Kid Cudi’s headlining set at Rolling Loud in Miami on Friday came to an abrupt end after multiple audience members pelted the stage with projectiles, including one that struck the artist in the face.
Just four songs into the “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper’s performance, he was hit in the face by what appeared to be a water bottle, and proceeded to warn the crowd that if it happened again, the show would be over.
“I will f***ing leave. If I get hit with one more f***ing thing — if I see one more f***ing thing on this f***ing stage, I’m leaving,” Cudi threatened, according to videos circulating on social media. “Don’t f*** with me.”
Seconds later, another projectile was hurled onto the stage, causing the rapper to turn and walk away. Audience members can be heard in the video chanting the word “Kanye.”
The sour reaction from some of the festival goers in attendance may have been in response to Kanye West being replaced by Cudi as the night’s headliner after West opted out of the high-profile music festival.
The two rappers recently had a falling out after West took issue with Cudi’s friendship with “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson, who’s been dating Kim Kardashian, West’s estranged wife, for months.
Cudi confirmed the state of their relationship in April when he addressed his fans on Twitter about their collaboration on Pusha T’s latest album, “It’s Almost Dry.” Cudi wrote that West “is not my friend” and said that their collaboration, “Rock N Roll,” will be “the last song” he and West will ever do.
Despite pulling out as a headliner, West surprised fans with an unexpected peformance as Lil Durk brought him out onstage wearing a face covering.
West rapped a portion of his 2016 track “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” a song featuring none other than Cudi himself on the chorus — causing many on social media to speculate that the choice of song was intended as a diss.
Rolling Loud’s official Twitter page responded to the night’s events by proclaiming their love for Cudi and asking attendees to take care of one another.
“Rolling Loud is a family. Our fans, the artists, and everyone involved need to look out for each other. Share the love and be respectful to everyone,” the tweet read.
Prior to their recent beef, West and Cudi collaborated on numerous songs over the past decade, including “Heartless,” “All of the Lights,” and a full collaborative album, 2018’s “Kids See Ghosts.”
After West pulled his name from the Miami lineup, which also featured the likes of Playboi Carti, Don Toliver, Lil Yachty, Saweetie and Fivio Foreign, fans reportedly urged for Travis Scott to fill the headlining slot, per Rolling Stone.
The Astroworld rapper was not chosen for the role, however, contrary to the claims of a Rolling Loud Miami co-founder, it was not directly as a result of the deadly crowd surge during Scott’s tour for the album in 2021.
theGrio’s Chauncey Alcorn contributed to this report.
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