Cordae has just released his new track "Gifted" featuring Roddy Ricch via Atlantic/Art@War. The song also got the visual treatment from Cole Bennett's Lyrical Lemonade, embedded above.
The artist recently ditched the YBN before his name and is continuing to find his own way. Cordae teased the release of this surprise track on Wednesday, and quote-tweeted a picture of him, Bennett, and Roddy that Bennett tweeted just minutes before dropping the song.
"Gifted" feels like a coming-of-age song, with Cordae reminiscing on where he came from before he got famous. Talking about all of the people who are counting on them, Roddy and Cordae take turns harmonizing as they go from walking down their old blocks to driving up to mansions in the Hollywood hills.
The video closes with a powerful message onscreen, a quote from Huey P. Newton: "The revolution has always been in the hands of the young. The young always inherit the revolution."
This is followed by "Defund the police. Arrest and convict the killer cops," and the names of Jacob Blake, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Elijah McClain.
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Cordae talked about how he connected with Roddy to put this track together. "We actually did that song last year, like last August," he said. "So we did that song like a year ago. And Roddy is just like a homie of mine, like in real life, you know what I'm saying? We always connect, have real life conversations. And I think we did Real Street Festival, we both did a festival that day. And then I pulled up on him at the studio and we made that song together that same night. It was definitely a dope process making that record, for sure."
Cordae also talked about how important he feels it is to make music that has a message behind it to create change. "Especially as being a Black man in America, bro, right now," he emphasized. "You know what I'm saying? We, as Black people have been targets in America for centuries, essentially. You know what I'm saying? And it's just sad. I'm a historian, so it's the same sh-t that was going on in the sixties that's still going on today. Yeah, man, it's just terrible. So we just all got to unify, and organize man, and just really go out there and create change, man. I'm going to do everything I can within my platform and within my ability to help the cause. You know what I'm saying? Because like I said before, I'm an artist, but I'm a Black man. For real."
Catch Cordae's "Gifted" featuring Roddy Ricch up top.
