Kid Cudi is painting his deepest pains, demons and nightmares

At the beginning of this month, Scott Mescudi, also known as Kid Cudi, attended Art Basel in Miami for the first time. It was a marker of a new chapter for him, where the musician tried his hand at visual arts. Mescudi had been painting this year; he was the artist behind the cover of his memoir, Cudi The Memoir, which detailed his previous struggles with depression and addiction, or as he calls them, his “demons”. And it seems, for Mescudi, painting has become a way to explore, process and unpack those past experiences. He often depicts his character, Max, in dream-like or nightmare-ish scenarios.

Cudi himself needs no introduction but his painter alter ego, Scotty Ramon, got one at a special screening for his documentary, Echoes of the Past, at the Miami Beach Edition on December 5. The film offered a peek into his process as he prepares for his first solo exhibition in Paris in early 2026. It was also part of Edition’s wide variety of cultural offerings, in Miami and around the world. While the Edition ethos – modern luxury rooted in creativity – remains consistent despite the location, every hotel has directors of culture and entertainment embedded in every city.

Alongside Cudi, Edition’s event line-up during Miami Art Week included a roster of artists, like Sabine Marcellis, Lauren Halsey, Mickalene Thomas, and Derrick Adams, as well as performances from musicians including Ravyn Lenae. “Hosting the screening during Miami Art Week was deliberate: it’s a moment when the city becomes a global stage for culture and creativity,” says George Fleck, the Edition’s global brand leader. “Unveiling the film at the Miami Beach Edition allowed guests to witness an artist’s vulnerable confrontation of a new medium in real time.”

This level of vulnerability is something Mescudi is entirely open to as he embarks on the next chapter of his career, paintbrush in hand. While at Miami Art Week, and ahead of his Exhibition in Paris in January 2026, we spoke to Mescudi (or Kid Cudi, or Scotty Ramon) about returning to his visual roots, painting his inner child and being a “sponge” in the art world.

When did you start painting?

Scott Mescudi: I started painting a little over a year ago, as a way to find another outlet for my expression. It was something I always wanted to do but I just always downplayed it as something I never thought I would be good at. I decided to finally try it out and see what happens. I’ve been finding a pocket and my style, and before you knew it, I had a rhythm going. It ended up being something that I started to take seriously very fast.

How would you describe your style? What are you most interested in exploring?

Scott Mescudi: I don’t know. It’s abstract in a way. A lot of the paintings are all rooted in reflection about my past life and the past struggles that I’ve dealt with. I imagine that these paintings are messages and warnings to other people, to educate them on the things that I’ve learned on my journey. I find a lot of the things I paint are from dreams, daydreaming or nightmares I’ve had. It’s all an expression of the deepest pains in my life.

I first saw your art on the cover of your memoir. You posted about painting giving you a power you’d never had before. Is that the reflective quality that you’re talking about?

Scott Mescudi: It’s another way to express myself that I didn’t know existed until now. I’ve been painting since I was a kid. I used to airbrush when I was younger, and that was what I did as a young man. Up until I was 16, I wanted to be a cartoonist, but then I decided I wanted to pursue music. I just chased that dream head-on, so this is kind of like me getting back to my roots in some way.

What’s your process when painting? What music are you listening to?

Scott Mescudi: I’m painting multiple times a week, but it depends. Some weeks, I give myself a break and don’t go to the studio for a while. Then I go in, and I’m there all week. I always like to play some classical music. Bach is my favourite to play, or instrumental albums. I feel like music with no lyrics is the best. I don't have anything to think about. It’s just vibes playing, setting the scene.

I imagine that these paintings are messages and warnings to other people, to educate them on the things that I’ve learned on my journey

There’s a lot of flying and demon motifs in your work. What draws you back to those?

Scott Mescudi: Oh man. I feel like I’ve been running from demons for the majority of my life, and the idea of flying is the ultimate form of freedom. When I put my character, Max, in those situations where he is flying. It’s me expressing freedom.

So it’s all the same character, Max?

Scott Mescudi: Yeah. Max is, he is a reflection of me. He’s like my inner child.

Let’s talk about the film. Why do you think it was important for you to capture this new chapter of your life?

Scott Mescudi: I didn’t want to come out with just an exhibition out of nowhere, and people would be like, ‘What the hell? We didn’t know Cudi painted. This is random.’ I wanted to educate the audience about this is a real thing for me, and I’m essentially starting another career for myself that I plan on doing for a long, long time. There’s a lot of information in there about my youth and my early start drawing and airbrushing. There are some clips in there of my old artwork I did when I was a kid. It’s just really this new chapter.

How did the film come together?

Scott Mescudi: The director, Josh Terrell, hit me up on Instagram and said he wanted to film me for a couple of hours. After looking at his page and seeing the work he’s done, I was like, ‘Man, how about you come through for a few days and shoot a longer thing.’ That’s why I love checking out my DMs. You never know who’s hitting you. It was the perfect situation because I already thought about documenting my journey in painting, but I just didn’t know if I was ready yet. I guess that was the universe telling me I was ready.

Do you see your painting practice as informed by your music career, or separate?

Scott Mescudi: Some of my paintings reflect some of my songs, so it’s all in the same pot. When I do my show, which will be in January in Paris, I scored the whole experience, so there’s a ten-minute loop of a score I created. It puts you in the world while you’re looking at the paintings. So I’ll be incorporating both of my things together in one show.

You’ve already had a studio visit from Jeffrey Deitch. What are your goals and aspirations for this new artistic practice?

Scott Mescudi: I just want to keep getting better and expand to see what else I can accomplish in the visual arts. I want to try different mediums, get out of my comfort zone and grow. It’s so early in my career that right now I’m just a sponge soaking up everything I can soak up. I don’t have any crazy big dreams – I’m just trying to see what this career has in store for me.