Nigerian-American rapper, singer and songwriter
Musical artist
Jidenna Theodore Mobisson (born May 4, 1985), known
mononymously as Jidenna , is a Nigerian-American rapper, singer and songwriter.
[1] He signed with
Janelle Monáe 's record label Wondaland Arts Society, an imprint of
Epic Records to release his debut single, "
Classic Man " (featuring
Roman GianArthur or
Kendrick Lamar ) in 2015. The song peaked at number 22 on the
Billboard Hot 100 , received
double platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was followed up with the single "
Yoga " (with Janelle Monáe) that same year. Both of which preceded the release of Wondaland's debut compilation project,
The Eephus (2015).
[2] Jidenna's debut studio album,
The Chief (2017) peaked at number 38 on the
Billboard 200 .
[3] His second album,
85 to Africa (2019) explored the
afro fusion musical style.
[4]
[5]
"Classic Man" received a
Grammy Award nomination for
Best Rap/Sung Performance , while Jidenna won in four categories at the
2015 Soul Train Music Awards .
Early life and education
Jidenna Theodore Mobisson was born on May 4, 1985, in
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin ,
[6]
[7]
[8] to Tama Mobisson, a White American accountant, and
Oliver Mobisson , a
Nigerian
Igbo academic. Mobisson grew up partially in Nigeria, where his father was working as a professor of
computer science at
Enugu State University .
[9] When Mobisson was six years old, the family moved back to the United States due to a failed kidnapping attempt.
[9] In 1995, the family moved to
Norwood, Massachusetts , and then to
Milton in 2000.
[10] His father died in 2010.
[9]
In high school he became a co-founder of the rap group Black Spadez, and began producing, arranging and writing. Mobisson released his first album with Black Spadez as their final project at
Milton Academy , where Mobisson graduated in 2003.
[11] In 2008, after graduating with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in
Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity from
Stanford University ,
[12]
[13] he pursued his music career while working full-time as a teacher, moving between Los Angeles,
Oakland ,
Brooklyn and
Atlanta , before signing a deal with recording artist Janelle Monáe's Wondaland Records.
[14]
Career
Jidenna performing in Seattle
Jidenna is signed to
Janelle Monáe 's Wondaland Records label and distributed through
Epic Records .
[15]
[16] He has collaborated with a number of artists that are signed to this label; including
Roman GianArthur ,
St. Beauty ,
Deep Cotton and Janelle Monáe herself, and then began recording a five-song compilation of its label's first
extended play (EP), titled
The Eephus .
[17] In February 2015, Jidenna released his first official single, called "
Classic Man "
[18] featuring GianArthur. The song was in heavy rotation throughout the United States,
[19] and debuted at number 49 on
Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
[20]
On March 31, 2015, the second single from the EP was released – "
Yoga " by Janelle Monáe and Jidenna.
[21] His song "Classic Man" was nominated for
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the
58th Grammy Awards .
[22] In June of the same year, Jidenna performed the song with Monáe at the
BET Awards .
[11] Jidenna also received an award for best new artist at the
2015 Soul Train Music Awards in November.
[23]
Jidenna is a founding member of Fear & Fancy, a social club that began in California in 2006.
[9] The society, reminiscent of the social aid and pleasure clubs of
New Orleans , is an international collective of entrepreneurs, activists, educators, scientists, and artists who host soirees, dinner parties, and demonstrations.
[24]
In June 2016 he released the single "Chief Don't Run".
[25] On February 17, 2017, Jidenna released
The Chief , his first studio album.
[26] The album cover pays homage to
Boz Scaggs '
Middle Man album. The lead singles "Sufi Woman" and "Tribe" were released on July 26, 2019, and will appear on his second studio album
85 to Africa .
In 2019 Jidenna released his second album, 85 to Africa .
[27]
In 2021, Jidenna co-wrote "
Woman " from rapper
Doja Cat 's album
Planet Her . The single became a sleeper hit, charting in the top 10 of numerous international markets (United States, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Portugal, New Zealand, Greece) more than a year after release.
Style
Jidenna stated that his major influences include
KRS-One and
Big Daddy Kane ,
[28] as well as the Nigerian
Highlife music genre.
[29]
Over the years, the singer developed his personal style in college, where he learned about the power of fashion from his psychology professor
Philip Zimbardo . However, he would not adopt his signature
dandy style until the death of his father in 2010.
[11] Jidenna describes his look as "heavily inspired by the
Harlem Renaissance with hints of traditional
West African design," and a "marriage of European and African aesthetics."
[30] Jidenna currently resides in
East Flatbush , Brooklyn.
[31]
Appearances in popular media
In September 2016, Jidenna was featured in an episode of the
Netflix original series
Luke Cage . Season 1 episode 5, "
Just to Get a Rep ", opens with Jidenna performing "Long Live the Chief" at the fictitious Harlem's Paradise. He performed "Long Live the Chief" and "Little Bit More" with a full band on
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah in October 2016.
[32] Jidenna guest starred on
Insecure in the episodes "Thirsty as Fuck," and "Shady as Fuck," which aired in November 2016.
[33]
A
chopped and screwed version of "
Classic Man " featured in the
Academy Award winning 2016 film
Moonlight .
Discography
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
ASFA Awards
BMI Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
References
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Jidenna .
International National Artists