Jidenna is African Drake.
He croons and he raps much like Drake, but where Drake absorbs more cultural influence than Megaman, Jidenna is proudly Nigerian.
Nah that's too easy.
Jidenna is like if Common went to Africa instead of doing Gap Commercials.
Actually, that's not good either.
Jidenna is Jidenna. He's kind of like that Ill high school teacher who teaches you how to tie a tie while he's secretly smashing the teacher you got a crush on.
This album is an excellent mainstream debut on an indie label. It has all the commercial hits that you could easily see in a foot locker commercial or hear in a Forever 21.
In his debut album he skips past Classic Man and dives straight into some real shit. Like if he's not on the Black Panther soundtrack he gotta fire his entire management team.
Jidenna is good at making pro black, pro African music that doesn't make white people uncomfortable. People see the colorful suits and think " this guy is like Harry Belafonte" before they realize he's fiercely fighting for our rights...like Harry Belafonte.
While Jidenna is fighting for this niche it kinda leads to his downfall. He wants to make music that's not too extreme that everyone can like, but we live in a world where being polarizing gets you over. Instead of being headstrong and focusing on a fan base that would die for him, he tries to shoot for the moon and get everyone to like him. So at points this album feels a bit forced.
Plus his beard just weirds me out. Idk why but a nigga with a red beard distracts the hell out of me. He looks like he just killed Gaston and kissed Belle to become a man again.
I digress, Jidenna dropped a solid debut, it's not the best out but he has given himself a solid foundation for future greatness.
I give The Chief, 7 cans of Murrays Pomade out of 10.