Jidenna
Jidenna is a debonair rapper and singer whose many geographic connections -- with roots in Nigeria and experience in most of the regions in the U.S. -- is reflected in his cosmopolitan mix of hip-hop, R&B, and pop. Arriving in 2015 with a hybrid sound he called swank, the Wondaland associate scored that year with "Classic Man," a Top 40 hit that went double platinum and earned a Grammy nomination. The Chief (2017) and 85 to Africa (2019), his first two albums, artfully fused dissimilar sounds ranging from trap to doo wop and French pop as he explored issues such as personal development, collective pride, masculinity, and institutional racism. A contribution to the soundtrack of Insecure and the simultaneously brash and vulnerable single "Blush" (2023) are among Jidenna's moves in the 2020s.
The son of pioneering Nigerian scientist and educator Oliver Mobisson, Jidenna was born in Wisconsin and spent other parts of his upbringing in Nigeria and Massachusetts. While in high school, he co-founded Black Spadez, a rap group that released an album as an academic project. Jidenna matriculated to Stanford, finished with a bachelor's degree in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, and then became an educator. He taught on the West and East Coasts, as well as in the South, and in his free time continued to pursue music, eventually landing a deal with Janelle Monáe's Wondaland label.
Jidenna debuted with "Classic Man," delivering boastful, foul-mouthed rhymes and a neat vocal hook over a sparse, street-level beat. Released in February 2015, the single took a while to gain traction, possibly receiving a nudge from Monáe's March-issued "Yoga" (which featured their new signing) and reached the Billboard Hot 100 three months later. It peaked at number 22 and went double platinum. The Eephus, a six-track showcase for the Wondaland crew, was released in August 2015 with the original "Classic Man" and a version featuring Kendrick Lamar. Jidenna gained more exposure performing his song "Long Live the Chief" on a season one episode of the Netflix Marvel series Luke Cage in 2016.
A Grammy nomination for "Classic Man" (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration) and several stylistically varied singles, including "Little Bit More," "The Let Out," and "Bambi," led to the February 2017 release of The Chief, Jidenna's first album. The well-received LP debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. July 2019 saw Jidenna issue the singles "Tribe" and "Sufi Woman" ahead of the release of his sophomore full-length effort, 85 to Africa, which arrived later that August and hit number 112 on the Billboard 200. Relatively quiet into the following decade, Jidenna placed the boastful "Feng Shui" on the soundtrack of Insecure's fourth season, and was featured on Lecrae's 2021 single "Everyday" before he returned in 2023 with "Blush."
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
Discography
28 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Chief
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Feb 17, 2017
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
B.I.H.
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Magic Chief Productions, Asante Tribe LLC on Sep 20, 2024
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
B.I.H.
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Magic Chief Productions, Asante Tribe LLC on Sep 20, 2024
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
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Classic Man (Remix)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Jun 22, 2015
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Classic Man
R&B - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Feb 3, 2015
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
ME YOU & GOD
Soul - Released by Wondaland Records - Magic Chief Productions on May 5, 2023
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Feng Shui (from Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 4)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Atlantic Records on Apr 24, 2020
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The Let Out
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Feb 3, 2017
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Knickers
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Dec 21, 2015
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
B.I.H. (Remixes)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Magic Chief Productions, Asante Tribe LLC on Nov 8, 2024
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
Extraordinaire
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Dec 21, 2015
Available in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
MA JO (Bashmen Mix)
Africa - Released by Magic Chief Productions, Asante Tribe LLC on Oct 1, 2024
Available in24-Bit/192 kHz Stereo -
Everyday
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Reach Records on Aug 13, 2021
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
85 to Africa
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Aug 23, 2019
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Boomerang
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Nov 10, 2017
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
85 to Africa
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Aug 23, 2019
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
SAFE
Soul - Released by Wondaland Records - Magic Chief Productions on Mar 17, 2023
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Boomerang
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Nov 10, 2017
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
BLUSH
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Magic Chief Productions on Feb 24, 2023
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Sou Sou
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Wondaland Records - Epic on Aug 9, 2019
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo