The Weekly Coos

With From A Birds Eye View, Cordae delivered something lesser than expected, falling into what some call a sophomore slump; however, after heading back to the drawing board to create something that resembles moderate cohesion without the sidesteps in The Crossroads. It isn’t an album with filler, instead, becoming whole with emotional depth from burgeoning experiences in life like fatherhood and success and happiness amongst partners. Through it, we hear Cordae reliving his life and seeing how the lessons and experiences shaped him and made his ambition high, like in “06 Dreamin’,” where he recounts his adolescence, his mother’s musical background, as she helped spearhead his will to make music and succeed. It comes after the melodic intro performed by singer/songwriter Tommy Parker, creating a thematic texture with the sounds you’ll hear from Cordae and his producers. His ambition isn’t without its flaws, and in turn, we get some weaker tracks like “Mad as Hell,” which is surface layer flexing, but there is purpose in its inclusion. The Crossroads is Cordae’s best album of the three, and it’s because he brings some needed focus and understanding to getting his point across, even through the misfires.

The Crossroads continues to tread on the Boom-Bap, Soul, and otherwise melancholic and nostalgic Hip-Hop that wasn’t so preoccupied with being different and more streamlined with high quality. That is what the producers are handing off to Cordae, whether it’s J. Cole’s summery beach vibe on “Summer Drop” or the smooth sampling of “Heard Em Say” on “Nothing’s Promised” from BongoByTheWay and Eric Hudson. There is a thread of fluidity that shines through even with some of the low points, like the mildly one-dimensional nature of “Don’t Walk Away,” which focuses on Cordae’s flaws but doesn’t deliver them in a striking light, especially when focusing on some prototypical reasonings, like the flexing as a means to look returnable. There could have been more spread throughout the album, but he isn’t giving us something of substance like his featured artists in the track. Cordae, like his last album, continues to have a sizable amount of features; he benefits from them not coming with a game no less than A, especially as they understand and deliver on the assignment presented—whether it’s Joey Bada$$ on “Syrup Sandwiches” or having Juicy J deliver personality in this unique ode to Cordae’s beau, Naomi Osaka.

What makes Cordae interesting here is that he doesn’t take your time for granted and drives home much of his feelings and perspectives comprehensively as he maneuvers life with reflections of new and old. He speaks on his habits on tour, and the stressors of it on “Back on the Road,” or the reality of the industry and rap as a whole as he traverses through his problems on “Saturday Mornings,” both featuring Lil Wayne and emboldening parallels from different generations. Cordae reflects on the negatives and positives, with the former never feeling like a lingering presence that causes a weak aura, instead seeing it as part of life’s path. It makes tracks like “Alone,” “No Bad News,” and “Shai Afeni” carry such weight because of its very singular openness between his walls and the listener, like how the latter is an ode to his daughter. Some artists take themselves to task and open up through varying perspectives of who they are—many times, thematically, there isn’t much getting brought to the table by others, yet Cordae leans into expanding the better moments of his last album, i.e. the introspection—we get seamless flow keeps you engaged in listening to his flows, his words, and the potency of maturity.

Cordae isn’t trying to limit himself or find ways to create catchiness unnaturally; for the most part, the tracks aren’t trying to lean on it. Instead, they live and die by who Cordae is as an artist. Fans have gotten used to how he crafts his music and though some moments have catchiness, like with “Syrup Sandwiches,” it isn’t forced. It’s a macrocosm of greatness found amongst the trials and tribulations. I had no real expectations for this project, especially as I wasn’t privy to Cordae’s rollout, outside of listening to “Saturday Mornings.” Having that made the impact of listening to the album greater. This includes the features that come as surprises, like Anderson Paak’s jubilant flow on “Summer Drop,” or Ty Dolla $ign giving us that classic R&B hook to bridge the verses on “Pray.” Benefitting from production that takes the eclectic atmosphere motif established in the intro, the blemishes match the flaws we hear Cordae reflect on as a person. It’s a quality synergy that didn’t work for me because of how Cordae approached it. I am most definitely a fan.

Cordae’s The Crossroads was a pleasant surprise for this fall season, especially as he keeps it cozy with his bars, making you want to sit and digest his words instead of skipping for that next pop hit. It’s one of the many reasons I latched to the album so exponentially, even when it isn’t the best I’ve heard amongst Hip-Hop this year. It further shows that non-mainstream acts ala Drake or Lil Baby are having a fantastic 2024, and I’m hoping we get another high point before the year ends.