There have been several prominent African artists from the U.S. to make a name for themselves in the last two decades. Wale comes to mind and even K'naan was big for a while.

One of the best albums to debut this year is Jidenna's 85 to Africa. Through his combination of Afro-pop, Hip-Hop and R&B, accompanied by his smooth storytelling, Jidenna affirms all afro-descendants that their blackness matters.

In just 11 tracks, Jidenna combines his various cultures, African and African-American, to create a pan-African masterpiece. Whether he wants to or not, in doing so, Jidenna makes himself Hip-Hop's poster child of the African Diaspora. However, prior to Jidenna, there was Akon.

When I first arrived in the U.S., I was five years old and fresh out of Cameroon. I remember encountering my first autumn in Minnesota with both intrigue and confusion. At the time, I was struggling to learn English and quickly became the ridicule of my classmates because of my French-African accent.

When Akon's single, "Lonely," came out in 2005, it was a game-changing moment for me, because here was this French-African native at the top of the R&B charts — for once, I felt seen.

Of course, it didn't stop there for the Senegalese-American artist. Akon went on to deliver countless classic hooks and features, helping to transform the R&B game as we know it.

Where Akon fell short, however, is that he didn't make many afro-centric songs at the height of his career. When Akon was charting in Billboard's top 100, Afro-pop hadn't yet made its way to the U.S. It should also be said that American listeners may not have been ready for an Afro-sonic revolution in the mid-2000s and early 2010s.

With artists like Burna Boy, Davido, Yemi Alade, Wizkid and others helping to pioneer this growth, Afro-pop has become one of the fastest-rising genres in the world. Jidenna, who was born to a White-American mother and Nigerian father, has been able to identify with the Afro-Pop movement. In 85 to Africa, he adds his own flavor to Afro-Pop and Hip-Hop, where America and Africa become one.

Sonically, Jidenna leans on his Nigerian roots to anchor the sound and vibe of the album, with sprinklings of trap, funk and R&B weaved throughout the project. When he needs to tap into his African senses, he quickly switches into his Nigerian accent, recognizable by a husky and raspy West African voice.

85 to Africa has features from Nigeria's Seun Kuti, the son of legendary Fela Kuti, Afro-Pop artist Mr Eazi, and Ethiopian-American Hip-Hop artist Goldlink. To top it off, each song pays tribute to Africa. I selected three songs from the album that demonstrate how Jidenna weaves together his multiple identities to curate an afro-diverse experience:

"Sou-Sou Circle"

If you're unfamiliar with the term sou-sou, it is an informal savings club between a small group of people. How it works is that you set the amount that each member must contribute to a monthly pot. In the song, Jidenna uses sou-sou as an example of how Black people can uplift each other and create black wealth.

"Jungle Fever"

In Hip-Hop, art and expression are often born out of the struggle. In "Jungle Fever," Jidenna shares his distinct Black American story, telling the story about how his Nigerian father met his white mother and how he is a living representation of their legacy.

Unlike many of his rap peers that have come up from underserved communities, Jidenna's story is one of immigration and meets white privilege. Though he acknowledges it as such, he shares that nothing came easy for him and his parents, and because of that, he must continue to grind to honor their efforts.

"Worth the Weight"

In this song, Jidenna reminds us that he is not just making music for Africans, but for all Black people. The lyric that sticks out to me from "Worth the Weight" is the following: "Could've freed my people, if this weed was legal, way back." Jidenna is speaking on the hardships plaguing the Black community, such as incarceration, violence, institutional racism and the quick thrills of the paper chase.

While attempting to highlight the wholistic Black experience in a way that previous artists have been unable to do, Jidenna becomes an ambassador for Pan-Africa, opening a door for Black Americans to get in touch with their African roots and for Africans to feel seen and heard.

In 85 to Africa, Jidenna reminds us that regardless of our differences, Black people across the globe are tied to the same journey of uplifting one another and building our communities.

Jeffrey Bissoy is a former assistant producer at MPR News. Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, raised in The Twin Cities and now based in Mexico City, Jeffrey has grown a passion for representation and identity, Hip-Hop, and the impact of sports on society. He's also the host of the podcast — The Come-Up — which stays current with the weekly drama of the NBA and also covered the Women's World Cup.

External Link

Jidenna - official site