‘U not family’: Kid Cudi addresses reconciliation with Ye as Peter Rosenberg, others still aren’t with the old Kanye yet
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The ‘Kids See Ghosts’ collaborators were tied together for years from previous collaborations until Cudi split from Ye, later saying it would take a ‘miracle’ for them to be friends again.
As Ye (formerly Kanye West) continues to hold court in various football stadiums across the country, one of the men who found space to re-accept him into his life was Kid Cudi. The longtime collaborators who released a joint effort, “Kids See Ghosts” in 2018, buried their hatchet during night two of Ye’s return to Soldier Field.
However, while Cudi might be OK with Ye again, others aren’t, including former Hot 97 personality and current ESPN New York host Peter Rosenberg.
On Friday, one day after Ye’s first show in Chicago, Rosenberg took to X and found shock that so many people would still rock with Ye, given his prior actions that offended numerous people, whether it be him wearing a MAGA hat, wearing and attempting to sell White Lives Matter T-shirts, wearing a black Ku Klux Klan costume or trying to rebrand the Confederate flag for merchandise and other offenses over the years.
“A lot of people I love are being openly lame about Kanye,” Rosenberg wrote. “I am not saying no one deserves forgiveness or empathy but this man sang Heil Hitler ONE YEAR AGO. Disappointed in a lot of people.”
Cudi promptly responded.
“I understand ur frustration Peter, I f-cks w u, but I dont really care if ur disappointed in me. That man is my brother,” Cudi began. “U dont have a relationship w him like I do. Damn near 2 decades of art and friendship. U not family. So I get it. Ive been around Ye, and I can honestly say talking to him now is how it use to be when I first signed to him, but even better. He was dealing w mental health struggles for years and now hes good. Everyone deserves some grace when they family. I was the hardest on him out of anybody. I held him accountable. He apologized and it was sincere. But like I said, u not family so I get it.”
Rosenberg responded that his message was for fans rushing to see Ye, rather than for former collaborators making peace.
“well i wasnt disappointed in you @KiDCuDi (i meant fans) but if you saw me running out to support an artist a year after they made a song called “all hail the klan” you would prolly feel a way,” he wrote. “I am ALL for forgiveness and empatjhy [sic] but this man is being hailed as a HERO … f that. go get real help and sit down for a few years then lets talk before im going to run to put money in ur pocket.”
Cudi, like several people once closely tied to Ye’s orbit, found his exit, publicly calling out the Chicago rapper and producer to make his feelings known. In a 2022 interview with GQ, Cudi said of Ye, “With all due respect, I’m not Drake, who’s about to take a picture with him next week and be friends again, and their beef is squashed. That’s not me. What I say, I mean. I will be done with you. It’s gonna take a motherf-cking miracle for me and that man to be friends again. I don’t see it happening. He gon’ have to become a monk.”
Apparently, the monk status has been achieved.
Despite his past transgressions and a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal addressing antisemitic remarks and actions that offended the Black community, many of Ye’s fans remain skeptical about supporting him again, wondering whether he has shown genuine contrition. Although certain venues and festivals have denied him space to perform his new “world-like” set, he’s been welcomed with much fanfare at concerts at SoFi Stadium, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and now in Chicago at Soldier Field.
“To the Black community—which held me down through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times: the Black community is, unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us,” he wrote at the time.
Ye has made amends with several people behind the scenes. Alongside Cudi, Big Sean also joined him on stage to perform during his Chicago homecoming at Soldier Field. During Thursday’s show, Ye and Sean performed “Clique” and “Mercy” from the G.O.O.D. Music 2011 compilation “Cruel Summer” before Sean later returned to perform his diamond-selling hit “I Don’t F–k With You” featuring E-40. The two had a much-publicized falling out in 2021 over finances. Sean believed Ye owed him millions when he was signed to G.O.O.D. Music.
“Chi-Town, I love you forever. Ye, I love you, bro, and I appreciate you,” he told the packed stadium. Ye returned the favor, “Love you, fam!”