Generations are not too fond of each other. The older generation often finds that the younger generation is naive and have forever lost a hold of tradition. In turn, the younger generation often finds that the older generation is too antiquated to understand the changing norms, lifestyles, and values. These generations constantly don’t see eye to eye and rather than finding the beauty and trade-offs in each respective value system and growing together, they lose out on what makes each generation special and unique. These generational divides can exist in families, in cultures, and in art forms. YBN Cordae lives in the inflection point of these divides, and navigates this experience on his outstanding debut album The Lost Boy — a personal, soulful, and inspiring coming-of-age musical journey of understanding the past while looking to the future.

“The Lost Boy” by YBN Cordae

YBN Cordae is aware of his existence in this inflection point.

In a 2019 interview with Genius, Rob Markman and YBN Cordae discuss the growing pressures of YBN Cordae to be the generational bridge in hip-hop.

[Rob Markman] : “There is something refreshing about you as a new artist. You definitely have this youthful energy. You definitely represent your generation. But you know, it’s so dope that you go back and study artists that came before you. And I think that’s what a lot of fans from my generation like about you. You might remind us of something that we grew up on, but you still have this youthful energy. And I was wondering, you have been kind of the guy that’s like ‘yo, he’s gonna bridge the generational gap’. And then I step back. And I was like ‘yo, is that unfair to put on you. do you feel pressure for that?’” [YBN Cordae]: “Not really. [Because] that was never like my goal. That’s not like what I had in mind. That’s not like my purpose. I just make music. And then through my music, a lot of people have been giving me that title.”

The lack of this specific intention is what makes YBN Cordae’s bridging of this generational divide on 2019’s The Lost Boy so genuine and magical. While YBN Cordae starts his musical journey to find himself, he also finds a way to bridge the generational divides of culture, family, and hip-hop.

His coming-of-age expedition begins with an acknowledgement of the generations that came before.

“Whoever said s*** was easy forever lied / I mesmerize, how simple decisions can jeopardize / When Martin Luther cheated and stared in Coretta’s eyes / This is lyrical exercise, told my idols to step aside / My mama said I’m buggin’, no need for the pesticides / Was just waitin’ tables, gave customers extra fries / Maya Angelou with accounts, I just let it rise / And hopefully my words never die”

On the opening track, “Wintertime”, YBN Cordae makes references to the cultural figures, hip-hop legends, and familial elders that were instrumental to his personal growth. With the lessons and triumphs of the previous generation weighing heavy on his heart and mind, YBN Cordae knows that it is now his time to step foot into this art form and into the wider society.

The sorrowful background crooning, gliding piano keys, and jazz instrumentation all help to create a dreamy and brooding atmosphere for Cordae’s introspective lyrics. Yet the piercing kick drum pattern present throughout the song adds a fire to the moody instrumentation. Throughout the contemplative track, Cordae’s delivery is ripe with urgency as his vocals strike the track with the same level of potency as the active drum beat. As the album rolls through its opening track, it becomes clear that Cordae is acutely aware of time’s slipping nature and that he is determined to create an impact before his window of opportunity disappears.

Branching out from the old generation to create this impact becomes prevalent in the first act of The Lost Boy. He shares his fear, angst, and ambition that comes with stepping into adulthood with big dreams on a trap-driven banger (“Have Mercy”), and creatively re-interpolates the same spiritually-forlorn chorus on a gospel-tinged piano duet with his grandmother (“Sweet Lawd - Skit”). On this duo of tracks, he makes the same words musically stirring for the youngest and oldest generations living today, which acts as a perfect segue into the melancholy, overwhelm, and maturation that comes with leaving one’s home (“Bad Idea”).

Through the second act, YBN Cordae navigates the horrors and difficulties of navigating the issues of his current generation. He introduces a potentially serious girlfriend to his family (“Thanksgiving”), provides socially conscious and distressing insight about the negative mental health effects of growing up in a world entrenched with social media (“A Thousand Words”), discovers the complex issues that can come with more wealth (“RNP”), and acknowledges the extreme fears of slipping back into poverty (“Broke As F***”).

After coming to better understand himself through the fruits of the older generation’s wisdom (“Way Back Home”), YBN Cordae uses the final act to help and inspire the new generation. He provides solace and empathy for others going through a wide array of hardships (“Been Around”), recalls the ways his traumas have shaped his upbringing and current state of mind (“Nightmares Are Real”), and opens up about the mental illnesses, socio-economic issues, and toxic relationships that affect his family (“Family Matters”). Yet despite these distressing realities, he preaches hope and inspiration for future generations to chase their own dreams on the deeply powerful penultimate track (“We Gon Make It”).

With his journey complete, The Lost Boy culminates in the triumphant closer “Lost And Found”.

“Lost And Found” by YBN Cordae

“Rest in peace X, the Pac of his time / Was manifested, can’t stop the divine / The n**** speakin’ like Barack in his prime / But I’m Bill Clinton with these ill writtens, make the real listen / Seen Monica Lewinsky in the Hills drippin’ / Hours later, call me Mike Jones ’cause I’m still tippin’ / Call up Scotty with the shotty, ’cause I feel Pippen / I’m a real fresh prince, Uncle Phil, listen / And tell Will Smith how I kill s*** / And to please adopt a young n**** / Man, I’m tryna get real rich / Nah I’m playin’, shout out to Jaden / So iconic how I go Super Saiyan / New b**** foreign, straight from the Himalayans / On top soon, Lord knows I been prayin’ / ’Cause I’m on my grind, watch how I kickflip / Money notorious, I’m buyin’ big s*** / God is so glorious, bless me with riches / I was just broke, now I’m a rich kid / Gas what I smoke, that s*** is vicious / Give me that throat, say it’s delicious / Rappers is jokes, I’m a musician / Rappers is jokes, I’m a musician”

With musical, political, and sports references abound, YBN Cordae colorfully pays respect to all the generations while showcasing the way he has found inspiration in many different eras of culture. With a focused staccato flow and his trademark nasally voice, Cordae’s delivery perfectly matches the intensity of the warm jazz horns and the blazing drum beat.

He ends his closing verse acknowledging the evolution from “rapper” to “musician”, symbolizing the way generations have taken hip-hop from a disregarded street genre to a globally celebrated art form. With the conclusion of The Lost Boy, YBN Cordae harkens back to the spirit of generation-bridging breakout albums — a la 1984’s Run-DMC from Run-DMC, 1992’s The Chronic from Dr. Dre, 1998’s Vol 2…Hard Knock Life from Jay-Z, 2004’s The College Dropout from Kanye West, and 2013’s Acid Rap from Chance The Rapper.

In the process, he sets himself as one of the musical leaders of Generation Z hoping to further push hip-hop past its boundaries.

Born in the same year as YBN Cordae, I find myself on the cusp of the end of Generation Y and the beginning of Generation Z. I identify strongly with aspects of both of these generations’ values, while having a great deal of respect and inspiration for the values of my parents’ generation and my grandparents’ generation. I connect with that idea of bridging the gap between generations — trying to incorporate the practical wisdom of the older generations while injecting some of the passionate and experimental values of the newer generations.

As our generation grows into adulthood, it can be a disorienting experience. We attempt to become our own human compass, yet we often end up feeling lost in the shifting chasms of time. We try to fathom where our aging predecessors have been, while trying to piece together where we are meant to go. Yet as we find our footing, we create a profound ripple effect across generations — educating the previous, creating community with the current, and inspiring the future.

We put one foot in front of the other, and soon enough we realize that we are venturing forward in an exciting direction.

One where every generation thrives.