the rawness, and I want them to feel me the same way they feel me when they listen to my music. That's the goal. JD: What’s more therapeutic, painting darkness or light? SM: I think they're both therapeutic, you know. It just helps me express myself in ways that I haven't done before. JD: Is there a medium that you haven't publicly explored yet, but you want to master? SM: I want to get more into sculptures and things like this. I just need to figure out how to do it. I've done some things, but I just need to keep learning, like the techniques, and how to get things done. I have a million ideas, you'll see. Echoes of the Past will open at Ruttkowski;68 in Paris on January 31st, running through March 1st This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity. Jing Daily presents Jing Masterminds — a regular, exclusive interview series profiling today’s most iconic names in art, fashion, commerce and culture. Delving deep into their personal journeys, creative processes, business strategies and societal impacts, the series offers readers an intimate look at the lives and minds shaping our industries.

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Kid Cudi on art, Akira, and creative polymathy