Cordae has once again addressed the swift dismantling of his former rap outfit YBN, but this time, he’s seemingly peeled back the curtain to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the events leading to the crew’s demise.
He opened up about YBN’s implosion during a livestream with popular DMV content creator Peaks100. The group, which included YBN Almighty Jay and YBN Nahmir, once seemed poised for greatness, but Cordae revealed the internal tensions and challenges that led to their eventual split. When asked directly about his decision to leave YBN, Cordae didn’t hesitate.
“It was a number of reasons, bro,” Cordae started off. “Like, uh, groups, unfortunately…name one group that stayed together. Not even the Jackson 5 and them n#ggas are brothers.”
Cordae was in the DMV with Peaks100 & breaks down why YBN broke up and says it was because of an argument in Europe pic.twitter.com/0Auuxw0b0Y
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) December 30, 2024
As Peaks100 attempted to sway his opinion by using a host of long-standing Hip-Hop collectives, such as the Wu-Tang Clan, as examples of crews who’ve maintained relevance as a unit, Cordae highlighted the reality that most music groups, even legendary ones, rarely endure the test of time.
“They [Wu-Tang Clan] all went and did solo sh#t, though,” he said in part. “This n#ggas going down the list. I’m like, man, ain’t nobody together.”
Cordae ended up diving deeper into the group’s dynamics, revealing some striking details about their lack of cohesion, in addition to the notion that a heated disagreement in Europe may have been the final straw.
“We never recorded a song with all three of us,” he admitted. “The business side of it was kinda like super f#cked up, honestly. N#ggas got into a big argument in f#cking Europe. People say certain things that they can’t take back.”
While he maintained that there’s still love between the members, he acknowledged the lingering tensions. “It’s still love, but it’s still some sh#t you just can’t take [back], you know what I’m saying?” he said. “Namir, that’s still my homie, like, sh#t. Jay, I still f#ck with bruh.”
Despite the fallout, Cordae expressed gratitude for the opportunities and connections YBN provided. More specifically, he commented on how YBN Nahmir provided somewhat of a career jumpstart for him early on.
“Namir, like, threw n#ggas that [alley-oop] you know what I’m saying?,” he said. So I’m very grateful.
He also shared some valuable advice about the financial realities of breaking into the music industry. “When you, like, first startin’, it’s all puttin’ in,” he said. “Might not ever see the money you put back in. All the studio time, all that stuff, you can write it off on your taxes.”
YBN, which stood for “Young Boss N#ggas,” was formed online after the artists bonded over shared interests like gaming and music during their sessions playing Grand Theft Auto online. Cordae previously commented on his decision to drop YBN from his name in 2020 — citing ownership and other details as the grounds for his decision.
“First and foremost, Nahmir and Jay—those always gonna be my brothers in real life,” he said. “Those are my brothers. I think the world of them cats. Sometimes as friends, you grow apart and you have different visions for what you want to do. And that’s OK. It’s no love lost.”
Genius also interviewed Cordae for an episode of the outlet’s “Verified” series, during which he went into detail about why he discarded the YBN from his moniker.
“I remember when I dropped YBN,” he said. “It wasn’t a popular thing at the time. I was getting killed online. And I got tough skin. This is just what comes with the game. I don’t be trippin’ off anything. I can’t be talking to kids about ownership when we’re pushing this brand that we don’t even own.”
He added, “Obviously, it goes without saying, it ain’t nothing against Nahmir and Jay. Before I came to the conclusion that I was gonna drop the three letters, I called Nahmir and I asked for his blessing. That was what was most important to me, I don’t care what anybody else thinks.”
