Kid Cudi Credits Fellow Rapper For Inspiring 'INSANO' Album

Kid Cudi is giving credit to another major rapper for helping inspire his new album INSANO.

During a recent radio interview, Cudi explained how Kendrick Lamar inspired him to try a new sound after struggling to figure out how to followup his previous work, per HipHopDX.

"I was really at a place where I had a goal," he said. "I was like, 'Okay, I've done all these different types of albums, I've touched on all the different types of spaces creatively, sonically. What is the one thing that I haven't accomplished?'"

Cudi said he was still in that space of figuring out what to do next when he saw Lamar perform in Paris on his The Big Steppers Tour and was blown away.

"I was in Paris, I just finished my European run of tour and I go to see Kendrick. And this muthaf----, it blew my f------ mind," he said, adding, "I'm sitting there, I'm watching the crowd reaction from the beginning of the show 'til the end. People were in it, party mode, singing every f------ word. I'm not saying this doesn't happen at my shows, 'cause it does. But all the way through, I don't have that experience."

He continued, "I had this moment where I was like, 'You know what? This is the reaction I want.' I want people to feel good and it to be a joyous occasion when I'm performing."

Calling Kendrick Lamar one of his "top three artists in the world," Cudi said he went into the studio for INSANO to bring that same kind of energy, saying the album, which came out January 12, was "truly designed for arenas, for the live show."

"I took inspiration, got to the studio and said, 'Let's f------ get to work. We need to make something with some energy. I'm happy, I'm in a better place in my life. I've never made an album in this type of mode before. Let's see what comes out of that."