Artist

In both his music and his dandy fashion sense, genre-blending artist Jidenna embodies the swank of the Harlem Renaissance. The singer, rapper, and producer has a penchant for storytelling and ear for eclectic production. • Weeks after Jidenna was born, his family moved from Wisconsin to Nigeria—the home of his late father, trailblazing computer scientist Oliver Mobisson. They eventually returned to the US. • In high school, Jidenna and his friends founded the rap group Black Spadez and released their debut album as a final class project. • After graduating from Stanford University in 2003, Jidenna juggled a professional teaching career with a promising future in music. • Having signed with Wondaland Records, Jidenna partnered with singer Roman GianArthur for his 2015 debut single, “Classic Man.” The single went double platinum and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. • In 2017, Jidenna released his solo debut album, The Chief, which cracked the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 albums chart. • Jidenna returned in 2019 with his sophomore album, 85 to Africa. The following year, he released “Black Magic Hour,” a single from his forthcoming compilation project and documentary African On All Sides.