TED Talk

Cordae’s TED Talk About ‘Hi-Level Mentality’ Was The Most Popular Of 2022

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In June, rapper Cordae gave a TED Talk about “Hi-Level mentality,” named after his label. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “What does a 24-year-old rapper possibly have to say during a TED Talk? Like, ‘Who cares what Ja Rule thinks,’ you know?”

With humor and intellect, he gave a powerful speech. His TED Talk was actually so powerful that it was the series’ most popular one of the year, according to their website. Titled “How a ‘Hi Level’ mindset helps you realize your potential,” it received almost five million views in six months.

He is often motivational; he once discussed losing 35 pounds for a magazine cover. “I had to do a GQ cover,” he explained. “I’m speaking my truth. I had to do a GQ cover and was like, ‘Man, if I don’t get in shape to do a GQ cover, what ever in life is gonna motivate you to get in shape?’”

He added, “When you look good, you feel good; when you feel good, you do good; and when you do good, they pay good. That’s why it’s important to feel good.”

Revisit Cordae’s TED Talk above.

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

Cordae Compares Himself To Ja Rule In His Insightful TED Talk

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In just three years, Cordae has gone from being a relatively unknown second banana in a viral favorite rap group to an accomplished solo rapper to a Grammy nominee and renowned activist. Most new artists would be fine with working alongside Stevie Wonder and dating an international tennis superstar, but apparently, Cordae has even bigger plans. His next step appears to be “motivational speaker,” as he premieres his first-ever TED Talk about what he calls the “Hi-Level mentality,” named after his recently launched label.

Of course, he recognizes that there might not be much overlap between the crowds who regularly attend TED conferences and Rolling Loud festivals, so he lightens up the mood during his introduction with a universal joke: A reference to the infamous “Where’s Ja?” meme kicked off by Dave Chappelle back when Cordae himself was just six years old. “I know what you’re thinking,” he predicts. “What does a 24-year-old rapper possibly have to say turning a TED Talk? Like, ‘Who cares what Ja Rule thinks,’ you know?”

It turns out, he has plenty to say, recounting how his mom raised him in a series of neighborhoods so bad that her car was once stolen twice in the same week but continually upgraded to the point where such things were no longer a concern. He also details how his own discipline led to his own rise in stature in the rap business and encourages the audience to “maximize your time on this earth.”

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

Apparently, Miley Cyrus Thanked Lizzo For Her TED Talk On The Black History Of Twerking

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Lizzo might be the modern expert on twerking, never afraid to get her “heinie” (as she calls it) out there and get it shaking. And that’s especially important because of the Black history of twerking that has been all but erased from the modern understanding of it, where young white teens are imitating the dance on TikTok with no real understanding of the context they’re appropriating.

That’s part of why Lizzo felt so compelled to make a whole TED Talk about the history of the dance, rather gently bringing up how Miley Cyrus’ lighting rod performance, which included some twerking, at the 2013 VMAs catapulted the dance to mainstream attention — and did so in a way that didn’t do the best job of honoring its origins. And apparently, Miley actually took the conversation in stride, mentioning to Lizzo that she watched the TED Talk herself and “really loved it.”

“I mention Miley Cyrus in my TED Talk,” Lizzo told People in a recent interview. “And I’m very delicate with how I mention her because, at the end of the day, I didn’t want to have any bias in the way I talked about how she brought twerking to mainstream. The messenger is kind of how this thing spread like it did — seeing her at the VMAs. And I saw her recently and she was like, ‘I watched your TED Talk and I really loved it. Thank you for that.’”

Stay classy Miley, that’s the appropriate response. If you haven’t watched it yet, check out Lizzo’s love letter to twerking up top.

Lizzo’s Ted Talk On The History Of Twerking Is Everything You Hoped It Would Be And More

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Lizzo has been one of the most vocal proponents of body positivity in pop music in recent memory. As a Black woman of size, she’s been very open about the cultural pressures she’s faced, not only growing up, but even after making it as a global star. So, she took it upon herself to help share the history of twerking with the world, since this ass-shaking dance also represents a major component in her own acceptance of herself. In the talk, she lets fans know that her butt was her least favorite part of her own body, and that embracing twerking was what helped her see it as a positive.

But she also wants to be clear about the rich twerking of history, which was derived from Black people and culture, with a direct parallel to West African dances like mapouka. As Lizzo explains, the dance was carried over to America through the transatlantic slave trade, and she traces it from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith to Josephine Baker and more. “Black people will not be erased from the history, the creation, and the innovation of twerking,” she asserts. And it’s definitely stars like Lizzo that will make sure this history remains intact. Check out the full talk above.