It has been nearly two years since the release of Cordae’s debut album The Lost Boy, and the 23-year-old Maryland native’s fans are getting antsy for a follow-up. They’ve had a few singles to old them over recently, including the Roddy Ricch-featuring “Gifted,” which made Cordae’s name change official, and “The Parables,” which put his songwriting prowess on display, but Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Cordae’s giving the world a few more appetizers ahead of his nearly-completed sophomore album.
Today, he announced the upcoming release of Just Until…, a four-song EP releasing at midnight “tomorrow” featuring guest appearances from two disparate entities that highlight the young rapper’s cross-generational appeal. On “More Life,” he’ll team up with Q-Tip, who represents the ’90s Golden Era that clearly influences much of Cordae’s work, while on “Wassup,” he’s recruited Young Thug, one of the top representatives of the modern generation of genre-bending rappers to which Cordae himself belongs.
Album is almost done, but here’s something Just Until….
Tomorrow at Midnight ? pic.twitter.com/v8LZvnBeSQ
— Cordae’ (@cordae) April 20, 2021
While that tension has helped to make Cordae a favorite of both older rap fans and younger ones, as seen in his ability to convincingly collaborate with the jazzy Dinner Party crew on “Freeze Tag” and Stevie Wonder and Busta Rhymes on “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate,” it’s also generated some behind-the-scenes friction. Royce Da 5’9″ recently told a podcast that Atlantic actually blocked Cordae from appearing on his Grammy-nominated The Allegory because higher-ups at the label allegedly “want to keep him young.”
However, the tracklist for Just Until… seems to suggest that the wise-beyond-his-years Cordae doesn’t care about all that — he just wants to work with the best of the best. Look out for that release on 4/21 at midnight and his full album later this year.
Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.