YBN Cordae has one of the most talked-about albums of the summer. The Lost Boy released less than a week and features Pusha-T, Anderson .Paak, and Chance The Rapper. Cordae realizes that he is still taking his sound new places. He stopped by Funkmaster Flex’s freestyle platform to drop one of 2019’s best in the category.

“I love the diversity, Flex. This is why I came up here. Y’all play great beats,” Cordae tells Flex during the taping. DJ Juantyo plays three instrumentals: JAY-Z & Kanye West’s “Otis,” DaBaby’s “Suge (Yea, Yea),” and Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick, Push.” With sounds from three different periods of Rap, Cordae fits in. He tailors his flow, not his substance, and puts on an impressive display.

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At 1:35, he begins with the Watch The Throne breakout single produced by ‘Ye. “I came in the game with a chip on my shoulder / Lookin’ at the competition, all these ni**as is older / Only got two favorite rappers: Jigga and Hova / I’m sippin’ a soda / Lamborghini equipped with a motor / ‘Til I hopped in the fast lane, reminiscing my past pain / And carry it, the cash came / Heritage from my last name / I’m from a tribe of brilliance,” he spits before warning that he’s prepared to m*ssacre the game with lethal lyrics. He calls out nonsensical MCs winning without substance. “I know you’re feeling me / Got these Rap poems, soliloquies / Wife, I really need / These h*es a buncha’ Billie Jeans / Fake-ass ni**as, snake-ass ni**as / Ni**as rappin’ fast, but what-the-f*ck-did-you-say-ass-ni**as / Type imported with mic recording / Your life distorted / The best ni**a outta the league since Michael Jordan / Plottin’ what I’m ’bout to accomplish, quite enormous / I don’t have the right to forfeit / My life historic.”

On top of DaBaby’s Top 10 charting instrumental (created by JetsonMade & Pooh Beatz) Cordae raps about making wise investments with his money. Riding the pocket the Maryland native (with ties to North Carolina) turns to the host, “Look Flex, you ain’t dealin’ with no amateur / Two-tone drip might damage ya / Hit a ni**a quick, no camera / I do not think you can handle us / Why the inner-streets so scandalous? / Rap ni**as dumb, don’t plan enough,” he then increases his flow to recall not so long ago, when he was in a “down bad” position.

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To close out the trio of tracks, Juantyo takes it back to the mid-2000s with Soundtrakk’s jazzy creation for Lu’. “I’m searchin’ on a path that I’m headed beyond / One thing I had to learn was never question a don / What is life to a king and what is death to a pawn? / When I was 12, I got Baptized and read The Qua’ran / Searching for purpose, answers / Locked up for murdering verses, stanzas / Heard you was nervous, but that’s my manners / Grew up in Carolina, but was raised by the Panthers / Moved to Maryland / Mama used to work at the Sheraton / One-bedroom-apartment was so embarrassing / Hard times will humble the soul, and lower arrogance.”

In his bars, the 21-year-old MC shows his character and his principles. However, like a lot of rappers, he’s also not afraid to flaunt a bit of his fortune, challenge peers on their skills, and show why 2019 is his big breakout after years of noise-making.

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Earlier this week, Cordae had a conversation with Rob Markman on For The Record that broke down his Lost Boy album, track-by-track. While speaking on the Genius show, he also recited JAY-Z and Nas bars verbatim.