Kid Cudi Says on New Song That He Knows His Late Father Is ‘Proud’ of Him

Kid Cudi is closing a chapter of his life with the release of his new album Free, and on its final track, “Salt Water,” the rapper delivers one of his most personal revelations yet.

The album was released on Friday (August 22). On the spoken-word-style bridge of its closing song, Cudi reflects on his journey through grief and mental health struggles, acknowledging the progress he’s made and the connection he still feels to his late father.

“Yes, my life has been one hell of a ride. There was a time when happiness was a very far off and distant thing for me to acquire. But I made it out of the darkness, I saw the light. And I know that my dad is proud of me. All my angels, they’re proud of me,” he says.

COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.

Cudi’s father died of cancer when he was just 11 years old. The loss, which the rapper and singer has frequently addressed in his music, left him with what he’s referred to in song as “night terrors.”

“[A]s a kid losing your father and having to deal with it, and getting older and not really being able to talk to anybody about it, it just ended up manifesting in these dreams in my mind,” he explained in a 2009 interview with HipHopDX.

With Free, however, Cudi suggests he’s reached a turning point.

The theme of overcoming darkness resurfaces in “Truman Show,” where he symbolically lays his old self to rest: “Wave goodbye with both my hands/ To the lonely man, the lonely man/ Wave goodbye, did the best I can/ For the lonely man, the lonely man.”

After years of candidly sharing his battles with depression, anxiety, and addiction, Cudi’s latest music radiates healing and gratitude. With “Salt Water,” he’s honoring his father and reclaiming joy, strength, and peace for himself.