A noticeable appearance and bright creative abilities often become the basis for creating success. Such a set of qualities is typical for Jidenna, an artist who is impossible to pass by.
The nomadic life of Jidenna's childhood
Theodore Mobisson (who became famous under the pseudonym Jidenna) was born on May 4, 1985 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. His parents were Tama and Oliver Mobisson.
Mother (white American) worked as an accountant, father (native of Nigeria) worked as a professor of computer science. With a baby in their arms, the family moved to Nigeria.
The father of the family worked at home at Enugu State University. After an attempted kidnapping of their 6-year-old son, the family returned to America. They first settled in Wisconsin.
When the boy was 10 years old, they moved to Norwood (Massachusetts). And when the child was 15 years old, they moved to the city of Milton in the same state.
Children's passion for music
The boy was brought up on ethnic Nigerian music. Since childhood, he was interested in rhythmic motifs and singing. Upon returning to the USA, Theodore became interested in rap compositions.
While in high school, the young man co-founded the Black Spadez group. The guys created rap music. Mobisson acted here as a songwriter, arranger, producer.
Theodore after school entered the Academy, which he successfully graduated in 2003. The first music album, identical to the name of the school band, became part of his thesis. The young man was immediately sent an invitation to study at Stanford and Harvard Universities. He chose the first option.
Theodore entered the department of sound engineering, but in the process of studying he switched to the specialty "Traditional Art". In 2008, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Arts. The topic of his thesis was "Comparative Research in the Field of Race and Ethnicity".
After that, Mobisson went to work as a teacher. Working full-time, he continued to engage in musical creativity in his spare time. Theodore moved frequently. He managed to live in Los Angeles, Oakland, Brooklyn, Atlanta.
Music career advancement
In 2010, the artist's father died. This prompted him to think about his own life path. The young man realized that his destiny was in music. Theodore signed with Wondaland Records. Here he found himself in his midst. Mobisson took on the pseudonym Jidenna. He has worked with a number of artists collaborating with the same label. The first important step towards creative development was the recording of the mini-album Eephus.
Only in February 2015, the artist released his first single, thanks to which he became popular. The composition Classic Man, recorded with the participation of Roman JanArthur, was liked by the listeners. The song spent a long time on the US radio charts, peaking at number 49 on the Billboard Hot R&B/H-Hop Air Play.
The same composition was nominated for the prestigious Grammy Award in the Best Rap Song Collaboration nomination. Thanks to Classic Man, the musician received the Best New Artist, Best Song, and Best Video awards from the Soul Train Music Awards.
Continuation of the creative activity of Jidenna
Already on March 31, 2015, Jidenna, together with Janelle Monae, recorded the song Yoga. The song was nominated for the Soul Train Music Awards for Best Dance Performance. In June 2016, the artist released his second single Chief Don't Run. And in February 2017, the first studio album The Chief was released.
In November 2017, Jidenna recorded the Boomerang EP. This was followed by a sabbatical artist. The following songs were only released in July 2019. The singles Sufi Woman and Tribe were included in the second studio album "85 to Africa".
Fear & Fancy Initiative Club
Jidenna is a founding member of a social club called Fear & Fancy. The Society was founded in California in 2006. The structure included an international team of activists who organized various events. The activities are aimed at social assistance in the field of entertainment and the development of new talents. The team arranges various evenings, exhibitions, dinner parties with the participation of creative people.
Filming Jidenna in the movie
In 2016, Jidenna made his first cameo appearance on the set of the film. The first film was the TV series Luke Cage. This change of activity is associated with the influence of a colleague and friend Janelle Monae. Jidenna played characters with freaky looks, sang songs. A cameo role in the TV series "Moonlight" became noticeable.
The image of the artist
Jidenna has a typical African American appearance. With a height of 183 cm, he is endowed with an average physique. Notable is not the natural external data of the artist, but the created image. Jidenna dresses according to her own style. He created it in his student years, but did not dare to implement it until the death of his father. The manner is called "Dandy with a mixture of European-African aesthetics."
