Cordae

Nas, Freddie Gibbs, And Cordae Reflect On How ‘Life Is Like A Dice Game’

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Three generations of hip-hop’s top technicians come together on “Life Is Like A Dice Game,” a new Nas release from Spotify’s Spotify Singles program in conjunction with the RapCaviar playlist. A&Red by Carl Chery of Spotify and produced by Hit-Boy, the single spawned from Nas’ 1993 sessions for his canon classic debut album Illmatic, where he freestyled the verse but never finished a song for it.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Spotify has completed the song, adding a beat from Hit-Boy and verses from two of Nas’s most clear-cut successors in Freddie Gibbs and Cordae, both elite MCs in their own rights, to finally put the freestyle’s portentous final line — “When I finish the sh*t, it’s going to be a hit” — to the test.

Nas explained how the track came together in a press release, saying, “Spotify pulled out a leak from the 90s that I did eons ago, and asked if I could resurrect it. I can’t remember where I recorded it, or who produced it – maybe Easy Moe Bee, he was killin’ the game at the time! Carl Chery from Spotify suggested we connect with Freddie & Cordae to bring the song new life and I loved it.”

July also marks the 25th anniversary of Nas’ follow-up to Illmatic, the criminally underrated It Was Written, which dropped on July 2 in 1996, as well as the 30th anniversary of Nas’ universally lauded breakout verse on Main Source’s “Live At The Barbecue,” which changed the rap landscape on July 23, 1991.

Listen to Nas’ “Life Is Like A Dice Game” featuring Cordae and Freddie Gibbs below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cordae And Common’s ‘What’s Life’ Seeks Answers To Society’s Current Qualms

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While the two rappers might be a couple of rap generations removed from each other, a collaboration between Cordae and Common makes a lot of sense. Both are patient lyricists who present strong storytelling abilities while also laying off impressive bars with ease. Both rappers make a cross-generational connection for their new song, “What’s Life.” The effort watches the duo sift for answers to society’s current qualms while contemplating what their everyday lives might look like without aspects they deem as important.

Cordae and Common’s collaboration can be found on the newly-released Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3 EP which arrives with five songs and other contributions from Lucky Daye, Chloe Bailey, Yara Shahidi, and saxophonist Kamasi Washington. On the individual side of things, Cordae recently shared his Just Until EP before gracing faces with videos for “Wassup,” “Dream In Color,” and “More Life.” Common, on the other hand, is hard at work producing a documentary — named God’s Long Summer after a book written by Charles Marsh — about Civil Rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.

You can listen to “What’s Life” in the video above.

Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3 is out now via Hollywood Records. Get it here.

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cordae Funds Scholarships For HBCU Students With Help From Disney And ESPN

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Cordae isn’t just a critically acclaimed, hit-making young artist on the rise — he’s also an outspoken activist and advocate for social change in America and the world. Last year, he was arrested at a sit-in protest of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home to push for Cameron to file charges against Breonna Taylor’s killers (a felony charge against him was dropped) and now, he’s partnered with Disney Dreamers Academy and ESPN’s The Undefeated to stand up for education by funding scholarships for HBCU students.

His efforts are being fueled by his participation in the upcoming compilation project Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3, set to be released June 18 in honor of Juneteenth, the Black American holiday celebrating the official end of slavery in the United States. The Music For The Movement series, sponsored by The Undefeated, celebrates Black history and accomplishments of Black American activists, artists, and athletes, spawning records like Tinashe’s cover of “I’m Every Woman.”

Cordae, who appears on the track “What’s Life” with Common, committed to donating his proceeds from the track to funding scholarships for HBCU students. The Undefeated and Disney Dreamers Academy matched his donations. Cordae explained his decision in a press release. “So many people need the money more than I do,” he said. “I feel as though when you’re in such a blessed position, it’s important to pay that forward to be a blessing to others. It’s especially important to me to invest in our youth and the future. Young people are the future of our society and the world, so we must do all we can to ensure they are properly positioned to succeed. If I can spark the brain of a few future world leaders and geniuses, I’ll die a happy man.”

Liberated / Music For the Movement Vol. 3 also features Chloe Bailey, Kamasi Washington, Lucky Daye, and Yara Shahidi, and is due 6/18 on Hollywood Records.

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HER’s ‘Back Of My Mind’ Tracklist Features Lil Baby, Bryson Tiller, Cordae, And More

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HER has been a big deal since 2016, when she released her debut EP, HER Vol. 1. Over the years, the California-born artist has won a Grammy and an Oscar. Through it all, one of the only things HER hadn’t accomplished was release a full-length album, but that will change in just a few days.

Back Of My Mind, HER’s long-awaited long-player debut, will drop on June 18. After revealing its title and cover art earlier this month, the singer shared its tracklist with just three days until the album arrives. According to the Apple Music pre-save page, it’s comprised of 21 songs with contributions from Ty Dolla Sign, Hit-Boy, Cordae, Lil Baby, Kaytranada, Thundercat, Chris Brown, Yung Bleu, DJ Khaled, Bryson Tiller, and YG. Previously-released singles, “We Made It,” “Damage,” “Come Through,” “Hold On,” and “Slide.”

You can check out the full tracklist for the album below.

