Jidenna is a Wisconsin native hip-hop artist born in 1985. Although he was born in Wisconsin to a Nigerian father in white American mother he spent his childhood in Nigeria. After a traumatic turn of events including robbery and violence, he moved to America and at an early age took an interest in music. This experience has shaped some of the music he is created as a young adult. His relationship with his father coupled with the blend of his African and ‘Americaness’ has led to his music seeking to explore a worldly perspective. He’s hit song classic man put him on the charts as a popular artist.
His song “Tribe,” is a unique mesh of cross-cultural hip-hop. The music video incorporates several cultural relics including traditional hairstyles and face paint. With visuals of black people dancing and enjoying each other‘s company the video truly homes in on ideas of black excellence. He uses several different styles of rhyme scheme to give his music authenticity and the desired uniqueness. In addition, his music incorporates slang and euphemisms that make it a more relatable and African-American culture. Is versus vary between proper English in slang almost instantaneously which gives off a clever wit. For example in the verse,
“It’s mo’ money for the trappin’
Stadiums full of vibranium in the land of the black skin
And it’s time that we cash in
Fill the hunger like I’m fastin’
Less thinkin’, more action
I’m so motherfuckin’ tapped in
Black star on the cap and
Babylonian assassin
Fake woke niggas nappin’
Tuck ’em in like a napkin”
In this verse, by cutting the ends of the words short he creates an end rhyme within the verse. In addition, this slang is commonly used within American hip-hop and African-American lingo those by incorporating such catchy flows not only is he able to embrace lyrics that accentuate his creative lyrics.