'Man on the Moon' rapper Kid Cudi has revealed he suffered a stroke just two weeks after he checked himself into rehab for anxiety and depression.
Cudi, who was born Scott Mescudi and is now 38 years old, began struggling with his mental health in his twenties, during what he described as his 'Hulk period'.
The rapper said anything could tick him off during that time, when he had established himself as a rap star and found himself coping with the pressures of stardom through work and drugs.
He had grown up in Solon, Ohio, with his mum and siblings after losing his dad to cancer when he was just 11 years old. He was in to music throughout his childhood, but after a two-week cocaine binge in his twenties he realised his music had become destructive.
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Cudi announced his decision to check into rehab in a post on Facebook in 2016, saying at the time he was experiencing 'depression and suicidal urges'.
Just two weeks after he arrived at the facility, Cudi suffered a stroke and was hospitalised. He experienced slow speech and movement in the following months, and told Esquire 'everything was f*cked' at that time.
His manager and childhood friend, Dennis Cummings, suggested he should take a break from music, during which time Cudi spent months in physical rehab.
It wasn't until 2017 when he felt back on his feet, when he auditioned for a role in a Broadway play with Michael Cera and had to remember a large amount of dialogue. He didn't end up being cast in the play, but he still had positive takeaways from the experience as he explained: "I proved to myself that I could do it. I needed that at the time. I was happy. Like, damn, my brain is still strong. I didn’t lose something in that sh*t that happened.”
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Cudi's mum, Elsie Mescudi, said rehab was the 'best thing' that could have happened to the rapper.
She explained: "There is no saying, ‘My child won’t do this. My child won’t do that.’ If you’re a parent, you can’t say that. You don’t know what they’re going to do from moment to moment, and certainly, when you get to the point where your career blew up overnight, it’s a very difficult thing.”
Cudi has now become an ambassador for mental health through his music, saying he's 'ready to... be a role model' for young people, and admitting that while it's 'a lot of pressure', the work keeps him 'alive'.
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"It doesn’t stress me out. It keeps me thinking, Nah, Scott. You gotta be here. Let old age take you out.”
The rapper says he now loves himself, explaining he 'couldn't have said that six years ago' but can now say it 'with confidence'.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123
Topics: Drugs, Mental Health, Health, Music