Cordae

Maryland rapper Cordae earns acclaim for his introspective storytelling and dynamic presence. He first emerged within the brief YBN crew, gaining traction via the widely circulated tracks “My Name Is,” which reworked Eminem’s 1999 breakthrough single, and “Old N*ggas,” a direct reply to J. Cole’s “1985.” Those cuts highlighted his intricate wordplay, adaptable delivery, and precise craftsmanship, after which he issued standalone pieces such as “Scotty Pippen” and “Kung Fu.” Recognition arrived from both longtime fans and veteran figures; 50 Cent publicly endorsed him, while Gucci Mane and Wiz Khalifa appeared on the 2018 group project YBN: The Mixtape alongside YBN Almighty Jay and YBN Nahmir. Cordae’s profile rose sharply with the 2019 Grammy-nominated debut The Lost Boy and its 2022 follow-up From a Birds Eye View, both of which reached the Billboard Top 20. He later charted again via the 2023 collaboration “Doomsday” with Lyrical Lemonade and Juice WRLD, then unveiled his third album, The Crossroads, in 2024.

Born Cordae Dunston in 1997 in Suitland, Maryland, he began rapping during his teenage years and initially issued material under the name Entendre, drawing inspiration from Nas and Talib Kweli. Between 2014 and 2017 he completed three mixtapes as Entendre before committing more fully to the craft after relocating to Los Angeles and connecting with YBN Nahmir and YBN Almighty Jay at the start of 2018. Performing as YBN Cordae, he strengthened his standing that year through cuts like “Fighting Temptations” and a widely viewed L.A. Leakers freestyle. He also contributed to joint YBN releases and performed both alone and with the collective.

In 2019 Cordae released “Bad Idea” featuring Chance the Rapper and “RNP” featuring Anderson .Paak; both appeared on The Lost Boy, whose additional guests included Ty Dolla $ign, Pusha T, and Meek Mill. The project earned him Grammy nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for “Bad Idea.” Following the YBN collective’s sudden end, he removed the prefix from his name in 2020. After scattered features and the solo track “The Parables,” he issued the 2021 EP Just Until…., which included Q-Tip and Young Thug, then paired with Common on “What’s Life.” His second album, From a Birds Eye View, arrived in January 2022 with appearances by Gunna, Lil Wayne, Eminem, H.E.R., and others, landing at number 13 on the Billboard chart; “Unacceptable” followed in August. In 2023 Cordae joined NF on “Careful” and reunited with Anderson .Paak for “Two Tens,” while “Doomsday” with Lyrical Lemonade and Juice WRLD reached number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. The solo single “Make Up Your Mind” surfaced the same August. The next year he reunited with Lil Wayne on “Saturday Mornings,” one of several previews for The Crossroads, which arrived in November 2024 featuring further Lil Wayne contributions plus Juicy J, Kanye West, Joey Bada$$, and additional guests, entering the Billboard 200 at number 143.