Kid Cudi's documentary 'A Man Named Scott' is 2021's must-watch film

Kid Cudi is one of the most influential artists of the last decade. Born Scott Mescudi, the Grammy Award-winning artist has influenced generations of stars like Travis Scott, who dedicated the latter half of his stage name to his idol. And he’s worked with some of the industry’s most impactful artists, like his collaboration album with Kanye West, "KIDS SEE GHOSTS."

Recently, Kid Cudi released a full documentary on Amazon Prime, "A Man Named Scott," which is an incredible chronicle of his career journey. And while Kid Cudi fans have latched onto his story, his struggles and his perseverance since his 2009 full-length album debut, "Man On The Moon: The End Of Day," they haven't heard his story quite like this. 

The film presents the behind-the-scenes of the artist’s inner thoughts, albums and biggest hits, like the creation of his first big track, "Day ‘N’ Nite (nightmare)," as well as his struggles with drug addiction and depression as he navigated the pressures of his introduction to the spotlight.

"A Man Named Scott" features intimate interviews with the artist himself, his inner circle, long-time collaborators and the new generation of artists who he has inspired, including interviews from Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, WILLOW and Jaden, Dot Da Genius, Lil Yachty, A$AP Rocky and more. They all share their personal stories and experiences with Kid Cudi and what his music and his character mean to them.

Kanye's appearance in the documentary is perhaps one of the most noteworthy interviews in the piece. He recalls the first time he heard Kid Cudi’s music, stating, "It felt really new, the combination of him putting the melody with the rap in a way that I hadn’t really heard that since, like, Bone Thugs."

Having an artist as generationally impactful and innovative as Kanye to be so impressed by Kid Cudi's sound and creativity makes his appearance in the film truly meaningful.

Kanye also discusses Kid Cudi’s impact on music, his fans and the way that his emotional vulnerability allows him to connect on a high level with his audience. "What’s beautiful is musicians and artists tap in and express things in a way and sew together things in a way that help us free our minds a lot of times," Kanye said. "That’s the connection that people have with Cudi and pure artists."

Kanye goes on to commend Kid Cudi's great ability to connect with not only just his own feelings but also those of his audience: "Cudi just does what he feels," Kanye said. "That’s the difference between the artists and others. Cudi’s music, it connects with people, and it’s healing."

But the documentary discusses more than just his music and influence on his fans. It also addresses his drug addiction, his time in rehab and his recovery. While this aspect of his life was known to many, seeing it from the perspective of himself and his inner circle who experienced these tumultuous times is extremely powerful and adds such great dimension to his story.

The production of the documentary is high-quality and captivating with beautiful visuals and transitions between interviews, behind-the-scenes footage in the studio and performances. It's visually pleasing and has a way of adding a layer of depth and emotion to the content and discussions in the film. On top of that, the storytelling is immaculate and opens a window into the artist’s soul.

Overall, "A Man Named Scott" is everything Kid Cudi fans could have hoped for and more. It’s incredibly insightful and one of the best documentaries of a musician that I, personally, have ever seen. If you haven’t streamed it yet, you need to right now.