“Bad Idea” by YBN Cordae (ft. Chance the Rapper)

“Bad Idea” finds positivity rappers YBN Cordae and his homey, Chance the Rapper, looking back on days past. However, they are not necessarily doing so fondly. Rather they are reminiscing largely on the hardship they came up from. And based on that, the chorus centers on YBN deciding that returning “home” may be “a bad idea”. This sentiment basically reads as one where he is making a conscious attempt not to put himself in the same type of environment he ascended from, such as apparently living in poverty when he was younger.

Meanwhile if his two verses were to be condensed into a singular theme, it would be one where Cordae is stating his goal not to be changed by the fame he is experiencing. Again, this does not mean he wants to go back to the past. Rather he is committed to not letting himself become “tainted” by the game. He never wants to change who he is as a person, i.e. one who ‘lives his life by faith’.

Chance the Rapper steps in

Chance, on the other hand, expresses more of an appreciation for the material gains he has made. This is not to say that he is bragging about wealth per se. Rather he is just celebrating the fact that he ‘had his cake and ate it too’. And on top of that, he is able to enjoy life with his wife, daughter and “favorite roommates”.

Conclusion

So while Chano does bless this track with a verse, he does not stick to the main theme as religiously as YBN Cordae. And the main ideas the latter is seemingly putting forth is that, while he remains grounded as an individual, he has no intention of reliving his challenging past.

Facts about “Bad Idea”

• On 17 June 2019, “Bad Idea” became the third single released from YBN Cordae’s debut album, The Lost Boy.
• While appearing on Beats 1 Radio on the same day the song came out, YBN gave a brief background of “Bad Idea” to DJ Zane Lowe. He also talked about how he met Chance the Rapper at Coachella and flew to Chicago, Chance’s hometown, to record the track. Furthermore, he revealed that Chano is someone ‘that inspired him’.
• YBN Cordae and Chance the Rapper wrote the raps themselves.Meanwhile the track was produced by Nigerian-American record producer Bongo.
• YBN Cordae teased the coming of this track about a week before it was officially released by Atlantic Records. In doing so, he posted a preview of its music video on Instagram on 14 June 2019.