Kid Cudi Discussed The Animated Sex Scenes In His New Netflix Special, "Entergalactic"
"He'll be going by Scott [Mescudi] today," a rep informs me as I prepare to chat with Kid Cudi over Zoom. These days, it's fitting that the rapper who made a splash in hip-hop with his 2008 debut single, "Day 'n' Nite," prefers to go by his real name. In the past five years, Scott has expanded his Hollywood résumé by executive-producing four films, including the Zendaya-led drama Malcolm & Marie and two of the best horror movies you'll see this year: X and Pearl.
In that same period, the Ohio native flexed his acting chops in movies like Don't Look Up (2021), Crisis (2021), and Drunk Parents (2019). "I would always sit back and watch Kenya Barris, Jordan Peele, and Issa Rae. And I'd think, Man, I want to be a part of that. I want to be spoken about in that group of Black creators," he confesses during our interview.
His latest project, Entergalactic, dubbed an "adult animated special," for Netflix may just help him accomplish that. The special, accompanied by an album of the same name, follows the journey of an endearing street artist named Jabari, voiced by Scott, who falls in love with his next-door neighbor, Meadow, voiced by Jessica Williams (Love Life).
"Early on, I was thinking, I really want to tell a Black love story in the animated space. That was really important for me because we have not seen that," Scott tells BuzzFeed. "You don't really see Black love stories all that much on TV in general, live-action or animated. So it was really important for me."
Keep reading to see what else Scott shared with me, including how he was able to convince Timothée Chalamet to voice a character in Entergalactic before reading the script, and his thoughts on people who will inevitably compare Entergalactic to 2018's critically acclaimed animation Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
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THEN: Entergalactic is a short series about dating and relationships. There’s even a dating app that’s mentioned throughout the story. As someone who previously used dating apps yourself, you understand the struggle! What has been your worst first date ever?
Scott Mescudi: My worst first date was years ago in New York when I was like 21. I took this girl out to the movies. Well, actually, we didn't even go to the movies, we went to Times Square, and were hanging around the theaters and got pizza. We were talking, and the conversation was just not going anywhere. It was really bad. It got to the point where I was sitting in silence. I turned to her and I was like, "Hey, I think I gotta go home." [laughs] I hung out with her for like, maybe 30 or 45 minutes. And I was like, "Yeah, this isn't working."
NOW: Are there any Easter eggs included in this special that fans might not catch the first time watching?
You're gonna see nods to my albums, lyrics, and collaborations I've done. So pay attention to things on the bikes, things in the apartment, things around the city, and things that the characters are wearing. They're all little Easter eggs.
THEN: You’ve starred in multiple films with incredible actors, from Keanu Reeves to Zoë Kravitz. Most recently, you acted alongside Ariana Grande in Netflix’s Don’t Look Up. Can you share a favorite memory from working with her?
I remember when we were shooting the performance scene, she was just really funny. I was thinking, Wow, this girl is super chill. And I felt so bad for her because she was in a harness and they were putting her up like 30–40 feet up in the air. She was hanging up there and had to sing. If you've ever been in a harness, you'll know that they're really tight and uncomfortable around your stomach and your junk. It's, like, super uncomfortable, but she took it like a champ. I mean, we were up there for hours. They kept lifting her and bringing her back down, and she just kept singing like an angel. And in between, she was cracking jokes.
She's really funny and down-to-earth. I was not expecting that. I didn't expect her to be [mean] or anything. But not everybody is like that. Not everybody is open and warm like that when you meet them. She was really sweet.
NOW: Timothée Chalamet also appears in Don’t Look Up. In Entergalactic, he voices a character named Jimmy who's a weed dealer and Jabari's best friend. Since you two are besties IRL, is it safe to say it wasn't too difficult to get him involved in this project?
It wasn't as hard as I thought it was gonna be. [laughs] I talked to him a couple of times about [Entergalactic] before any of the business deals were done. I was like, "You know, I would love for you to be in this, man." He was like, "No problem, for sure." I was thinking, He's probably just saying this now because I'm in his face and I'm asking him. He was one of the first people that signed on.
One thing that I do understand is that whether me and Timmy are friends or not, he's not about to do some shit just because. So it needed to be dope. And it needed to be something that made sense for him to do. After he read the script, he said, "Yo, this is fire. I fuck with this." I was relieved. I was like, Okay, he truly fucks with this.
It means a lot to me. The fact that he, Jessica [Williams], Laura [Harrier], Vanessa [Hudgens], and Macaulay [Culkin] all wanted to do this ... I'm like, Man, this is my idea and they fuck with my idea. It's super humbling.
THEN: In the movie X, you play an adult film star named Jackson Hole, and naturally, there are sex scenes involved. Was there anything that frightened you about taking on that role?
The sex scenes did a little bit because I didn't know how they would be shot. I was a little nervous. I did a sex scene in another project, but it was very, very brief. It was a dramatic miniseries and it was a different thing.
This role was interesting because the sex scenes in X are supposed to be funny. You're supposed to watch it and laugh a little bit. I was thinking, I don't want the idea of me having sex to be funny. I didn't want people to be like, "Look at Scott having sex, haha!" I wanted people to say, "Ooh." [laughs] I was worried about how it all would come across onscreen, but it ended up working out. I was nervous watching it for the first time. But it was cool, man. It was cool.
NOW: There are some saucy scenes in Entergalactic. This is definitely a special made for adults. What was your reaction to seeing the animated sex scenes?
When I first saw it, I was like, Well, damn. Every time they cut to it, I was thinking, Oh, shit. I didn't know they were gonna show this much. [laughs] I was also thinking, Oh shit. This is in this show. Yeah, my daughter can't watch this!
THEN: If you could play any comic book character from your youth, who would it be and why?
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NOW: I cannot express how beautiful it is to see Black people represented in animation. I was so impressed with the visuals in this special. Everything, from the skin tone to the hair texture of each character, is so spot-on. It reminded me of the same feeling I had seeing Miles Morales and his family in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. What do you say to people who will inevitably compare the two?
I feel like anybody who has seen Spider-Verse will see Entergalactic and know that they are two separate things. We'll get those comparisons because it is a new type of animation that people haven't really seen before. Entergalactic is kind of in the same vein as Spider-Verse, but it's different. It looks and feels different. The characters move differently. The story is much more grounded in reality — even though there are trippy elements. Entergalactic is not a superhero series. I feel like they're totally different styles and vibes. One is for children and the other one is for adults.
THEN & NOW: Lastly, what are your thoughts on the fact that people of color remain underrepresented in animation?
Early on, I was like, I really want to tell a Black love story in animated space. That was really important for me because we have not seen that. You don't really see Black love stories all that much on TV in general, live-action or animated. So it was really important for me. My Blackness would not allow me to not do this. I had a responsibility as a creator and as a Black man. I hope that all people can connect with the story, no matter what race they are. But I truly hope that Black people can see themselves in these characters and that this will add to the wave of Black entertainment that's already out there right now.
I would always sit back and watch Kenya Barris, Jordan Peele, and Issa Rae. And I'd think, Man, I want to be a part of that. I want to be spoken about in that group of Black creators. I think Entergalactic is definitely going to fit in with everything else that's happening currently with innovative Black entertainment.
