Kid Cudi claims Michael Jackson was "just music" in a now-deleted post, while he wants to be remembered for multiple talents

Kid Cudi reportedly claimed in a now-deleted post that Michael Jackson was the greatest in "just music", while he wants to leave his impact across multiple fields. The legendary pop star, dubbed the King of Pop, is often considered among the greatest musicians of all time.

In an X post dated November 20, rapper Kid Cudi first mentioned that he would like to be remembered as one of the greatest artists of all time. He wrote:

"My mission has always been to at some point in my life be recognized as one of the greatest artist of all time. Everything I make is a stamp in my journey to greatness. The ride aint over no time soon."

In response, another X account, Z06SMILED, quoted Cudi's post and wrote, "can never surpass MJ." Kid Cudi then quoted this user's post and allegedly claimed that Michael Jackson was "just music". He differentiated himself from the legend, claiming he wants to be known as "one of the greatest" in more than music. The allegedly deleted post went viral online, where the rapper wrote:

"Michael was the greatest, but he was just music. Im thinking more than music. I wanna be known as one of the greatest bcuz of my range creatively in the arts. Music, visual arts (painting), fashion, directing, acting etc."

Cudi's latest comments come after he hinted that he would be taking a break from making music. He mentioned in his X posts this year that he would still work with others and feature in other artists' albums, but will largely focus on his "other dreams."

---

Kid Cudi reveals plans to keep music career at a halt while focusing on other pursuits

The FanDuel Super Bowl Party Powered by Spotify - Source: Getty

On September 2, 2025, Kid Cudi took to X to announce that he would not be making music for some time. The rapper's announcement came after he released his last studio album, Free, in August this year. He wrote:

"I just wanna say thank you to all my fans for supporting Free, spreading the word, and sending love! I'm so grateful I have y'all in my corner. Free was my last album on a major label (which is part of the reason I called the album Free), and now I'm lookin’ forward to a new chapter and being independent."

The rapper added:

"Im so proud of this album and the reception it recieved. So many people hit me and my friends about how much they loved it. And this last 2 weeks has been really special for me. When u take chances and see people feel u and take the ride w u, its a beautiful thing."

In the same post, Kid Cudi also mentioned that he would drop a short film directed by himself for his track, Mr Miracle, which was a part of his album, Free. The Cleveland's rapper's sudden announcement to step away from music led to his followers asking multiple questions. One user asked when they can expect him to drop his "next solo album", to which Cudi said:

"I think I’ma officially take a step back for a while from droppin’ albums and focus on directing, more acting, painting, and fashion for sure. It’s gonna be a while ‘til y'all hear another album from me, but I promise when I do come again, it won't be boring."

On September 29, Cudi released a single called Once on SoundCloud, describing it as a goodbye track for his fans.

"This is a goodbye for now song. It was produced by myself with my homie Sebastian addin’ extra sauce here and there. Taking a break but wanted to leave u [with] something special and from the heart. [You’ll] be hearing me featured on my friends’ albums but as far as me, I gotta step into the shadows and focus on my other dreams," the rapper said on the platform.

In the last few years, Kid Cudi has been pretty active in music. He dropped two new albums spanning 40 tracks last year, namely INSANO and INSANO (NITRO MEGA).

However, the rapper has also been venturing into some other projects, as he mentioned in his aforementioned posts. Earlier this year in July, Cudi appeared on the Netflix film, Happy Gilmore 2, directed by Adam Sandler. It remains to be seen with Kid Cudi returns to music, with him set to focus on other dreams for now.

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar