COMPLEX: After working a lot with Kanye, how does it feel to be focused on your own career?

Kid Cudi: It’s exciting, man. I’m just ready to try new shit. I’m a dude who likes to create music with good feeling. I live like a chameleon through music. It all depends on what the beat tells me to do; that’s why you’re always gonna get passionate hooks, because I’m feeling the beats and the emotion behind the drums and melodies.

COMPLEX: Are you worried about recapturing the success of “Day ’N’ Nite”?

Kid Cudi: I was briefly, and then I started to record and just make shit. That’s when I realized I’m going to be OK. Shit is going to come together as it should, don’t worry about it. I didn’t come in the game to just do that one joint, you know what I mean? I came in the game to have multiple hits.

COMPLEX: What kind of fears do you have about releasing your album?

Kid Cudi: I don’t really have any fear about the business; my biggest fear is getting wrapped up in the illusion of fame and Hollywood and shit like that. Getting wrapped up in the worldly things like drugs and the excitement of being famous. I have a vulnerable enough past that it could propel me into that world. I don’t want to be caught up in it. I want to do something while I’m here. This is hell. All the shit that’s going on around us, this is hell.

COMPLEX: But do you feel like your own world is hell sometimes?

Kid Cudi: Yeah. Most of my groupies are spawns of the devil. [Laughs.] They’re there to take me off track and fuck up my purpose. It’s like the dark side is trying to pull me in. Who wouldn’t like a bunch of hot-ass bitches saying, “Hey, we all wanna fuck you right now!”? [Laughs.] But you have to realize that it’s an illusion, that you can get caught up, turn into a person that you never knew you could be—and I don’t wanna be that dude.

For more visit....
COMPLEX MAGAZINE

Complex: How did you feel when you heard Mike passed?

Drake : Shocking. Because Michael is just one of those people that you just kind of expect to always be there—he’s Michael Jackson. He’s like one of those guys you never think about…

Complex: …as a real person?

Drake: Yeah. I just never thought Mike could die. And it’s tragic. I know before this tour, a lot of people never had the opportunity to see Mike perform. It’s unfortunate and I always find it interesting to see when people pass away and people find this new found love for the person

Complex: Yeah, a lot of people were saying if Mike never passed, a lot of the comedians would have still gone on making jokes and what not.

Drake: Yeah, you know it’s just…it’s a very interesting thing when somebody passes away and people sort of…the world loves Michael Jackson, I just think that there are certain people who use it as an opportunity to talk more. With that being said, I always appreciated what Mike did and my condolences go out to Mike’s family.

Complex: For real. Going back to your music, “Best I Ever Had” jumped to #3 on the Billboard charts. And then you announced yesterday that you signed your deal with Universal…

Drake: Nah…I definitely want to clear this up, I didn’t sign to Universal. I’m actually signed to… a lot of people were telling me, “Oh, you should do it independent.” I’m actually 100% independent. I signed to Cortez Bryant and G. Roberson, my managers, so I signed a joint venture between Aspire Music Group, which is them, and Young Money. So the only part that Universal plays is P&D [pressing and distribution]. I’m not a Universal artist. I’m signed to myself.

COMPLEX: Why do you think there’s such a fixation on your sexuality?

Kanye West: I really think it’s because society tries to dictate the way a guy is supposed to dress and the way a guy is supposed to act, and I refuse to conform. A lot of these dudes would never be accused of being gay just because they all look exactly alike. If people could just realize the amount of mundaneness and followers that lack creativity… I think people’s mentality is like, Only gay people are that creative. And it’s true there are a lot of gay people who are incredible creative minds, but there are straight people who are incredible creative minds—and there’s gay people who can’t dress or create at all, too. Closed-minded gay people probably say they dress “straight.”

COMPLEX: What does the brand Kanye West mean?

Kanye West: Pop but Luxury. Edgy but Comfortable. I’m about clashing worlds that you think don’t belong together. This is our world and everything belongs together. That’s the ill thing about our president. Our president is black, but our president is white, too. And the original struggle of America is racism, and to have someone in office that represents both of those sides is what I think this world is about. Segregation and snobbery and elitism should be the wack words. That should be what people use to dis people.

COMPLEX: So what would you say was the most important thing you learned about yourself in the last 12 months?

To hear Yeezy answer this and other burning questions about his upcoming Nike and Louis Vuitton shoes, his arrogance, heartbreak and his future HEAD OVER TO
COMPLEX MAGAZINE