Rapper Cordae’s latest move sees him transitioning from the booth to the executive suite. The rapper has launched a new record label, Hi-Level, under which he will sign and cultivate new talent. Making the announcement with a post on social media, Cordae shared few details, aside from the fact that his independently-run company is all about empowering fellow creatives and industry professionals.
“Hi-Level will house artists, production, and management, where everyone elevates together, by way of working together,” The Lost Boy creator said in a Billboard interview. He also made it clear that fans can expect the unexpected and that he’s not restricting himself to signing talent that’s in his exact mold. “Everybody thinks my first artist is gonna rap like me, when that may not be the case at all. I know my signees are always going to be attached to my legacy — and when it comes to my legacy, I take everything I do very seriously.”
Cordae credits his own experience and relationships built within the industry with giving him the confidence to take a stab at running a label of his own. In a trailer released in conjunction with the news, Cordae details the heart of who and what Hi-Level represents. He ends its mission statement by informing viewers that “applications are open,” extending an invitation to anyone looking to join the team.
“Hi-Level is way more than just a brand, record label or movement, it’s a way of life. If you’re in school right now, trying to get it done, grinding, trying to pass to the next grade you’re Hi-Level. If you work a minimum-wage job that you hate, but you’re pushing through it to support your dreams or just to stay alive, you’re Hi-Level. If you smoke Grade-A weed, bitch is bad, that’s some Hi-Level shit. Hi-Level ideas, Hi-Level thoughts. Hi-Level.”
In addition to spearheading his new label, the 24-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper, who last released his EP, Just Until… in April, is gearing up for the release of his anticipated sophomore album, From a Birds Eye View. The follow-up to The Lost Boy is set to drop in September via Atlantic Records.
My next body of work is titled “From a Birds Eye View”
— Cordae' (@cordae) May 6, 2021