Kid Cudi Says He's 'More Proud of Myself Than Ever' in His Mental Health Journey

Kid Cudi is finding balance between all his ambitious artistic projects, on the cusp of the release of Entergalactic, the Netflix project he wrote the music for, produced and starred in.

Cudi, 38, who has been open about his mental health in the past, spoke to host Janine Rubenstein on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast. In the interview, they discussed his commitment to maintaining his mental health while also staying ambitious.

"Even if touring stuff wasn't going swimmingly and, and all this stuff wasn't happening, I would still be in a great place," Cudi told Rubenstein when she asked about his current mental health. "It's always a lot when you go on the road. But I've been in such a great space and so happy with everything that's been going on and, I'm proud of myself, man. Like, I'm just really proud of myself. More than I've ever been in my life."

Cudi's new project stars the hitmaker (whose real name is Scott Mescudi) as an animated version of himself in Netflix's Entergalactic. The artist wrote the album with the intention of making it into a visual album-meets-rom-com, with an all-star cast including Jessica Williams, Laura Harrier, Timothée Chalamet and Vanessa Hudgens. Cudi has been working on the project for three years, he said.

"I always wanted to do a visual album, but that's been done before," he explained. "So I really had to kind of take a step back and think of something new and fresh. Entergalactic was the perfect formula. The animation coupled with the music, narrating the story, had never been done before."

He also enjoyed stretching himself to act as Jabari, a character based on himself. "I'm driven like Jabari, [but he is] more of a carefree spirit," Cudi said, joking, "I'm carefree, but I'm 38 now, so I think about my safety and like, breaking a bone. You're not in the like 24, 25, think-you're-invincible stage anymore of your life, you know?"

Cudi has been more open than most about taking his health seriously, especially when it comes to mental health.

In 2016, the artist spoke about how he once checked himself into rehab for "depression and suicidal urges." Two weeks into his stay, he also suffered a stroke and was sent to the hospital for treatment.

His speech and mobility also declined as a result. "Everything was f---ed," the "Stars In the Sky" rapper told Esquire.

After undergoing physical rehab in the following months, he began to recover and read alongside Michael Cera for Broadway's Lobby Hero.

Though he didn't get the part, Kid Cudi explained why the experience ultimately helped him.

"I proved to myself that I could do it," he said. "I needed that at the time. I was happy. Like, damn, my brain is still strong. I didn't lose something in that s--- that happened."

Now, Kid Cudi hopes to help others with his music, as he declared, "I'm ready to wear those shoes and be a role model."

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.