Cordae’s collaborations have gotten more significant as his career has progressed. After leaving the YBN collective, he dropped the abbreviation from his name. He fully embraced a more soulful sound in his production, and his lyrics were down-to-earth and vulnerable. However, he still put out some fun bangers, too. Cordae’s music is centered on him embracing the internal feelings he’s had through interactions with his family, significant others, and people in the music world.
The theme of self-confidence is a consistent topic, too. Cordae has only put out two projects in recent years, with his solo debut being well-received by listeners. However, his sophomore effort was a little more divisive. Still, Cordae’s authentic personality has allowed him to work with some notable acts in music. We’ve gathered seven of his biggest collaborations.
“Champagne Glasses” feat. Freddie Gibbs & Stevie Wonder (2022)
This is a Cordae collaboration that was unexpected in every way. Stevie Wonder is not a name people typically think of in the rap world, but many artists have sampled him. Cordae and Freddie Gibbs are not only distant in age but also in most of their subject matter in music. But, when talent comes together, it often produces well-received results.
The production from Kid Culture combines reflectiveness with elegance. Cordae talks about maintaining a positive, celebratory attitude on the outside when he has more going on internally. Gibb’s verse touches on a myriad of topics, and his signature voice and delivery help them all flow together. Stevie’s appearance comes after a beat switch where he showcases his harmonica proficiency. There are no vocals from him on the song. It’s almost as if his instrumental outro offers listeners a moment to reflect on what they just heard.
“What’s Life” With Common (2021)
This collaboration is with a legendary artist in the lane Cordae makes his music in. Common is known for bringing soulful, vulnerable, and open feelings to the rap world. Being Cordae is part of the current generation doing this, it’s only right the two of them worked together. Their collaboration is a special one because it was done for Liberated/Music for the Movement Vol. 3. Cordae’s verse has him evaluating the things in life that keep him moving forward, which is reinforced by the song’s hook.
The gentle and jazzy production gives him plenty of room for this as his delivery gives a listener a feeling of hearing his internal thoughts. Common’s verse has a similar feeling and, considering his life experience views the same situation from a different perspective. This is another cross-generational collab that validates the new and old school have respect for each other.
“More Life” feat. Q-Tip (2021)
This is another collaboration with a legendary artist Cordae has already secured in his young career. This track comes from Cordae’s EP Just Until…, which held listeners until he dropped his sophomore album, From A Bird’s Eye View. Q-Tip provides a brief hook on this one and also has production credits. His distinct and smooth voice is an excellent pair for Cordae’s reflective verses as he discusses his internal feelings and how he navigates his career. This is the type of song most people associate with Cordae because it is filled with his honest feelings while still having a good bounce in the production. There’s a relatability factor running through it, too, which pulls in many of his listeners. The song’s sentiment and the music video go hand in hand with this one as Cordae visits his old middle school and college in it.
“Nightmares Are Real” feat. Pusha T (2019)
This is a Cordae collaboration from his debut album, The Lost Boy. While many debate whether the area of Virginia Pusha T calls home is part of the “DMV,” this track still brings two regional artists together. The track has a certain mysterious atmosphere, which is capitalized on by the song’s music video. Cordae crafts a verse that details his experiences in the past, and Pusha does, too.
The contrast comes in how they had different upbringings, but the common thread is they once struggled. They’ve since elevated and can look back on how it made them who they are in the present. Cordae sings on the hook, which is not uncommon for him. He even adds some background vocalizations to this hook, adding another melody to the song. Many listeners praised Pusha’s short but impactful feature.
“Parables (Remix)” feat. Eminem (2022)
This is a collaboration Cordae did with one of the biggest rap artists of all time. The song’s hook alludes to some situations from Cordae’s past, but his verses show how he found a new perspective through these situations. Cordae’s aggressive delivery throughout his verses indicates his passion for sharing his truth.
Interestingly enough, Em’s verse begins at almost the exact halfway point of the song. His verse has multiple flow switches; naturally, a few showcase his rapid-fire delivery skills. He also weaves in his version of the song’s hook and swaps in references to his own past. Cordae getting a feature from a legend like Eminem shows that Em believes in him and his talent. It also branches generations and can bring their separate audiences together—although there was likely already some overlap between them.
“Sinister” feat. Lil Wayne (2021)
Despite the song’s name from this Cordae collaboration, the song isn’t “dark” at all. In fact, it’s quite the opposite as the duo rap over a smooth ’90s-esque boom-bap beat. Lil Wayne is an artist that has done many features over the years, and he often adapts well to whoever he is featuring with. In the case of Cordae, he brings the same light yet confident delivery style Cordae does.
Cordae’s hook creatively references the producer of this track, frequent collaborator Hit-Boy. Wayne joins him on the hook in the song’s closing moments. Before this, he drops an easy-going verse despite the punchlines he packs in. The song’s closing moments find Cordae dropping some final bars that aren’t quite a bridge but aren’t quite an entire verse, either. They just ensure he closes the song impactfully in his own way.
“Two Tens” feat. Anderson .Paak (2023)
While “RNP” was the first collaboration between Cordae and Anderson .Paak, this song wouldn’t have happened without that one. These tracks showcase a very high level of chemistry between the two artists. In fact, because of this latest collab, many listeners want a complete collaboration project from the duo. On this track, Cordae and Anderson .Paak trade bars throughout the song’s verses. There’s a certain lighthearted playfulness to their flows as they contrast each other’s opinions. This is how there’s even a touch of humor in the song, too.
The minimalistic production gives their flows a chance to provide the song with its bounce. J.Cole has production credits on this one, which surprised listeners of all three artists. With this being Cordae’s most recent collab, listeners are wondering if any others are coming soon. What’s your favorite collab Cordae has done? Let us know in the comments section.
[Via]