Kid Cudi has publicly defended his decision to appear at Kanye West's second Soldier Field concert in Chicago, pushing back against criticism from New York radio host Peter Rosenberg over musicians continuing to support West. Rosenberg, who is Jewish, had argued that performers were being "openly lame about Kanye" given that West released a song called "Heil Hitler" just a year earlier, prompting Kid Cudi to insist their two-decade friendship and professional relationship placed him beyond such judgement.

Kid Cudi, who was signed to West's label in 2008, said the rapper had made genuine progress after years of mental health struggles and that his apology for antisemitic remarks was sincere, adding that he personally had held West accountable in the past. Rosenberg later clarified he was not criticising Kid Cudi specifically but stood by his broader objection to West being "hailed as a hero" so soon after controversial conduct, including a 2022 swastika T-shirt sale and a January full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal. West has since toured extensively in the US and abroad, performing in cities including Los Angeles, Tampa, San Antonio and Istanbul.