The Lost Boy (album)

The album's lead single, "Have Mercy", was released on March 8, 2019. Two music videos for "Have Mercy" were released on April 16, 2019, with the first one being directed by Cole Bennett and the other being directed by Aplus.{{cite magazine|last1=Saponara|first1=Michael|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8507492/ybn-cordae-have-mercy-videos|title=YBN Cordae Drops Pair of New Videos for 'Have Mercy': Choose Your Path|magazine=Billboard|date=April 16, 2019|accessdate=July 27, 2019}} The single was produced by Flippa, Kid Culture, and Nils.

The album's second single, "Bad Idea", was released on June 17, 2019, along with an accompanied music video and features vocals from American rapper Chance the Rapper.{{cite web|last1=Strauss|first1=Matthew|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/chance-the-rapper-joins-ybn-cordae-on-new-song-bad-idea-listen/|title=Chance the Rapper Joins YBN Cordae on New Song "Bad Idea": Listen|work=Pitchfork|date=June 17, 2019|accessdate=July 27, 2019}} The single was produced by Bongo ByTheWay with co-production by Kid Culture.

The album's third single, "RNP", was released on July 23, 2019, and features vocals from American singer Anderson .Paak. The single was produced by J. Cole. The music video was released on October 14.{{cite magazine|last1=Saponara|first1=Michael|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8532948/ybn-cordae-rnp-video-anderson-paak|title=YBN Cordae & Anderson .Paak Choose Between Basketball & Crime in Groovy 'RNP' Video: Watch|magazine=Billboard|date=October 14, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

The music video for "Broke as Fuck", was released on August 15, 2019.{{cite web|last1=Montes|first=Patrick|url=https://hypebeast.com/2019/8/ybn-cordae-broke-as-fuck-music-video-stream|title=YBN Cordae Chronicles a Hectic Adventure for New "Broke As F*ck" Video|website=Hypebeast|date=August 15, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

{{Album ratings

| MC = 81/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-lost-boy/ybn-cordae|title=The Lost Boy by YBN Cordae Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-lost-boy-mw0003303225|title=The Lost Boy – YBN Cordae|publisher=AllMusic|last=Thomas|first=Fred|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

| rev2 = Clash

| rev2score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/ybn-cordae-the-lost-boy|title=YBN Cordae – The Lost Boy|work=Clash|last=Tyrell|first=Nicolas|date=July 26, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

| rev3 = Exclaim!

| rev3score = 9/10{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/ybn_cordae-the_lost_boy|title=YBN Cordae: The Lost Boy|work=Exclaim!|last=Carey|first=Jacob|date=July 29, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

| rev4 = Highsnobiety

| rev4score = 4.0/5{{cite web|url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/ybn-cordae-the-lost-boy-review/|title=YBN Cordae Is Wise Beyond His Years on the Radiant 'The Lost Boy'|work=Highsnobiety|last=Hobbs|first=Thomas|date=July 29, 2019|accessdate=July 29, 2019}}

| rev5 = HipHopDX

| rev5score = 3.8/5{{cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3495/title.review-ybn-cordaes-the-lost-boy-showcases-the-promise-ahead|title=Review: YBN Cordae's "The Lost Boy" Showcases The Promise Ahead|work=HipHopDX|last=Glaysher|first=Scott|date=August 14, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6score = 7.0/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ybn-cordae-the-lost-boy/|title=YBN Cordae: The Lost Boy Album Review|work=Pitchfork|last=Schude|first=Will|date=July 29, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

| rev7 = Tom Hull – on the Web

| rev7Score = A−{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|authorlink=Tom Hull (critic)|date=December 31, 2019|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rhap/rh1912-1.php|title=Streamnotes|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|accessdate=May 30, 2021}}

}}

The Lost Boy received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on five reviews. Fred Thomas of AllMusic said, "The rapper's skills aren't in question on The Lost Boy, but the album sometimes overshoots in its ambition, aiming for too many styles to hit them all with excellence. It's still a strong collection, and when Cordae strikes a perfect balance of mellow production and lyrical power on standout tracks like "We Gon Make It," it points to even more fully formed work ahead from a strong talent just getting started." Nicolas Tyrell of Clash stated "Both bold and filled with bravado, yet layered and emotional, YBN Cordae is able to convey his desires, hopes, and fears in an ambitious and well-thought out format. A strong debut from an artist who knows that he is capable of long-term success."

