From a Birds Eye View

by 
AlbumJan 14 / 202214 songs, 41m 40s
Southern Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop
Popular

Maryland-hailing MC Cordae brags different. “Last year I made $7 million, didn’t have to do a single fucking show,” he raps on sophomore album *From a Birds Eye View*’s “Super.” It’s a rare chin-check for the haters, whereas the large majority of this project’s boasts are rooted in what that money has allowed Cordae to do for others. On “Super,” he’s bought a Birkin bag for his Aunt Regina and introduced his younger cousin to badminton. On “Momma’s Hood,” he’s bought his father—who he confesses to having a contentious relationship with later in the album—a “power-washing van.” On “Chronicles,” he admits that missteps in the context of a romantic relationship come with a $50,000 remorse fee. Being the object of Cordae’s affection pays. This kind of spending is hardly uncommon for rap superstars, but what separates Cordae from your average chart-topping MC is his choice to center an album around it. He’s worked his whole life to get here, a story he tells across songs like “Today,” “C Carter,” and “Westlake High,” and the biggest reward is what success allows him to do for others. Depending on who you are, that might mean receiving something he’ll proudly tell the world about on record. For the rest of us, though, he’s got ultra-personal, high-level raps about his life and a handful of collaborations with rap icons like Lil Wayne (“Sinister”), Nas (“Champagne Glasses”), and Eminem (“Parables \[Remix\]”).

1961

5.0 / 10

Cordae’s latest album proves he doesn’t have an ethos or a sense of excitement that separates his music from other rappers with a working-class view.

B

The Los Angeles rapper has legacy in mind with sophomore LP

6 / 10

The Maryland rapper, endorsed by everyone from Dr. Dre to Stevie Wonder, goes toe-to-toe with musical legends, more than proving his worth

North Carolina rapper Cordae ascended at an almost unimaginable rate, moving from the release of his first single to Grammy nominations and Super Bowl commercial appearances in just a couple of years.

7 / 10

Cordae is an artist who’s shown plenty of promise and talent throughout his short career, his debut album ‘The Lost Boy’ introduced him

66 %