This past weekend, Kid Cudi appeared on Saturday Night Live to perform two songs off his latest album. Though an exciting performance, everyone’s focus was on the rapper’s look.
While performing “Sad People”, the rapper came out in a custom Off-White floor-length floral spaghetti-strap dress, paying homage to the legendary Kurt Cobain. Cudi has often spoken about his admiration for Nirvana’s frontman, tweeting in 2015 “Never not thinkin’ about Kurt Cobain”. The late rockstar was often seen in gender-fluid clothing during performances and magazine shoots, notably the knee-length floral dress Cudi referenced.
The dress, designed by Virgil Abloh himself, will soon be available to the public. Cudi took to Twitter after his performance to announce a collaborative collection with Off-White, which will include the viral dress.
The Cleveland-born rapper further paid tribute to Cobain during his performance of “Tequila Shots” by wearing an olive green cardigan over a flannel and graphic tee, reminiscent of Cobain’s iconic MTV Unplugged performance look. Cobain’s original olive green cardigan was sold for over US$300,000 in 2019.
Cobain was not the only one Cudi gave his respects to. The graphic tee sported under the cardigan was a direct reference to SNL’s Chris Farley, a comedian who sadly passed away due to a drug overdose in 1997 while battling with addiction and depression.
Just like Cobain and Farley, the rapper has struggled with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Often talked about in his lyrics, Cudi admitted to music helping him, stating “I turn my pain into music and my music is how I am different. And my difference is my power.”
Watch Kid Cudi’s SNL performance below.
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