Jacob Carey of Exclaim! said, "If The Lost Boy was the new wave rapper's most substantial test of talent and longevity, YBN Cordae passed with flying colours." Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX stated "Encapsulates everything a Gen Z rapper should be aiming for; young gun energy mixed with traditional skill." Will Schube of Pitchfork said, "Despite the glossy guestlist, The Lost Boy remains Cordae’s show. At 15 songs, it could have used an edit, another voice in the room telling him to tone it down. But still, it’s an assured debut." Tom Hull ranked it 52nd on his list of the best non-jazz albums from 2019.{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/notes/eoynonjazz-19.php|date=n.d.|title=The Best Non-Jazz Albums of 2019|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|accessdate=May 30, 2021}}

The Lost Boy debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200, with 25,000 copies moved in its first week for the chart dated August 10, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2019-08-10|work=Billboard 200|title=Billboard 200 - August 10, 2019|accessdate=March 30, 2020}} The album also debuted on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number eight.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums/2019-08-10|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - August 10, 2019|magazine=Billboard |accessdate=March 30, 2020}}

Credits adapted from Tidal.{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/113652831|title=The Lost Boy / YBN Cordae|publisher=Tidal|accessdate=July 27, 2019}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 45:19

| title1 = Wintertime

| writer1 = {{hlist|Cordae Dunston|Carl McCormick|Illuid Haller|Daniel Hackett|Terrace Martin|Jon Lucien}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Cardiak|Kid Culture{{ref|a|[a]}}|Martin{{ref|a|[a]}}|illuid.haller{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length1 = 3:01

| title2 = Have Mercy

| writer2 = {{hlist|Dunston|Hackett|Ronald Colson|Nils Noehden}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|Flippa|Kid Culture|Nils}}

| length2 = 3:19

| title3 = Sweet Lawd (Skit)

| writer3 = {{hlist|Dunston|Haller|Hackett}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|illuid.haller|Kid Culture{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length3 = 1:09

| title4 = Bad Idea

| note4 = featuring Chance the Rapper

| writer4 = {{hlist|Dunston|Chancelor Bennett|Uforo Ebong|Hackett|Roberta Flack|Charles Mann|Donny Hathaway}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|BongoByTheWay|Kid Culture{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length4 = 3:54

| title5 = Thanksgiving

| writer5 = {{hlist|Dunston|Hackett|Cooper McGill|Karim Hutton}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|CoopTheTruth|Kid Culture}}

| length5 = 3:18

| title6 = RNP

| note6 = featuring Anderson .Paak

| writer6 = {{hlist|Dunston|Brandon Anderson|Jermaine Cole}}

| extra6 = J. Cole

| length6 = 2:56

| title7 = Broke as Fuck

| writer7 = {{hlist|Dunston|Hackett|David Biral|Denzel Baptiste|Russ Chell|Darian Garcia|McGill|Justin Zim|Jariuce Banks}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Take a Daytrip|Russ Chell|CoopTheTruth|Kid Culture|Smoko Ono}}

| length7 = 3:16

| title8 = Thousand Words

| writer8 = {{hlist|Dunston|McCormick|Maneesh Bidaye|Martin}}

| extra8 = {{hlist|Cardiak|Martin{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length8 = 3:20

| title9 = Way Back Home

| note9 = featuring Ty Dolla Sign

| writer9 = {{hlist|Dunston|Tyrone Griffin, Jr.|Hackett|Robert Mandell}}

| extra9 = {{hlist|G Koop|Kid Culture|Mike Robbins}}

| length9 = 3:19

| title10 = Grandma's House (Skit)

