About Jidenna

Jidenna Theodore Mobisson (born May 4, 1985), better known by his stage name Jidenna, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2015, Jidenna released two singles, "Classic Man" and "Yoga", promoting Janelle Monáe's label Wondaland Records' compilation EP The Eephus with Epic Records.His debut album, The Chief was released on February 17, 2017. Jidenna Theodore Mobisson was born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, to Tama Mobisson, a white accountant, and Oliver Mobisson, a Nigerian Igbo academic. Jidenna grew up partially in Nigeria, where his father was working as a professor of computer science at Enugu State University. When Jidenna was 6 years old, the family moved back to the United States. In 1995, the family moved to Norwood, Massachusetts, and then to Milton, Massachusetts, in 2000. His father died in 2010. Jidenna stated that his major influences include KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane, as well as the Nigerian Highlife music genre. 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. 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. Jidenna currently resides in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.