The Crossroads (album)
2024 studio album by Cordae
The Crossroads Released November 15, 2024 Length 48 :09 Label
Producer
"Two Tens " "Saturday Mornings " "Summer Drop" "Mad as Fuck" "Syrup Sandwiches"
The Crossroads 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 [ 1]
Background and recording
Prior to the release of the album, Cordae appeared in an interview with Billboard [ 2] [ 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]
On January 25, 2023, Cordae released the album's lead single, "Two Tens " featuring Anderson .Paak .[ 3] [ 4] Saturday Mornings " featuring Lil Wayne was released on July 24, 2024.[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] Joey Badass was released on November 7, 2024.[ 9]
Track listing
The Crossroads track listingTitle Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Intro" Biako D. Phelps Smoko Ono Tommy Parker 1:10 2. "06 Dreamin" Dunston Smoko Ono FnZ Tommy Parker[b] Ashton Sellars[b] 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" Dunston Garcia Julius Herold Paul Agyei 3:42 7. "All Alone" Smoke Ono Angwang Jin Illuid Haller Biako[b] 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 ) Smoko Ono Alex Goldblatt Linden Jay Ryan James Carr 3:32 11. "Saturday Mornings " (featuring Lil Wayne) Dunston Carter Garcia Jahmal Gwin Nicholas Smith 4:23 12. "No Bad News" (featuring Kanye West ) 2:32 13. "Shai Afeni" Dunston Garcia Mallory Shapira Thomas Lumpkins Bobby Eli Jeff Prusan Smoko Ono Jaasu Biako[a] Tommy Parker[a] 2:56 14. "What Really Matters" (featuring Joey Badass ) Dunston Garcia Shapira Daniel Johnson Lumpkins Doug Edwards Thomas Richardson Smoko Ono Biako Dkjbeats Tommy Parker[b] 2:03 15. "Syrup Sandwiches" Smoko Ono Thelonious Martin 2:59 16. "Now You Know" 2:11 17. "Two Tens " (featuring Anderson .Paak) 2:32 Total length: 48:09
Notes
^[a] ^[b] 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
Musicians
Cordae – vocalsTommy 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
References
^ 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 .
Studio albums EPs Singles Featured singles Other songs
