The Crossroads is the third studio album by the American rapper Cordae, released through Art@War and Atlantic Records, on November 15, 2024. The album features guest appearances from Anderson .Paak, Joey Badass, Jordan Ward, Juicy J, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Ravyn Lenae, and Ty Dolla Sign, while the production was handled by several producers such as FnZ, Hitmaka, J. Cole, Thelonious Martin, Cordae himself, as well as several other producers. The album serves as a follow-up to his previous studio album, From a Birds Eye View (2022).[1]
| The Crossroads | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 15, 2024 | |||
| Length | 48:09 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Cordae chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Crossroads | ||||
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Background and recording
editPrior to the release of the album, Cordae appeared in an interview with Billboard, during which he described the record as his strongest work yet, stating that he believes it's the correct time to release the album: "I think it’s ready. I think I’m better than I’ve ever been as an artist".[2] He revealed that the time between his previous album and this one was spent to live and "access life". He stated that the time was spent with Cordae growing as an artist.[2]
I wanted to get better, like, as a songwriter, as a rapper. I wanted my verses to be better. I wanted my storytelling to be better. I wanted my beat selection and taste in beat selection to get better, and that requires work and time, so I feel like this is my best foot forward thus far.
When asked about the album's title, Cordae stated that he reached a turning point where he felt as though he was at a crossroads in life: "It was like life or death. … If I go right, everything is gonna be perfect and yay, life is great, and if I go left, all life is horrible. I’ve kinda realized that one decision doesn’t hold that much weight. It’s a culmination of decisions".[2]
Release and promotion
editOn January 25, 2023, Cordae released the album's lead single, "Two Tens" featuring Anderson .Paak.[3][4] The album's second single, "Saturday Mornings" featuring Lil Wayne was released on July 24, 2024.[5][6] The album's third single, "Summer Drop" featuring Anderson .Paak was released on August 28, 2024.[7] The record's fourth single, "Mad as Fuck" was released on October 11, 2024.[8] The album's fifth single, "Syrup Sandwiches" featuring Joey Badass was released on November 7, 2024.[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" |
|
| 1:10 |
| 2. | "06 Dreamin" |
| 2:34 | |
| 3. | "Back on the Road" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
|
| 2:37 |
| 4. | "Summer Drop" (featuring Anderson .Paak) |
| J. Cole | 2:49 |
| 5. | "Nothings Promised" |
|
| 3:32 |
| 6. | "Mad as Fuck" |
|
| 3:42 |
| 7. | "All Alone" |
|
| 1:53 |
| 8. | "Never See It" (featuring Juicy J) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 9. | "Pray" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) |
|
| 3:22 |
| 10. | "Don't Walk Away" (featuring Jordan Ward and Ravyn Lenae) |
|
| 3:32 |
| 11. | "Saturday Mornings" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
|
| 4:23 |
| 12. | "No Bad News" (featuring Kanye West) |
|
| 2:32 |
| 13. | "Shai Afeni" |
| 2:56 | |
| 14. | "What Really Matters" (featuring Joey Badass) |
|
| 2:03 |
| 15. | "Syrup Sandwiches" |
|
| 2:59 |
| 16. | "Now You Know" |
|
| 2:11 |
| 17. | "Two Tens" (featuring Anderson .Paak) |
|
| 2:32 |
| Total length: | 48:09 | |||
Notes
Sample credits
- "Intro" contains a sample of "Tha Crossroads (D.J. U-Neek’s Mo Thug Remix)", written by Steven Howse, Anthony Henderson, Byron McCane, Charles Scruggs, Tim Middleton, Ernest Isley, Marvin Isley, O'Kelly Isley Jr., Ronald Isley|Rudolph Isley, and Cristopher Jasper, as performed by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
- "Nothings Promised" contains a sample of "Someone That I Used to Love", written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, as performed by Natalie Cole; and interpolations from "Heard 'Em Say", written by Masser, Goffin, Ye, and Adam Levine, as performed by Kanye West and Adam Levine.
