Key Takeaways
- Kid Cudi defended forgiving Kanye West, calling him "my brother" and citing their nearly two decades of friendship and collaboration.
- Cudi told Peter Rosenberg that he held Ye accountable, received a sincere apology and believes his longtime collaborator has moved beyond years of mental health struggles.
- Rosenberg questioned the quick embrace of Ye after his 2025 song "Heil Hitler," swastika merchandise and Holocaust denial, though Ye apologized to the Jewish community in 2026.
Kid Cudi has publicly defended his reconciliation with Kanye West after Peter Rosenberg called out those who performed with Ye during his recent Chicago shows.
On Thursday (September 3) and Friday (September 4), the 24-time Grammy winner performed two shows at Soldier Field, where the likes of Big Sean, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi joined him.
While the special appearances were celebrated among Ye fans, Rosenberg shared opposing views in an X post, saying that people were being "openly lame" about him. I am not saying no one deserves forgiveness or empathy but this man sang Heil Hitler ONE YEAR AGO," he wrote on Friday. "Disappointed in a lot of people."
Cudi replied by saying he emphatizes with the media personality having "frustration" about his decision to reconcile with Ye.
"I understand ur frustration Peter, I fucks w u, but I dont really care if ur disappointed in me," Cudi wrote. "That man is my brother. U dont have a relationship w him like I do. Damn near 2 decades of art and friendship. U not family."
Cudi went on to dismess any suggestion that forgiving his longtime collaborator was naive. "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 he's good," he continued.
Kanye released "Heil Hitler" last May. Around the same time, the Bully artist sold swastika T-shirts through the Yeezy website and made public Holocaust denial statements. Australia evoked his travel visa in July 2025, and the UK Home Office later denied Ye entry, forcing the cancellation of a three-night Wireless Festival run at London's Finsbury Park after sponsors Pepsi and Diageo both pulled out.
West published an apology to the Jewish community in The Wall Street Journal in 2026, writing that he was "deeply mortified" and had "lost touch with reality," citing bipolar disorder and manic episodes.
