Cordae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cordae
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Cordae performing at Openair Frauenfeld in 2019
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| Birth name | Cordae Amari Dunston |
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| Born | August 26, 1997 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Origin | Suitland, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
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Cordae Amari Brooks (born August 26, 1997), known as Cordae, is an American rapper. He was once known as YBN Cordae and Entendre. He started his music journey as part of the hip-hop group YBN.
His first album, The Lost Boy, came out in 2019. It reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 music chart. Critics really liked the album. At the 62nd Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Rap Album. His song "Bad Idea" with Chance the Rapper was nominated for Best Rap Song.
The YBN group broke up in 2020. After that, Cordae removed "YBN" from his stage name. His second album, From a Birds Eye View, was released in 2022. It also reached number 13 on the charts and received good reviews.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Cordae was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He lived in Zebulon until he was nine years old. Then, his family moved to Suitland, Maryland, where he grew up. He became interested in music because his dad played classic hip-hop artists. Some of these artists included Rakim, Nas, and Talib Kweli.
Cordae started writing his own raps when he was about 15. As he got older, he used YouTube to find more music like his father's. He became very serious about becoming a rapper. He tried to focus on school but often got sidetracked by writing lyrics.
He finished high school in 2015 and went to Towson University. However, he left college in 2018. He explained that college felt too big for him as the first in his family to attend. He moved to Los Angeles soon after.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out and First Album (2014–2019)
Before becoming famous, Cordae released three mixtapes as a teenager. He used the name Entendre for these projects. They were called Anxiety (2014), I'm So Anxious (2016), and I'm So Anonymous (2017).
Cordae started taking his rap career very seriously in 2018. He met YBN Nahmir and YBN Almighty Jay in Los Angeles. He had connected with them through social media. Nahmir had heard one of Cordae's songs. Cordae felt like he was already part of the YBN group. So, he changed his name from Entendre to YBN Cordae. He had wanted to change his name for a while.
In May 2018, Cordae released his first single. He called it his "introduction to the world." It was a remix of Eminem's 1999 song "My Name Is." He released the song with a music video on YouTube. He then released other songs like "Fighting Temptations" and "Kung Fu."
Cordae performed live for the first time in May 2018. He was at the Rolling Loud music festival with YBN Nahmir and YBN Almighty Jay. He also joined Juice Wrld on his North American tour from May to September 2018. This tour visited 28 cities.
Later, the YBN group announced a month-long tour in Europe. Cordae said he would release more songs until his first big project was ready. On August 2, 2018, Nahmir and Cordae released a video for their song "Pain Away." On August 12, YBN Nahmir announced a YBN Mixtape would be released on September 7, 2018. Cordae released the music video for his song "Scotty Pippen" on August 23, 2018.
On January 28, 2019, Cordae released a music video for "Locationships." In March, he released "Have Mercy." This was the first song from his debut album, The Lost Boy. XXL magazine named him one of their "2019 Freshman Class" members on June 20. Cordae released "Bad Idea" and "RNP" as more songs from the album. The album itself came out on July 26, 2019.
The Lost Boy earned Cordae two nominations at the 62nd Grammy Awards. These were for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for "Bad Idea." In November, Cordae announced "The Lost Boy in America Tour," which started in January 2020.
New Beginnings and Second Album (2020–Present)
On August 6, 2020, YBN Nahmir announced that the YBN group had broken up. Cordae then removed "YBN" from his stage name. On August 27, Cordae released a new song called "Gifted" with Roddy Ricch.
On April 22, 2021, Cordae released an EP (Extended Play) called Just Until.... It featured artists like Q-Tip and Young Thug. This EP was a preview for his second album. On October 7, 2021, he released the song "Super."
Cordae's second album, From a Birds Eye View, was released on January 14, 2022. This album had 14 songs and featured famous artists. Some of these included Eminem, Stevie Wonder, and Gunna.
In 2023, Cordae was featured on the song "Careful" by NF. This song reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In July 2023, Cordae performed on the Lyrical Lemonade song "Doomsday." He was with the late rapper Juice Wrld. This song was the first single from the Lyrical Lemonade album All Is Yellow, which came out in 2024.
Cordae released his third album, The Crossroads, on November 15, 2024.
Musical Style and Influences
Cordae has many musical influences. He looks up to artists like Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar. He has said that Nas's album It Was Written was a big influence on him.
Cordae believes he can connect different generations of hip-hop fans. He understands both old school hip-hop and how hip-hop is changing today.
Respect Magazine wrote about Cordae in 2018. They said he mixes old and new styles of rap. They noted that his music and how he presents it make him stand out. They also mentioned his songs "My Name Is" and "Kung Fu" had millions of views.
Revolt TV also commented on Cordae in 2018. They said he appeared at the perfect time. He helped bridge the gap between how music looks and how talented an artist is. They described him as having a "mastery" over words.
Personal Life
Cordae has a tongue thrust, which is a way of speaking. Before he left college, he worked at a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in Maryland. He said he "hated" the job and knew he was meant for bigger things.
Cordae has been involved in social justice. He participated in a Black Lives Matter protest in 2016. He rapped to the crowd about challenges he saw in his community. In July 2020, he was arrested at a Breonna Taylor protest in Kentucky. He was with professional football player Kenny Stills.
Cordae started dating tennis star Naomi Osaka in 2019. They met at a basketball game. On January 11, 2023, they announced they were expecting their first child. Their baby girl was born on July 7, 2023.
In September 2024, Cordae shared that he legally changed his last name. He changed it from Dunston to Brooks.
On January 6, 2025, Naomi Osaka announced that she and Cordae were no longer together. She said there was "no bad blood" and that he is "a great person and an awesome dad."
Discography
Cordae has released several albums and EPs.
Studio Albums
- The Lost Boy (2019)
- From a Birds Eye View (2022)
- The Crossroads (2024)
Extended Plays
- Just Until... (2021)
Mixtapes
- Anxiety (2014) (as Entendre)
- I'm So Anxious (2016) (as Entendre)
- I'm So Anonymous (2017) (as Entendre)
- YBN: The Mixtape (2018) (with YBN Almighty Jay and YBN Nahmir)
See also
In Spanish: Cordae para niños
