Jidenna Talks About Concept For ‘Long Live The Chief’

In August, HelloBeautiful and Toyota presented Front Row featuring Jidenna. The “Classic Man” emcee performed at a pop-up concert at Terminal West in Atlanta.

While at the plush venue, everyone’s favorite electro-R&B singer discussed his debut album, Long Live the Chief.

The 31-year-old explained the concept behind his album set to release this fall.

“It’s a story that deals with the passing of a torch between a father and a son. In Nigeria, there’s a proverb that my father used to say and I didn’t believe him until it happened. He said, ‘You are not your own man until your father dies. You will never be your own man, a real man, until your father dies,’” explained Jidenna, impersonating his father in a Nigerian accent.

Following the passing of his father, a professor who helped design Africa’s first personal computer, Jidenna became a different kind of man. His debut album follows the “Classic Man” as he evolves into a “real man,” as the Nigerian proverb suggests.

The suave musician explained, “Long Live the Chief is the journey and trials and tribulations as I try to fulfill the duties of my father.”

The album also showcases Jidenna’s different dimensions — not only as a man, but also as an artist.

Jidenna debuted the first single from the upcoming album back in December. The single, “Long Live the Chief,” is his first track since “Classic Man.”

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