Nigerian hip hop artist Jidenna’s described his philosophy on the the album’s title “85 to Africa”, as an interstate highway that runs through the southeastern U.S. route from Atlanta’s Interstate 85 on the way to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. 85 to Africa is Jidenna’s second studio album and features appearances of artists across the African diaspora such as Seun Kuti, Mr. Eazi, GoldLink, etc. During the time of the album’s release, Jidenna told Entertainment Weekly “I’ve always toyed with the idea of creating a kind of sound highway across the Atlantic Ocean with my music,” Jidenna explains. “I think it’s so important for the diaspora to feel connected, so the album is supposed to feel like a road trip across our various experiences. 85 to Africa isn’t just a country or even one continent. We were in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Swaziland, South Africa, and Ghana, but we also started out [in] Atlanta.” He further explains the ethos to the project stating “We looked at the past, the present, and the future and we wanted to create something that felt accessible to anyone in the black diaspora because it had all of the elements that make us. I think we’ve gotten away from the idea that black people are a monolith and something like 85 to Africa is just an example of how much diversity there is in our communities.”
Check more from the interview at the link below: belowhttps://ew.com/music/2019/10/11/jidenna-85-to-africa-tour/
Also check out the “Official Album Trailer” and stream 85 to Africa