From a Birds Eye View (album)

From a Birds Eye View is the second studio album by American rapper Cordae. It was released through Atlantic Records and Art@War on January 14, 2022. The album features guest appearances from Gunna, Lil Wayne, H.E.R., Lil Durk, Freddie Gibbs, Stevie Wonder, Eminem, and Roddy Ricch.

Background

In an August 2020 interview with Apple Music, Cordae said, "I'm like a hundred songs deep in. Like this next one, I'm really taking everything to a whole 'nother level. I really love doing music and perfecting my craft and I'm getting better every day. And the new music from here on out is going to show that".

In a January 2022 Billboard interview, the rapper discussed the inspiration behind the album, emphasizing that the project is more "memory-driven" than his debut. He mentions life experiences, including being arrested at a protest, visiting slave dungeons in Egypt and Ghana, and losing his childhood best friend, as significant influences on the album's content. On the album's title, he said, "I think about my legacy all the time... always just trying to think and look at the bigger picture from a broader perspective. From a bird's eye view."

Release and promotion

The bonus track on the album, "Gifted", features Roddy Ricch and was released on August 27, 2020, with a music video directed by Cole Bennett. The track was produced by Cordae, Bongo ByTheWay, and Ray Keys.

The album's second single, "Super", was released on October 7, 2021, alongside a music video. The single was produced by Jack Uriah, Kid Culture, and Jenius.

The album's third single, "Sinister", was released on December 3, 2021, along with a music video and a guest appearance from American rapper Lil Wayne. The single was produced by Hit-Boy.

Critical reception

From a Birds Eye View was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on seven reviews.

Notably, NME gave the album a perfect rating, writing, "The older generation may wish to cast doubt on younger artists, but he breathes hope into the continuation of hip-hop with his imaginative, playful flows. From a Birds Eye View is a true delight, revealing greater depth with each listen, and Cordae truly seems to be having fun while proving he's here to stay." Clash praised the album's "amazing moments of storytelling and technical rapping", though the reviewer noted that tracks such as "C Carter" fell short of Cordae's standards.

More mixed reviews came from AllMusic and Pitchfork. Jayson Buford wrote, "It's easy to tune out Cordae's music because he doesn't have an ethos that separates his music from other rappers with a working-class worldview." Fred Thomas wrote, "Still in command of strong technical skills and now rapping over instrumentals crafted with bigger budgets, Cordae falls short when he starts sounding a little too comfortably at home in the mainstream."

Track listing

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Personnel

• Cordae – vocals
• Emerson Mancini – mastering (tracks 1–13)
• Mike Dean – mastering, mixing (14)
• Manny Marroquin – mixing (1–4, 6–13)
• Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixing (5, 14)
• Curtis "Sircut" Bye – mixing (5)
• RJ Cardenas – recording (1–13)
• Chris Dennis – recording (14)
• Bren Ferry – engineering (14)
• Anthony Vilchis – mixing assistance (1–4, 6–13)
• Zach Pereyra – mixing assistance (1–4, 6–13)
• Shiloh Young – vocals (1, 7)
• Stalone – additional vocals (5)

Charts

Notes

References