Cordae’s latest project, The Crossroads, marks what he might describe as the most refined version of himself as an artist. In an exclusive interview with Billboard News, Cordae deep-dives into why this album — which comes out on Friday — feels like his strongest work yet.

Cordae is clear on why now is the right time to drop this album. “I think it’s ready. I think I’m better than I’ve ever been as an artist,” he says.

He spent time focusing on his craft and drawing inspiration from life to make sure he was putting his best foot forward. “I feel like I needed that time to just live life, assess life,” he says. “This album in particular, I needed to get better.”

For Cordae, growth has been about everything from beat selection to songwriting. “I wanted to get better, like, as a songwriter, as a rapper. I wanted my verses to be better. I wanted my storytelling to be better. I wanted my beat selection and taste in beat selection to get better, and that requires work and time, so I feel like this is my best foot forward thus far.”

The album title, The Crossroads, speaks to a turning point that he felt he reached. “I felt like I was at a crossroads in my life,” he says, describing a period when every decision felt high-stakes. “It was like life or death. … If I go right, everything is gonna be perfect and yay, life is great, and if I go left, all life is horrible.” Over time, he’s learned that life is rarely shaped by a single choice. “I’ve kinda realized that one decision doesn’t hold that much weight. It’s a culmination of decisions.”

Cordae also reflects on his journey with J. Cole, a major influence. After rapping over J. Cole’s “1985” beat and calling it “Old N—as,” the track went viral when WorldStarHipHop labeled it as a response to J. Cole’s original. That music video caught Cole’s attention, eventually leading to their collaboration. “That’s what ended up getting me the beats and us locking in,” he says.

Cordae credits the recent Drake and Kendrick Lamar rivalry for energizing hip-hop’s competitive edge. “It was great for hip-hop,” he says. “The competitive nature is kind of the fundamentals of hip-hop, like, ‘Nah, I’m nicer than you, son.’” The rivalry, he adds, energized the culture. “It kind of just put a battery in everyone’s back, like, nah, we can just say how we feel — even if it’s like, ‘F— this guy.’”

Watch the full interview with Cordae in the video above.