Kid Cudi Dedicates Kids See Ghosts Track to Ye at Phoenix Tour Opener

Kid Cudi kicked off his 33-date Rebel Ragers Tour at Phoenix's Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on April 28, closing the opening-night set with an emotionally charged dedication to former collaborator Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

Before performing Kids See Ghosts' closing track "Reborn," Cudi turned the moment into something far beyond a concert finale.

"This one's for Ye," Cudi shouted to the crowd, which drew some noise from the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre audience. "We gotta sing this loud so Ye can hear you," he instructed in a video captured by fans.

The dedication arrives amid a complicated chapter for both artists. Cudi had previously addressed the fractured relationship publicly.

"It breaks my heart because I loved Kanye. I really loved him," Cudi had told CBS Mornings. "He was part of my life-changing, and at some point, he was a really good friend, but the man that he has become … I just don't know that guy anymore. I don't know him. I don't know that version of him, and it's really heartbreaking."

The performance of "Reborn," a 2018 track built around themes of healing and renewal, which reached No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, was preceded by "Maui Wowie" and "Pursuit of Happiness (Remix)" and served as the closing number of the night. The gesture landed as a quiet olive branch between two artists whose creative partnership helped define a generation of hip-hop.

The dedication comes as Ye navigates the turbulence of his own. His album Bully debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 earlier this month. His planned summer headlining run at London's Wireless Festival was canceled after the United Kingdom denied his visa over past antisemitic remarks, forcing the festival to cancel entirely.

After the Phoenix show, Cudi praised the crowd on Instagram Stories, calling the night "incredible" and expressing excitement about the 32 remaining dates.

Produced by Live Nation, the Rebel Ragers Tour continues this week with stops in Albuquerque, New Mexico, followed by Austin and Dallas, Texas, before wrapping June 27 in Chula Vista, California. Cudi is donating $1 per ticket sold to The Big Bro Foundation, which supports mental health for at-risk youth.