“A Dream Reborn: Rapper Cordae Brings His Mother’s Musical Journey Full Circle on NPR’s Tiny Desk”

It was more than just a performance—it was a homecoming filled with emotion, legacy, and love.

Grammy-nominated rapper Cordae recently took the stage at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series to perform tracks from his latest album Crossroads (2024), a project that bridges generations and genres alike (Complex). But amid the bars, beats, and live instrumentation, one of the most powerful moments of the set came when Cordae brought out his mother, Jennifer Dunston, for a surprise duet that left the audience stunned.

The performance, which has since gone viral across social media, centered on the song “’06 Dreamin’,” a heartfelt track that samples a song Dunston recorded decades ago during her own pursuit of a singing career. For her, the moment was a long-awaited full-circle realization of a dream deferred.

“This next song is called ‘06 Dreamin,’ and it’s really special to my heart,” Cordae told the crowd, introducing the number with visible pride. “It’s a story about my mom — a true story of how she was an aspiring singer who never quite got her big break. Ironically enough, she’s living that dream through me because I’m here with y’all,” he said during the concert (NPR Music).

In the video, Cordae gestures toward the wings and says, “I ended up sampling one of her old songs to make this one. But since we’re back home, I don’t gotta use the sample—we got the real thing here today.” Moments later, Dunston walked on stage to thunderous applause.

Her voice—rich, soulful, and filled with emotion—instantly captivated the audience. She sang with the ease of someone who had been waiting years for that exact spotlight. Fans and critics alike described the performance as “an emotional masterclass in family, artistry, and legacy” (Billboard).

Cordae, ever the showman but always the son, beamed beside her. After the song ended, he turned to the crowd with a grin:

“Can y’all make some noise for my mama one time? Thank you, Mom, for blessing me. Appreciate you, Mom—the invoice is on the way,” he joked, laughing as the audience roared in delight. “Don’t worry about it, OK? I got it.”

Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and raised in the DMV area, Cordae (full name Cordae Amari Dunston) has long been celebrated for his introspective lyricism and his ability to connect hip-hop’s past and present. His previous appearances on Tiny Desk and collaborations with artists like Anderson .Paak and Chance the Rapper have showcased his maturity beyond his years (Rolling Stone).

Yet this latest performance felt more intimate than ever. For Dunston, it wasn’t just about sharing a stage—it was about reclaiming a piece of her own history. “To see her up there, smiling and singing, that’s everything,” Cordae later said in an interview with Complex. “She’s the reason I even picked up a mic.”

The Tiny Desk team echoed the sentiment in their official review, noting that the moment “captured the beauty of generational artistry—how dreams can evolve, be reborn, and live on through family” (NPR Music).

Cordae’s performance serves as a touching reminder that success often blooms from the seeds of sacrifice planted long ago. For Jennifer Dunston, it was a dream that never died—only waited to be sung again.