Rapper Cordae is offering his most direct public reflection yet on his separation from four-time Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka while seemingly indicating he is preparing to become a father for the second time. On the track "Helpless," featured on his collaborative album with Anderson .Paak, Heavy Is the Crown, which arrived on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, the 29-year-old artist addresses the emotional weight of co-parenting his 3-year-old daughter, Shai, across two households, according to Complex and Yahoo Entertainment.

Produced by FNZ, "Helpless" serves as a candid personal update nearly two years after Osaka publicly confirmed the end of their relationship in January 2025. While the former couple largely shielded the specifics of their breakup from the public eye, Cordae uses his verses on the 11-track joint project to acknowledge past relationship regrets and the unexpected reality of his current family structure.

Lyrical Confessions and Second Child Reports

On "Helpless," Cordae directly confronts the dissolution of his relationship with Osaka and introduces a major personal update in a single verse. "I'm finna have my second child, although we still ain't said our vows," Cordae raps on the record. "Was never my intention to raise my daughter in separate homes / Gave your mom my all, but the love she had for me dead and gone."

He continues the verse by taking personal accountability for his role in the split, rapping, "Although you ain't a man if you can't admit it when you was wrong / Can't see it coming down my eyes, so do it through this song."

The line regarding a second child has prompted differing interpretations across music and sports media. Outlets such as iHeart and The Hip Hop Democrat report the lyric as a direct announcement that the rapper has another baby on the way. Conversely, The Athlete Lifestyle On SI and Yardbarker characterize the bar as an apparent suggestion of an impending arrival, noting that the reference has not been independently confirmed outside the song and that Cordae has not publicly identified the child's mother.

Timeline of the High-Profile Pairing

Cordae and Osaka were for years one of the most visible pairings bridging the music industry and professional sports. While iHeart notes the pair quietly began dating in 2018 before going public a year later, most coverage, including Yahoo Entertainment, dates the start of their relationship to 2019 after they met at a Los Angeles Clippers game. Together, they made high-profile appearances, including attending the 2021 Met Gala.

After Osaka stepped away from professional tennis in September 2022, the couple announced in January 2023 that they were expecting their first child. They welcomed their daughter, Shai, in July 2023. Following her maternity leave, the former world No. 1 returned to tournament play at the Brisbane International in January 2024.

A year after her return to the court, in January 2025, Osaka announced via an Instagram Story that the couple had parted ways. "Hi everyone, just wanted to say that Cordae and I are no longer in a relationship," Osaka wrote at the time. "No bad blood at all, he's a great person and an awesome dad." She also referred to their daughter as her "biggest blessing." Cordae's reflective tone on "Helpless" aligns with the amicable dynamic Osaka described, focusing on personal grief rather than public animosity. According to Yahoo Entertainment, citing the Daily Mail, Osaka recently showed quiet support for her former partner by liking a social media post promoting his new album.

Inside 'Heavy Is the Crown' and Ongoing Legal Disputes

Released via APESHIT, Mass Appeal, and EMPIRE Distribution, Heavy Is the Crown reunites Cordae with Anderson .Paak following their earlier collaboration on the track "RNP" from Cordae's debut album, The Lost Boy. The 11-track record features production credits from hip-hop heavyweights including J. Cole, Swizz Beatz, 9th Wonder, and Conductor Williams, and was preceded on Sept. 16 by the lead single "A Good Day," featuring a music video starring actress Jennifer Freeman.

Like Cordae, Anderson .Paak uses "Helpless" to examine his own personal turmoil following his divorce filing from Jaylyn Chang after 13 years of marriage. "When the trust and the love turn to custody cases / When your day one start actin' two-face / You run and you run, but can't get away / So I showed up drunk to my baby's birthday," .Paak raps, adding, "I'm living in disarray, my company is misery / I'm on the edge of mental break, I hope that help is on the way."

The album's rollout coincides with significant legal complications for Cordae. According to Complex, MMMG Inc. filed a $25 million lawsuit in New York federal court on Oct. 15 naming Cordae, EMPIRE Distribution, APESHIT, and Mass Appeal Records as defendants. The complaint alleges that Cordae breached an exclusive recording agreement signed in 2018 by releasing Heavy Is the Crown without MMMG's authorization, seeking at least $25 million in damages for alleged breach of contract, copyright infringement, and interference with business agreements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has Cordae confirmed the second child outside of his lyrics?

No. While the lyric on "Helpless" explicitly states he is about to have his second child, neither Cordae nor his representatives have issued a separate public statement confirming a pregnancy, and the mother's identity has not been disclosed in public reports.

How have Naomi Osaka and Cordae described their co-parenting relationship?

When announcing their split in January 2025, Osaka emphasized that there was "no bad blood" and praised Cordae as an "awesome dad" to their daughter, Shai. On "Helpless," Cordae expresses sadness over raising his daughter across separate households and admits to making mistakes in the relationship, without criticizing Osaka.

Was "Helpless" released as a standalone single?

Available reporting identifies "Helpless" as a standout album cut from the 11-track collaborative project Heavy Is the Crown, which was released on Oct. 23, 2026. The album's official lead single, "A Good Day," was released earlier on Sept. 16.

Sources