Broke as Fuck

"Broke as Fuck"
Song by YBN Cordae
from the album The Lost Boy
Released	July 26, 2019
Genre	Hip hop trap
Length	3:16
Label	Atlantic Art@War
Songwriter(s)	Cordae Dunston Daniel Hackett David Biral Denzel Baptiste Russ Chell Darian Garcia Cooper McGill Justin Zim Jariuce Banks
Producer(s)	Take a Daytrip Russ Chell CoopTheTruth Kid Culture Smoko Ono
Music video
"Broke as F**k" on YouTube

"Broke as Fuck" is a song by American rapper YBN Cordae from his debut studio album The Lost Boy (2019). It was produced by Take a Daytrip.

Composition

The song contains a trap beat[1] that mainly consists of bass and keyboard.[2] Lyrically, Cordae details his PTSD resulting from traumatic events in his life, such as the death of his grandmother, the murder of his cousin,[3] and his brother being sentenced to prison.[4] The beat switches halfway through the song.[5][6]

Critical reception

Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX regarded the song to be the "biggest and brashest 'banger'" from The Lost Boy.[7] Leor Galil of Chicago Reader wrote, "when the vitriolic beat on 'Broke as Fuck' transitions into a sumptuous soul melody, he switches gears as smoothly and flawlessly as somebody who's been doing it since birth."[5]

Music video

An official music video was directed by Josh Forman released on August 15, 2019. In it, Cordae and his friends ride bicycles to a convenience store, where they cause havoc[8] and shoplift.[6] Cordae raps his verse until his friends run out of the store and he follows suit.[8] While his friends escape, Cordae is shot by the clerk before he can. The song's beat switch then occurs. Cordae wakes up,[6][8] finding himself in a mountain trail. Recreating the cover of The Lost Boy, Cordae wanders past a sign reading "The Lost Boy" that points to different paths.[6]

Charts

Chart performance for "Broke as Fuck"

Chart (2019)	Peak position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[9]	22

References

1. Thomas, Fred. "The Lost Boy – YBN Cordae". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
2. Tyrell, Nicolas (July 26, 2019). "YBN Cordae – The Lost Boy". Clash. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
3. Udensi, Derek (March 2, 2020). "YBN Cordae's Sold-Out Tour Promises a Bigger ATX Stake Next Time Through". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
4. Tyrell, Nicolas (July 26, 2019). "YBN Cordae – The Lost Boy". Clash. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
5. Galil, Leor (January 24, 2020). "YBN Cordae sounds like he could charm the entire music industry on The Lost Boy". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
6. Williams, Aaron (August 15, 2019). "YBN Cordae Pays The Price For Taking A Five-Finger Discount In His Eerie 'Broke As F*ck' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
7. Glaysher, Scott (August 14, 2019). "Review: YBN Cordae's "The Lost Boy" Showcases The Promise Ahead". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
8. A., Aron (August 15, 2019). "YBN Cordae Goes Back To When He Was "Broke As F*ck" In New Visual". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
9. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 5, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2024.