A new Amazon Prime Video documentary, “A Man Named Scott” about Scott Mescudi, known by his stage name Kid Cudi, beautifully walks through his journey as a musician and touches on his creative process along with the challenges he has faced along the way. The documentary was lovely and engaging to watch and left me with a profound sense of appreciation for Kid Cudi and his music.

The film was directed by Alexander Robert, a close friend of Cudi. It illustrates Cudi’s story through intimate interviews with many of his friends, producers, fans and others such as a clinical psychiatrist. 

The documentary follows the music career of Cudi from his first ever released song, “Day N’ Nite,” and walks through his trilogy, “Man On the Moon,” along with his other albums and collaborations. Cudi talks about his experiences making various songs on the album, his inspiration for them and the meaning behind specific lyrics. 

Cudi redefined the rap genre and reshaped hip-hop by incorporating new sounds and expressing vulnerability in his music. In interviews with Timothee Chalamet, Lil Yachty, A$AP Rocky and Cudi’s fans, they explain how he helped them open up emotionally and inspired them artistically. 

Cudi explains how he “sacrificed” his vulnerability and privacy in his music to show his listeners that they are not alone in the way they feel, which he also did throughout the film. He talks about his struggles with depression, addiction and the adjustment to fame. I was brought to tears hearing the advice from Cudi and the clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Candice Norcott, about not feeling alone in your feelings of loneliness. I strongly believe that almost anyone can relate to or learn from something they said. 

The film does a great job artistically depicting Cudi’s life along with making it so the viewer can laugh and cry along with him.  It’s beautiful to watch and will teach you something new, whether that be about Cudi himself, the music industry or even just advice about how to cope with pain.