"Classic Man" singer, Jidenna, released arguably one of the best rap albums of 2017 so far. I know it’s early, but I have full confidence that this record will still be in rotation for me well into the year. Jidenna broke onto the scene with his song "Classic Man" back in 2015. I personally thought he was going to end up being a one hit wonder, but he really surprised me and I am glad that I did not write him off like I initially wanted to. "The Chief" is not just an album, it is an epic that tells the story of a chief… That chief being Jidenna himself.
There are so many things to love about "The Chief." From the interesting use of auto-tune to the tribal and ambient sounding production. One key component that makes this album stand out from all the others is Jidenna’s interesting worldview. Jidenna spent a portion of his life in Nigeria before moving to the states. This automatically gives him an edge over many rappers that haven’t experienced anything Jidenna has. Jidenna has unlocked another dimension of rap, I foresee him going far just off this fact alone. Furthermore, Jidenna does not condescend his listeners, he makes his message and his story easily accessible. It doesn’t feel like he thinks he’s better than everyone else, he is simply presenting you with his life story and letting you do with it what you will.
The production on "The Chief" is excellent. Each track creates its own world while somehow simultaneously working in unison with all the other songs to create one big world. None of these beats employ the same style, "Trampoline" sounds formal it’s a song that you could do a fast-paced waltz to. "Helicopter/Beware" starts off soft with a piano and Jidenna’s falsetto, but it comes in hard with heavy drums after the first chorus; transforming the song into an instant banger. What is even more remarkable about the production is the fact that Jidenna had a very big hand in it having produced half of the tracks. However, Hit-Boy, Sonny Digital, and Best Kept Secret produced three tracks respectively. There are also many producers that I have never heard of such as, Nana Kwabena, Nate “Rocket” Wonder, and Jon Jon Trax. If you are interested in any of the production on this album, google the album and click on the Wikipedia page. I’m not listing it for you.
"The Chief" is littered with auto-tune. I know that for many music fans this would be a turn off, but in this case, it makes this album ten times better. Jidenna is confident in his voice and his content, so he does not hide behind auto tune, he simply uses it to entertain and add effect. I personally think that the auto tune makes this album more enjoyable, and it fits in with the tribal feeling.
The only thing that I dislike about this album is the stupid skits. I’m tired of artists (of all genres) using their parent’s voicemails on their work. It’s a cliché at this point, and not a very good one. I personally feel like skits do not need to be on album if they do nothing to add to the overall story that you are trying to tell. For example, on Midnight Marauders the skits were necessary and compliment the album. The tour guide’s sweet sounding voice fits with the tone and every skit was clearly planned and you can tell that time was spent on developing those skits. The Chief tries to take that approach but falls flat after the first track when Jidenna’s dad (?? Idk if it was his dad) gives this speech that lasted the whole song. I’m just saying stop with skits if they aren’t necessary we’re tired of them.
At its heart, The Chief is a masterpiece with little to no shortcomings. I am more than satisfied with this album, and quite frankly it put rap back on the map for me in 2017. I am anxious for Jidenna to keep making music and prove that he is the next big thing.
