The one rapper Q-Tip called a “homage” to 1990s hip-hop
Q-Tip, along with his A Tribe Called Quest bandmates, was one of the most important hip-hop figures of the 1990s, and, naturally, he looks back on the era with fondness. But he also detects its influence upon certain artists of the contemporary era.
Hip-hop has changed a lot since Tribe’s time, with a whole swathe of new subgenres emerging throughout the 2000s, ’10s and ’20s and the movement going truly global. It has become wildly popular and commercial, with many contemporary songs now sounding impossibly different to what was being made in the ’90s.
But there are, of course, plenty of new rap songs that wear their lineage on their sleeves, which is not lost on Q-Tip. He spoke to Billboard in 2022 about the new generation of artists, highlighting Cordae as a particular throwback to the good ol’ days.
Cordae only saw a few years of the ’90s, born, as he was, in ’97, but his father apparently gave him a taste for the decade’s classic hip-hop that filtered into his own sound as he developed as an artist. As a kid, Cordae used to listen to the likes of Nas, Rakim, Big L, and Talib Kweli.
By the time he started writing his own raps at the age of 15, Cordae had been thoroughly schooled in the old ways of the ’90s. “He’s an homage to that era, which is amazing to see, and flattering having been a part of that,” Q-Tip noted.
Still only 28, Cordae has released three albums so far, beginning with his 2019 debut The Lost Boy. That secured him with a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, while one of its singles, ‘Bad Idea,’ was nominated for Best Rap Song. Cordae found success very early indeed in his career.
Tip was full of praise for the young rapper in 2022. “His pen is obviously dope, but I love how he thinks conceptually,” he said. “I love the time he takes with his concepts in what he wants to say and how firm he is.”
Cordae, as Q-Tip understood it, had vision. “He’s a long-ball guy,” as he put it. “He does projects to set up the next one. He has that kind of brain and foresight. It’s going to be exciting to be a fan and hear all the great music he has coming out and his album he just put out.”
On the music front lately, Cordae has gone quiet since his last album, The Crossroads, came out in late 2024. News on a follow-up isn’t yet clear.