| writer10 = {{hlist|Dunston|Janet Dunston}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Grandma|YBN Cordae|illuid.haller}}

| length10 = 1:23

| title11 = Been Around

| writer11 = {{hlist|Dunston|Haller|Hackett}}

| extra11 = {{hlist|Kid Culture|illuid.haller}}

| length11 = 3:24

| title12 = Nightmares Are Real

| note12 = featuring Pusha T

| writer12 = {{hlist|Dunston|Terrence Thornton|Slim Allen|Stephen Basil|Haller|Hackett}}

| extra12 = {{hlist|Bazexx|Kid Culture|Slim|illuid.haller}}

| length12 = 2:47

| title13 = Family Matters

| note13 = featuring Arin Ray

| writer13 = {{hlist|Dunston|Arin Ray|Ebong|Thomas Brenneck|Homer Steinweiss|David Guy|Leon Michels|Ramon Velez}}

| extra13 = Bongo ByTheWay

| length13 = 3:31

| title14 = We Gon Make It

| note14 = featuring Meek Mill

| writer14 = {{hlist|Dunston|Robert Williams|Ebong|Hackett|Kenneth Gamble|Leon Huff}}

| extra14 = {{hlist|Bongo ByTheWay|Kid Culture}}

| length14 = 3:57

| title15 = Lost & Found

| writer15 = {{hlist|Dunston|Rasool Diaz|Bidaye}}

| extra15 = {{hlist|Maneesh|Rasool Diaz}}

| length15 = 2:41

| all_writing =

}}

Notes

• {{sup|{{note|a|[a]}}}} signifies a co-producer
• "Wintertime" features vocals by Quincy Jones and additional vocals by PJ
• "Sweet Lawd (Skit)" and "Grandma's House (Skit)" features additional vocals by Arin Ray, Masego and SiR
• "Bad Idea" features additional vocals by Ant Clemons and SiR
• "Thanksgiving" features background vocals by SiR
• "Broke As Fuck" features background vocals by Jehreeus Banks
• "Thousand Words" features background vocals by Syd
• "Been Around" features background vocals by Hasani and vocals by Quincy Jones
• "Family Matters" features additional vocals by ThePpl

Credits adapted from Tidal.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

Instrumentation

• Aliandro Prawl – keyboards {{small|(track 4)}}
• Amanda Bailey – strings {{small|(track 4)}}
• Tarron Crayton – bass {{small|(tracks 4, 13–14)}}
• Kid Culture – programming {{small|(track 4)}}
• Karim "Kace" Hutton – bass {{small|(track 5)}}
• Justin Zim – bass {{small|(track 7)}}
• Freaky Rob – guitar {{small|(track 9)}}
• illuid.haller – piano {{small|(track 10)}}
• G Koop – guitar {{small|(track 12)}}
• Raymond Komba – piano {{small|(track 13–14)}}

{{col-2}}

Technical

• Brendan "Bren" Ferry – recording {{small|(tracks 1–8, 10–15)}}
• Pedro Calloni – recording {{small|(track 2)}}
• Juro "Mez" Davis – recording {{small|(track 6)}}
• Take a Daytrip – recording {{small|(track 7)}}
• Cyrus "NOIS" Taghipour – mixing {{small|(tracks 1–2, 5, 7, 9, 12–15)}}
• Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mixing {{small|(all tracks)}}
• Aria "Angel" Ali – mixing {{small|(tracks 2, 4, 6)}}
• Dave Kutch – mastering {{small|(all tracks)}}
• Zachary Acosta – engineering assistant {{small|(all tracks)}}, mixing {{small|(tracks 2–3)}}
• Curtis "Sircut" Bye – engineering assistant {{small|(track 2)}}

{{col-end}}

{{reflist}}

{{Cordae}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lost Boy, The}}

Category:2019 debut albums

Category:Cordae albums

Category:Atlantic Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Terrace Martin

Category:Albums produced by J. Cole

Category:Albums produced by Take a Daytrip

Category:Albums produced by Cardiak

Category:Neo soul albums