Last year, YBN Cordae responded to J. Cole’s “1985 – ‘Intro To The Falloff'” with a song of his own. Cole’s song, now more than a year and a half old, confronted some younger Rap peers who had been dissing him, and offering them some valuable game. It was a first-of-its-kind diss record that felt more like a teachable moment than a song out to humiliate its opponent. Although Cole never mentioned an artist by name, an ensuing video conversation with Lil Pump added extended value to a generational clash about trolling, art versus clout, and the dangers of promoting drug use.

While Pump and Cole had their moment, another young artist, YBN Cordae, responded to Cole with “Old Ni**as” (embedded below). The independently-released song politely put the argument back on Jermaine. The song named disappointing leaders from music’s older guard, including Kanye West’s political advocacy and R. Kelly’s alleged sex crimes. Meanwhile, Cordae praised the efforts of people like Mos Def and Talib Kweli for being positive examples. Like Cole’s KOD cut, the record was more about discourse than dissing. Cordae was an emerging voice in the high-profile YBN crew, which also included Alabama’s YBN Nahmir and Houston’s YBN Almighty Jay.

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In 2019, Cole and YBN worked together on one of 2019’s most surprising debut albums. The 21-year-old  delivered The Lost Boy, an ambitious and cohesive collection that looks at the life leading up to his major label breakthrough. The LP has an impressive guest list that includes Pusha-T, Chance The Rapper, and Meek Mill, among others.

Within the 15 songs, “RNP (Rich Ni**a Problems)” may be the best starting point for those new to Cordae’s party. With some funky percussion courtesy of Cole, the track features Anderson .Paak. It’s an odyssey of fun for a diligent student of Nas, JAY-Z, Jedi Mind Tricks, and others to be living out his Rap dreams.

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The just-released music video enhances that sense of fun. Inspired by films like Shaft, Cornbread, Earl & Me, and Superfly, the grainy video sets the clock back to 1975. In some elaborately retro costumes, Cordae and Anderson confidently flaunt their flows in a world of basketball, street fights, and mile-long Cadillac Fleetwoods.

Two and a half years ago, Andy did a similar time-travel with NxWorries’ “Scared Money” visual.

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YBN Cordae is currently touring his new album alongside Logic and J.I.D.:

This song, along with other Lost Boy selections (as well as Ventura and Oxnard tracks) are currently on the official Ambrosia For Heads playlist.

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#BonusBeat: YBN Cordae’s “Old Ni**as”: