Cordae

Cordae Amari Brooks (né Dunston; born August 26, 1997), known mononymously as Cordae (formerly YBN Cordae and Entendre), is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of the hip hop collective YBN.

His 2019 debut studio album, The Lost Boy, peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was met with critical acclaim. At the 62nd Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Rap Album, while its single, "Bad Idea" (featuring Chance the Rapper), was nominated for Best Rap Song. After the group disbanded in 2020, he dropped the "YBN" from his stage name. His second studio album, From a Birds Eye View (2022), matched the chart position of his previous, and was met with similar critical reception. Cordae released his most recent album The Crossroads in November 2024.

Early life

Brooks was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He lived in nearby Zebulon, until he was 9 years old, when his family moved to Suitland, Maryland, where he was mostly raised. As a young child, he took an interest in music after his father played classic hip hop artists such as Rakim, Nas, Big L, and Talib Kweli. He began writing raps around the age of fifteen. As he got older, he researched artists through YouTube, attempting to find music like his father played.

Brooks became more interested in pursuing a rap career as he grew older. He prioritized his studies, but often became distracted by writing lyrics. He graduated from high school in 2015 and decided to attend college at Towson University. He dropped out in 2018, explaining that college was "bigger than him" as a first-generation student, and he was mainly doing it for his mother. He moved to Los Angeles shortly afterward.