The red-haired crooner turns tender on “Bambi”, a track that portrays a lost love that Jidenna wronged. Somehow, I don’t think he’s talking about Ivanka. Declaring that “the lady ain’t a tramp, just ‘cause she bounce it up and down like a trampoline,” this classic ladies’ man once again makes feminist hearts swoon when he lists the types of women this unnamed dance lover could be – she could be someone’s wife, could have a doctorate in medicine, be the pastor’s daughter, or even the president’s daughter. Following that track, Jidenna moves swiftly into banger territory with the nearly-flawless “Trampoline”. “Chief Don’t Run” draws from the bravery of both his difficult interracial upbringing and his new luxurious lifestyle, and he aptly proclaims that “eat, drink, swing” is his new mantra. Born of a Nigerian father and an American mother, Jidenna said that when he returned to Nigeria to bury his father in 2015, he reportedly had to bring guns with him for protection. The track starts with a monologue from a supposed family member who warns him of the dangers of coming to America – a tale based in real-life events. The speculation about Jidenna’s Nigerian roots ended with The Chief as he opens the album “A Bull’s Tale”. The fact that it also manages to have bangers that come close to the level of his 2015 mega-hit “Classic Man” proves that this stylish emcee is ready to make an even bigger mark on the music industry. It’s that marriage of excellence, style, and the singular experience of one Nigerian-American that makes Jidenna’s long-awaited debut album so complex.
Janelle Monae’s Wondaland collective, however, is something else entirely – a group not only committed to Black excellence in art and life, but to anti-racist activism as well. The politically-motivated hip hop single is not a rarity – from Yeezy’s “New Slaves” to Weezy’s “How To Love” and, of course, Jeezy’s “My President”, the overtly political is more at home than ever in modern hip hop.