[3] His 2019 debut studio album, The Lost Boy, peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and was met with critical acclaim.

His second studio album, From a Birds Eye View (2022), matched the chart position of his previous, and was met with similar critical reception.

He lived in nearby Zebulon, North Carolina until he was 9 years old when his family relocated to Suitland, Maryland, where he was mostly raised.

[3][5] As a young child, he took an interest in music after his father played classic hip hop artists such as Rakim, Nas, Big L, and Talib Kweli.

[7] In May 2018, Cordae released his first single, which he called his "introduction to the world": a remix of the 1999 song "My Name Is" by Eminem.

[4] In November, YBN Cordae announced that he would be headlining "The Lost Boy in America Tour", which began in January 2020.

[33][34] On April 22, 2021, Cordae released the EP Just Until... - featuring Q-Tip and Young Thug, in anticipation of his second studio album.

[42] Cordae lists Nas, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Eminem, Capital Steez, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Big L, Travis Scott, and Kendrick Lamar as some of his biggest influences.

We get a clear glimpse of this in his music videos for "Old N*ggas," 'My Name Is,' and 'Kung Fu,' which all have over 5 million views on YouTube.

Cordae is the result of perfect timing, a need for change and managing to bridge the gap between aesthetic and talent.

He's the Gohan of the YBN collective, appearing docile and juvenile but displaying a 'mastery' over words that seems at odds with old-school "hip-hoppers" belief about his age group.

[51] Cordae participated in a Black Lives Matter protest in 2016, rapping among the crowd about the struggles he faced, and the issues he'd been noticing in his community.

[52] In July 2020, Brooks was arrested at a Breonna Taylor protest in Louisville, Kentucky, along with American professional football player Kenny Stills.

He began dating tennis star Naomi Osaka in 2019, whom he met at a Los Angeles Clippers game.

[57] In September 2024, Cordae revealed via his Instagram story that he legally changed his last name from Dunston to Brooks.