YBN Cordae Breaks Down Perils Of “Old Head Energy” On Breakfast Club

With his debut album The Lost Boy officially thrust into the world, YBN Cordae’s fondness for a lyricism-first approach has set him apart from his peers. Today, the young member of the YBN crew, who at this point feel like a crew in name only, stopped by The Breakfast Club for a quick chat. Off the bat, Charlamagne sets the stage with some praise, claiming to have been left “thoroughly impressed” by Cordae’s album. With the mutual respect established across the board, Cordae opens up about his YBN linemates, the value of education, and some of the game’s most valuable OGs. 

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While Cordae has made no secret of his top five, he explores some of his influences further, having discovered Jay-Z and Nas at the age of ten. Though he does remain a student of the game, he remains wary of those so-called “Old Heads,” with whom he equates to those “get off my lawn” types. Luckily, he has a strong team of OGs behind him, though he refrains from flagrant name-dropping. That’s not to say he keeps his experiences close to his chest. Speaking on his experience working with J. Cole and Anderson .Paak on “RNP,” Cordae sheds some light on the making of process. “We literally sat in a Beats 1 radio room, sort of like this, and recorded it in there, going back and forth,” he explains, speaking on his preference to collaborative live and direct.

For much more from Cordae, including a forced reading of DJ Envy’s infamously surfaced DMs, be sure to check out the full Breakfast Club interview below. Salute to the Lost Boy for keeping it real.