Rapper/singer Jidennaâs new album 85 to Africa is a trip through the African diaspora that verges on sonic cinema. (The title refers to Atlantaâs I-85, whichâll get you to the airport where you can catch a direct flight to Africa.) Having shelved his three-piece-suit look from âClassic Man,â his sophomore album 85 to Africa showcases a more fully realized, relaxed Jidenna that feels more natural.
Finger waves now braided and arms tatted, Jidenna dons a white tee (with an American flag on it) tucked into structured, patterned trousers while an interstate highway bustles behind him. Jidennaâs newfound missionâto inspire Black Americans to find home wherever they go and reestablish their connection to the motherland through travel and economic support for the regionâwas inspired by his own experience of displacement.
In 2017, he was evicted from the Atlanta mansion he and his team were renting after the owner lost the property in a foreclosure auction and didnât tell them. Greeted by the barrel of a gun at 6 a.m., Jidennaâs home of three years was swarmed by cops; movers threw his possessions into boxes while the new owners looked on and smiled. âEven with all the success, I was still another nigga displaced,â Jidenna says in a video trailer explaining the album. âWhere could I go, where my land was my land? Where my home was my home?â It was then that Jidenna decided to go to Africa indefinitely.
The 11-track project has fantastic, varied productionâlargely handled by Wondaland affiliate Nana Kwabena. From Afrobeats to highlife, trap, soul, hip-hop, and more, Jidennaâs globally minded message is felt. It kicks off with American hip-hop on âWorth the Weight,â which samples Kool and the Gangâs âWhoâs Gonna Take the Weight,â and features the voice of Nigerian musician Seun Kuti. The title track (also hip-hop) sees Jidenna hit I-85 with his boys, complete with car-mimicking horns.
What I love about 85 to Africa is how references and terms are included without explanation, forcing me to do my Googles and learn new words. After lead single âTribe,â and âBaboucheâ featuring GoldLink (and named after a Moroccan slipper), âSou Souâ is a hot highlight and makes sexual innuendos out of a sou sou (a group savings arrangement common in the Caribbean).
Jidenna finds himself showing appreciation for the power of Black women on the Spanish guitar-sampling âSufi Woman,â and âZodiâ featuring Mr. Eazi. The latter sees Jidenna courting a woman who subscribes to the Zodiac (âShe go look âpon the signs and constellations/But it is right in front of your eyesâ).
âVaporizaâ (âYou my vaporiza, vaporiza/Ooh, Iâm breathinâ easy when Iâm with youâ) is breezy, romantic, and shows off Jidennaâs versatility, as âBambiâ did on The Chief. Jidennaâs genuine happiness is palpable as he sings âJuju lady, amuse me baby/You are so amusing baby/I just wanna live my love with you, ay.â âPretty & Afraidâ (coproduced by Wondalandâs musician Roman GianArthur), is an exquisite, psychedelic venture into Jidennaâs psyche, as he vocalizes his fear of death and not wanting to have any regrets.
The beauty continues on the sweet rap/sung nostalgia of âJungle Fever,â about growing up in an interracial family living in Nigeria and the United States (Jidenna has a Nigerian father and a white American mother).
Album closer âThe Other Halfâ featuring Mereba and duo St. Beauty (also of Wondaland Records) is another highlight, with three distinct parts in its seven minutes. Over a sample of Tim Maiaâs âWhere Is My Other Half,â Jidenna addresses the âdemonsâ taking his friends, boys pretending theyâre men, toxic masculinity, and forces that pit Black men and women against one another. He makes a call to action to be âgreater men than weâve ever been.â Featured vocals from the three women balance out Jidennaâs frustration by extending an olive branch: âWe can see eye to eye/They know itâs by design.â By 85 to Africaâs end, Iâm convinced we should follow this manâs caravan.