Born in North Carolina, Cordae relocated to Maryland where he launched his career at the age of 15. He started receiving attention when he released three mixtapes under the name Entendre via the independent music label N.A.G.E. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2018, he began association with YBN Nahmir and YBN Almighty, whom he met through Xbox Live, and adopted the moniker YBN Cordae. The group put out a music video for their single "Pain Away," along with a collaborative mixtape called YBN: The Mixtape. After leaving the YBN collective, Cordae released his debut studio album, The Lost Boy, in 2019 to widespread acclaim. The project was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards. Besides his promising rap career, Cordae is currently in a relationship with tennis superstar Naomi Osaka.