Kid Cudi Responds To Tribute From Fan Who Died Days Later

Teen said he had a vision of the rapper on the verge of death

For all of his past personal troubles, industry insiders almost unanimously identify Kid Cudi as one the realest, most sensitive artists in the game. A note responding a fan's tribute to him shortly before his death only seems to confirm that.

Ben Breedlove, an 18-year-old from Austin, Texas who suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, died on Christmas Day of a heart attack, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Shortly before his death, Breedlove spoke about his life with the condition via a set of index cards on YouTube. In several of the cards, Breedlove tells of vivid images he had of his favorite rapper. Kid Cudi responded earlier this week, saying that he was moved to tears.

"I am so sad about Ben Breedlove," Kid Cudi wrote on his tumblr page, Cud Life. "I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I cant describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much."

Videos like Breedlove's are becoming more and more popular on social media like YouTube. The "storyboard" narrative often used by teens, perhaps most popularly by Jonah Mowry, who silently told the world via index cards that he was being bullied because he was gay -- he showed scars on his left arm he'd gotten from cutting himself. Despite the unrelated fallout (he was widely accused of over-exaggerating after a response video in which he said that virtually his entire school liked him) the videos can act as an testament -- or in this case a kind of last will.

Breedlove said he experienced one of his visions of Cudi when he collapsed at school recently. The condition, a thickening of the heart muscle which makes it difficult to pump blood, had given Breedlove trouble throughout his short life.

"Kid Cudi brought me to a glass desk and put his hand on my shoulder," Breedlove wrote. "Right then my favorite song of his came on, 'Mr. Rager.' The part where it said 'When will the Fantasy end...when will the heaven begin?' And he said, ‘Go Now. Right then, I woke up and the EMS were performing CPR. I didn't want to leave that place. I wish I never woke up."

By Thursday afternoon, Cudi's response had over 2,000 notes -- reblogs or shares.

"Life is really f***** up sometimes, but I know Ben is at Peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad," he said. "We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s definitely mine. You have my love.