1. “We Made It”
2. “Back Of My Mind” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
3. “Trauma” Feat. Cordae & Hit-Boy
4. “Damage”
5. “Find A Way” Feat. Lil Baby
6. “Bloody Waters” Feat. Kaytranada & Thundercat
7. “Closer To Me
8. “Come Through” Feat. Chris Brown
9. “My Own”
10. “Lucky”
11. “Cheat Code”
12. “Mean It”
13. “Paradise” Feat. Yung Bleu
14. “Process”
15. “Hold On”
16. “Don’t”
17. “Exhausted”
18. “Hard To Love”
19. “For Anyone”
20. “I Can Have It” Feat. DJ Khaled & Bryson Tiller
21. “Slide” feat. YG

Back Of My Mind is out 6/18 via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Pre-order it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cordae And Young Thug Run A Fight Club In Their Murky ‘Wassup’ Video

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Of all the songs on Cordae’s new EP Just Until, the one that seemed to intrigue fans the most was “Wassup,” which featured Young Thug. Perhaps fans weren’t expecting to see those names paired together on a tracklist but with Cordae collaborating with Roddy Ricch and Young Thug trading bars with J. Cole, it doesn’t seem like that far of a reach, in hindsight.

Today, Cordae and Thug shared the video for their back-and-forth track, adopting a storyline about an underground fight club they run with ruthless efficiency. The two rappers trade belligerent bars as Cordae shows off his pugilistic prowess, knocking out one challenger after another. In the video’s denouement, Thugger counts up their winnings while giving a subtle shout-out to Cordae’s new label endeavor, Hi-Level Productions.

In more expected collaborations from Cordae, the young rapper with an old soul, the former YBN member was tapped to work with his hero Eminem and Jack Harlow on the remix of “Killer.” It seems that even though Cordae was reportedly blocked from appearing on Em’s longtime compeer Royce Da 5’9’s album, turning down a guest spot from the Rap God was too good an opportunity to pass up. With co-signs from both rap icons and contemporary favorites, Cordae certainly has plenty of eyes on his upcoming follow-up to The Lost Boy.

Watch Cordae’s “Wassup” video with Young Thug above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Naomi Osaka Speaks On Withdrawing From Tennis French Open

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Tennis superstar athlete Naomi Osaka is standing up for herself without regrets. The U.S. Open champion has spoken up about her decision to withdraw from the French Open. Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Tennis Tournament Osaka went to her social media channels with a personal message addressing her departure from the tennis tournament. In her message, […]

The post Naomi Osaka Speaks On Withdrawing From Tennis French Open appeared first on SOHH.com.

Eminem Delivers A Cross-Generation Collab With Jack Harlow And Cordae On Their Remix Of ‘Killer’

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At this point in his career, many of Eminem’s releases come as surprises to his fan base. This trend dates back to his 2018 album, Kamikaze, which arrived with no announcement. He did the same in 2020 with his eleventh album, Music To Be Murdered By, a project he later shared a deluxe reissue for with no promotion. Once again, Eminem is back to his surprising ways as he recruited a pair of names some may not have expected him to work with for a new remix. The Detroit rapper called up Jack Harlow and Cordae to collaborate with him on an updated take of “Killer.”

The original track can be found on the deluxe version of Music To Be Murdered By. The track’s production fits the young rappers like Harlow and Cordae more so than one would imagine it does Eminem, but the trio combats the D.A. Got That Dope-produced beat with ease for what proves to be a solid cross-generational collaboration. Harlow and Cordae lead the way with brief verses of their own before Eminem steps in to rap for nearly two straight minutes. In that time he delivers his trademark tongue-twisting bars and also confirms he and Snoop Dogg are on good terms following their past beef.

The remix comes after some decent activity from Harlow and Cordae. The latter launched his own label, Hi-Level Productions, and dropped his Just Until… EP while the former appeared on Saturday Night Live and a trailer for the third season of Call Of Duty: Warzone.

Hit play on the remix in the video above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Eminem Teases His Upcoming ‘Killer’ Remix Featuring Cordae And Jack Harlow

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It looks like Eminem’s long-held animosity for 20-something rappers has subsided, as the 20-year rap veteran has reached out to two of today’s quickest-witted spitters, Cordae and Jack Harlow, to remix the upbeat Music To Be Murdered By track, “Killer.” Em teased the track ahead of its arrival, offering fans a tiny snippet of the track and its animated music video on Twitter. Its visual style resembled a pulp noir comic, with white ink on a black background and action shots that homage hardboiled thrillers and the comic books that Em loves collecting.

Incidentally, both rappers share more in common than just a love for complex rhyme schemes. Cordae’s breakout moment came with the release of his “My Name Is” freestyle over Eminem’s own breakout major-label debut single from two decades ago. Jack Harlow, meanwhile, has expressed his love for Eminem, checking his peers for underrating the Detroit icon during an interview with Pitchfork and putting his own spin on another one of Em’s classic records, “Without Me,” in an SNL sketch “explaining” how NFTs work.

The “Killer” remix drops tonight at midnight ET.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cordae Starts His Own Record Label, Hi-Level Productions

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Cordae may only be a few years into his rap career proper, but he’s already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments and is clearly focused on making the right moves. His next step is ownership and advocacy for fellow rising artists, as he has launched his own label, Hi-Level Productions. Although he’s revealed little about the venture — how it affects his current deal with Atlantic or whose music it’ll be releasing first — it’s clear its aim is to function differently than a corporately controlled major, with its Instagram touting it as “a family, way of life, and Record Label, 100% owned by @cordae.”

The announcement comes just weeks after Cordae released the four-song EP, Just Until, his first compilation of new material since his 2019 debut The Lost Boy. The project included features from Q-Tip and Young Thug, and so far, Cordae’s released videos for two tracks, “More Life” and “Dream In Color.” The project was also his first since his name change from YBN Cordae signified a split from the YBN crew. The creation of his own label continues to highlight the level of creative control he wants to maintain over his work — and possibly, an intention to start signing and developing his own artists.

Check out the logo for Hi-Level above and more info here.

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.