“I ain’t going nowhere/ 20-year career minimum,” declares Cordae, in “Sinister,” a single from his sophomore effort, From A Bird’s Eye View. “This ain’t rap music; this straight literature.” It might sound a bit ambitious for a rapper just two calendar years removed from his XXL Freshman cover. But he’s also flexing alongside an absolutely tawdry guest spot from industry legend Lil Wayne—so maybe he’s entitled.
From A Bird’s Eye View finds the 24-year-old rapper and Maryland native torn between marveling at the glory of his come up story and ruminating on the difficult path he cut to get there. It’s also a sure-handed follow-up from a gifted lyricist who is clearly enjoying the artistic license that comes along with an increased budget and connections to the upper echelons of collaborators.
He found the sample for “Super” in the studio with Kid Culture and Jeanius, and spit a series of boastful bars calling out, among other things: the $7 million he made in 2020 without doing “a single fuckin’ show”; his Super Bowl Coca-Cola ad; and his text messages with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. He enjoys the fruits of his labor with Gunna on “Today,” slips on a pair of “Champagne Glasses” with Freddie Gibbs over Stevie Wonder on harmonica, and stretches his vocals in the company of H.E.R. on “Chronicles.”
But Cordae’s not forgetting where he came from. “Shiloh’s Intro” finds his childhood friend Shiloh Young freestyling from prison. Cordae told Apple Music that he features his “little brother” because they came up rapping together as kids and “I’m kind of harvesting a seed he planted in a way.” Midway through the album, he recounts the doldrums of those years on “C Carter,” which finds Cordae stretching his vocals a nostalgic hook. “Not doing too bad for a newcomer,” he marvels.
It’s been a whirlwind to stardom for Cordae, who moved to Los Angeles from Maryland and linked with hip-hop collective YBN in 2018. He made waves that summer with a remix of Eminem’s 1999 smash “My Name Is” and a debut at Rolling Loud alongside YBN Nahmir and YBN Jay Almighty. His first full length, The Lost Boy, dropped the following summer and would earn him two Grammy nominations. Then, in 2020, he announced his split from YBN under contentious circumstances. That fall, he captivated the web with his passionate cheering for superstar tennis player girlfriend Naomi Osaka.
Despite all that activity behind the scenes, Cordae’s catalog is surprisingly coherent. From A Bird’s Eye View is a fitting sequel to Lost Boy both sonically and lyrically. That lost boy is gone and in his place a self-assured artist plotting his next moves in the industry. He returns to the theme of his grandmother’s death, although it appears with time the wound is less fresh. And he continues to grieve the passing of numerous friends, which he laments is “getting old.” In other moments, he’s triumphant about his continued success. “Appreciate this shit because the gutter I come straight out,” he says in “Momma’s Hood.” In the production, he gave new life to the boom-bap of yesterday due to his admitted aversion to chasing trends. The beats are there to provide support and not overwhelm his material.
With that being said, Bird’s Eye View isn’t exactly spotless. Though it was likely a personal achievement to have one of his influences in Eminem guest on “Parables,” the rushed verse is ultimately the album’s one glaring low point. His assertion that he’s “going back to Dr. Dre, he’s still giving me refills” feels lazy and tired. It’s a shame, too, because Cordae’s verse at the top of the track is a standout.