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Rb Hip Hop

Kid Cudi Slams Troll Who Said His 2021 ‘SNL’ Performance Was an ‘Illuminati Humiliation Ritual’

"A black man cant express himself and be confident AND successful with out it being some conspiracy," Cudi tweeted.

Kid Cudi performed on 'Saturday Night Live' on April 10, 2021, in a dress inspired by Kurt Cobain.

Kid Cudi performed on 'Saturday Night Live' on April 10, 2021, in a dress inspired by Kurt Cobain.

Will Heath/NBC

Kid Cudi has “got time” to shut down the haters.

The star took to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday (Jan. 2) to clap back at a user named Isaac, who claimed Cudi’s 2021 Saturday Night Live performance, in which he’s seen performing “Sad People” in a floral print dress, is “an illuminati humiliation ritual.”


“Dear Issac u silly stupid lil person and all people under this post. Its the start of a new year and I got time for muthaf—as like u today,” Cudi began his response. “This post is mad f—in lame of u and sad. A black man cant express himself and be confident AND successful with out it being some conspiracy. My success was givin to me by God with the help of my many angels.”

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He added, “This moment was a proud moment for me, a shinin moment for all people who express themselves in their art. I felt free and alive, it inspired people and nothing u stupid simple a–es say can take that away from me. Happy New Year u f—in simps.”

Cudi has said on many occasions that the floral print dress was in honor of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who wore similar dresses onstage in the 1990s. The rapper shared at the time of his performance that the dress was designed by the late Off-White founder and Louis Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh. “I told him I wanted to show love to Kurt w a floral print sundress and this man made a masterpiece,” the rapper wrote. “Thank You @virgilabloh ur a f—in genius!! Love you man we did it!!!”

During his second SNL performance of “Tequila Shots,” Cudi also rocked a fuzzy olive-green cardigan similar to the one Cobain famously wore during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York live performance, which aired months before his 1994 death. Underneath, Cudi sported a shirt with a headshot of late SNL great Chris Farley.

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This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

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Tate McRae photographed by Heather Hazzan on February 20, 2026 in New York. Motion Stills by Grayson Kohs. Styling by Chloe & Chenelle. Hair by Joey George at Streeters. Makeup by Kennedy at Streeters. Manicure by Juan Alvear. Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello jacket and shoes.
Tate McRae photographed by Heather Hazzan on February 20, 2026 in New York. Motion Stills by Grayson Kohs. Styling by Chloe & Chenelle. Hair by Joey George at Streeters. Makeup by Kennedy at Streeters. Manicure by Juan Alvear. Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello jacket and shoes.
Awards

How Tate McRae Leveled Up To Main Pop Girl Status

Billboard's Women in Music Hitmaker is known for her stunning performances — but her pen has always been her secret weapon, and it's yielding pop bangers.

Before there was Tate McRae, ultra-polished pop performer, there was Tate McRae, preteen from Calgary, Alberta, writing songs at home and uploading them to YouTube.

And while McRae’s high-caliber, intricately choreographed performances and visually striking, maximalist music videos have arguably become the focal points of her public image today (manifesting in a fierce alter ego she calls Tatiana), it’s her other side that Billboard is honoring as this year’s Women in Music Hitmaker — the one who used to take solace in crafting lyrics to sing not in front of more than 10,000 screaming fans but alone in her bedroom. The 22-year-old’s underappreciated pen is just as lethal as her performance capabilities. After a modest debut in the familiar lane of Gen Z pop melancholia — making her first Billboard Hot 100 appearance in 2020 with “You Broke Me First” — McRae enlisted fellow hit-makers Ryan Tedder and Amy Allen to help craft pristine, radio-­friendly pop bangers that she could actually move to, tapping into her upbringing as a competitive dancer onstage and channeling past pop icons such as Britney Spears (to whom she’s now ­frequently compared).

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