- "All Alone" contains a sample of "A House Is Not a Home", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, as performed by Luther Vandross.
- "Never See It" contains a sample of "Who'd Ever Think", written by Ronnie Baker, as performed by Barbara Mason.
- "Pray" contains a sample of "Killing Me Softly with His Song", written by Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel, and Lori Lieberman, as performed by Fugees.
- "Saturday Mornings" contains a sample of "I Really, Really Love You", written by Nick Smith, as performed by Father's Children.
- "No Bad News" contains a sample of "Inside Voice (Reprise)", written and performed by Joey Dosik.
- "Shai Afeni" contains a sample of "Keep It Comin'", written by Bobby Eli and Jeff Prusan, as performed by Atlantic Starr.
- "What Really Matters" contains a sample of "Wild Flower", written by Doug Edwards and David Richardson, as performed by New Birth.
Personnel
editMusicians
- Cordae – vocals
- Tommy Parker – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 13, 14)
- Brandy Haze – background vocals (tracks 2, 5, 15)
- Dem Jointz – background vocals (track 4)
- The Last Artful, Dodgr – background vocals (track 4)
- Alex Vaughn – background vocals (tracks 5, 9)
- Lekan – background vocals (tracks 5, 16)
- Darius Coleman – background vocals (track 13)
- Jabari Rayford – background vocals (track 15)
- Lydia Kitto – background vocals (track 15)
- Caleb McLaughlin – background vocals (track 16)
- Ashton Sellars – guitar (track 2)
- Kelsey Gonzales – bass (track 4)
- Linden Jay – bass (track 10)
- Ryan James Carr – drums (track 10)
- Alex Goldblatt – guitar (track 10)
- Dominique Sanders – live bass (track 12)
- Johan Lenox – strings (track 16)
Technical
- Zach Pereyra – mastering (tracks 1-16), mixing assistance (tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14)
- Emerson Mancini – mastering (17)
- Manny Marroquin – mixing (tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14)
- Elton "L10" Chueng – mixing (tracks 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 16)
- Chris Galland – mixing (track 5)
- Jeremie Inhaber – mixing (track 17)
- Anthony Vilchis – mixing assistance (tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14)
- Trey Station – mixing assistance (tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14)
- Daniel Vargas – mixing assistance (tracks 5, 7, 12, 15, 16)
- Robert Mendioro – mixing assistance (tracks 5, 7, 12, 15, 16)
- Luca Zadra – engineering (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 14)
- Mesa D – engineering (tracks 1-3, 5, 7, 8-10, 12-16)
- Shaan Singh – engineering (tracks 1-3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 17)
- Bryan Schwaller – engineering (track 10)
- Jhair Lazo – engineering (track 17)
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[10] | 143 |
References
edit- ^ Horvath, Zachary (November 15, 2024). "Cordae Claims The Crossroads Is The One". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c Atkinson, Katie (November 12, 2024). "Cordae on The Crossroads, His Evolution & Why Kendrick/Drake Feud Was "Great for Hip-Hop"". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (January 25, 2023). "Cordae and Anderson .Paak Reunite on J. Cole-Produced Song 'Two Tens'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Bowenbank, Starr (January 25, 2023). "Cordae & Anderson .Paak Hit the Club, Ponder Relationships in 'Two Tens' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Schube, Will (July 24, 2024). "Lil Wayne Asserts 'G.O.A.T.' Status On New Cordae Collab 'Saturday Mornings'". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Bernstein, Elaina (July 24, 2024). "Cordae x Lil Wayne Reflect on "Saturday Mornings"". Hypebeast. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Murray, Robin (August 29, 2024). "Cordae, Anderson .Paak Combine On 'Summer Drop'". Clash. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Kearns, Sarah (November 19, 2024). "Cordae Drops New Song and Music Video "Mad as F***"". Hypebeast. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ Bernstein, Elaina (November 19, 2024). "Joey Bada$$ Hops on Cordae's New Single "Syrup Sandwiches"". Hypebeast. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ @billboardcharts (November 25, 2024). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved November 26, 2024 – via Twitter.