Kid Cudi 'Broke Down' Over Fan Ben Breedlove's Death

Kid Cudi wrote on his blog that he "broke down" over the death of Ben Breedlove, an 18-year-old fan from Austin, Texas, who suffered a fatal heart attack on Christmas Day.

Cudi heard about Breedlove after a pair of YouTube videos the fan made went viral before his death. In the videos, Breedlove silently holds up cards that tell the story of living with a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a disease that causes the heart muscles to enlarge, making it difficult to pump blood properly. He says he "cheated death" three times: the most recent time in early December when EMTs used shock pads on his chest after his heart stopped. He described a vision of being in a white room and being with his "favorite rapper, Kid Cudi" wearing white suits and feeling "happy and peaceful" and he "couldn't stop smiling." He ended his videos with a card that read "Do you believe in God and angels? I do."

After watching the videos, Kid Cudi wrote: "I am so sad about Ben Breedlove. 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."

Cudi went on to say, "To Ben's family, you raised a real hero, he's definitely mine. You have my love."

Breedlove's parents released an obituary in the Austin American-Statesman on Thursday (December 29) referencing the videos and writing, "Now the world has come to know our Ben. He was a genius at using the Internet to reach and influence his peers. ... In the weeks prior to his death, he had faced some scary situations with his health, but had been given an amazing gift that he was determined to share; first with us, his family, and then, not surprisingly (and generously) with his YouTube audience."