For me, it's important that as you're introducing yourself, you show different dimensions.
— Jidenna
My style is not specific to the antebellum South, but it's heavily inspired by the Jim Crow era.
Swanky means classy and funky.
When hip-hop came along, men and women started dressing down as a form of rebellion.
You love who you love. I happen to just love a lot of women.
I work predominantly with tailors from Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.
While the majority of my childhood memories are beautiful, I also have experienced the challenges that Nigeria has faced since independence.
My name is Jidenna, which means 'to hold or embrace the father' in Igbo. It was my father who gave me this name and who taught me countless parables, proverbs, and principles that made me the man I am today.
I've gone down several paths. I started school as an engineer, but underneath it all, I knew I wanted to use instruments, not build them.
Not unlike our country's history, my personal history was founded upon an unfortunate history of racial conflict between black and white.
People thought 'Classic Man' was processed. But then they realized, 'Oh, this guy actually is that man, and he actually dresses like that.'
I think each artist lives with purpose. A strong sense of purpose. We know who's come before us.
I myself have been scrutinized by militarized police, but I know officers who actually handle themselves in a certain way that makes me feel safe.
Most of the suits I try to wear are bespoke.
When I brought home a 98 percent on a test, my father would say, 'Ah, ah, where are the other two points? Go and get them, then bring them back.' My father and Nigerian culture has always stood for excellence.
I wanted to remind myself and others of the old Jim Crow, so that we can remind ourselves that we're still living in the new Jim Crow. I feel it's important to dress in the fashion of the times.
I was raised in Nigeria, and my mother is white, but I never saw her as white, not until I came to America. She was just my mother. She didn't really have a color.
All across this world, especially within the African diaspora, we feel like there is a constant devaluing of our culture and our livelihood.
Ever since the decision of Robin Thicke and Pharrell, we believe that it was important to make sure that we are safe. When that Robin Thicke verdict came out, we realized that the game had changed in music.
A classic man is a distinguished man. He cares about taste and his craft. He's all about the simple model that I live by - eat, drink, be swanky, and have fun getting the job done. He makes sure that he's excellent in all things and that he cares about his neighborhood immensely.
America is haunted by an apparition steeped in slavery, and I wanted to remind everyone that, 'Yo, we've got to handle this.'
I am, always have been, and always will be proud of my Nigerian heritage.
