A first impression is a big thing. You could be meeting your future wife, your significant others' parents or your future mentor -- Grammy-winning recording artist [artist id="1230523"]Kanye West[/artist].

[article id="1606712"]Kid Cudi[/article] said when he first met West, it was as a fan. "At Virgin Megastore, I was looking at CDs that I couldn't buy, and he was standing right next to me looking at CDs ... that he could buy."

Cudi said he noticed a chain out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to see West standing there. "I had just moved to New York," he said. "I'm from Cleveland. We don't see celebrities, unless it's [in] concert."

He approached West and timidly stuck out his hand to introduce himself. " 'How you doing? My name is Cudi,' " he recalled saying to the superstar. "Actually, I said my name was Scott, because I wasn't [artist id="3066140"]Kid Cudi[/artist] yet."

Cudi said he told West where he was from, but the Chicago MC interrupted him. West was on the phone and proceeded to tell the person he would call them right back. Cudi was awestruck that West got off his phone and gave him his undivided attention. He timidly reintroduced himself and asked West to sign him.

"I had no pitch. I was just this kid that was like, 'Can you sign me?' " Cudi remembered. West respectfully declined, because he was already busy with a stable of artists.

" 'Unless you on some Biggie and Tupac-type stuff,' " Cudi said, mimicking West's voice. Cudi admitted that he wasn't that good, but he recalled telling West something else: "I have the potential for greatness."

West respectfully turned him down again, but he said they stood there talking for a good five to 10 minutes before people in the store started noticing that it was Kanye West. He said West's security told the MC that they had to leave.

Before he left, West asked what his name was again. Cudi replied: "Scott, but my rap name is Kid Cudi, so be checking for me."