Though he's only been in the rap game for a few short years, Cordae has already undergone a key alteration to his moniker. Having originally arrived sporting the fancy title of "YBN Cordae," an association that aligned him with fellow rising artists Nahmir and Almighty Jay, it wasn't long before the more lyrically-inclined emcee began to separate himself from the pack. Following the release of his acclaimed debut The Lost Boy, not to mention the disbanding of his formative crew, Cordae took the initiative and dropped the YBN altogether.
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As tends to be the case on the internet, some interpreted Cordae's decision as disrespectful, despite the fact that neither Nahmir nor Almighty Jay felt any type of way about the soft rebrand. In fact, Nahmir has remained loyal to his former groupmate, as evidenced by a recent interview on VLAD TV. After admitting he was "pissed" when The Lost Boy didn't win Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards, he opens up about Cordae's decision to move in a different direction.
"I was on the phone with him two days before," reflects Nahmir. "He really didn't say it to the fullest, but I understood exactly what he was saying. I didn't expect him to do it, but he did it. And I was like 'that's the right choice that you had to make.' It's for the right reasons. I can't get mad at him, but I let my emotions get the best of me when I went on Twitter. We all did it, but in that situation, I put it on the internet, and that's where I fucked up. When you put it on the internet, it ruins the whole image of everything."
"At the end of the day we're all brothers," continues Nahmir. "If he needs anything, I got him. If I need anything, he got me." Given that Nahmir played a key role in expanding Cordae's audience in the early stages of his career, it's no surprise to hear their still bond runs deep. Nahmir likens the situation to people simply growing apart, as happens often with high-school and workplace friends; that's not to say the love and respect fades away, but the paths diverge all the same. "The people I got around me, even if they're not around twenty-four-seven, they got the best intentions for me."
Check out Nahmir's full interview with DJ Vlad below.
