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Jidenna‘s glow up is something that we all can appreciate.
After bursting on the scene back in 2015 with his infectious single “Classic Man,” the singer, actor and rapper is still proving that he’s in a league of his own. We caught up with Jidenna on the heels the fifth annual BET Experience, where he’s set to perform, along with like A$AP Rocky, Migos, Wiz Khalifa and many more. The four-day event will showcase the best in music and entertainment, all leading up to the 2017 BET Awards.
The classic man himself will take the stage on Friday, June 23rd at the Staples Center— the same day that Jhene Aiko and Bryson Tiller are scheduled to shut it down. But in case you haven’t heard his new album, don’t expect to hear anything similar to his signature single. Jidenna revealed that on his latest album The Chief, he opted for a different sound. He explained, “With this record, it allows people to hear the breadth and depth of what I do. The focus on this project is the story.”
Speaking of the story, the visuals for the album’s first promotional single, “Bambi” told a heartwarming tale. “Bambi” was released back in February and the Internet is still buzzing. Jidenna confirmed that it was based on a true story — but not his story. “We were inspired by a few things. The movies The Graduate, Forrest Gump and Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky. We love the idea of a man who’s usually known for his composure to kind of lose it over a love that he could potentially lose.”
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As for what he looks for in a woman, the currently single singer said, “For one, I like women that are very sharp. I love women who are worldly. Worldly doesn’t mean you’re flying to the South of France and then to Mumbai and you’re posting on Instagram. It means that you can operate in many worlds. If we’re rolling to the homies stop and there’s plastic on every couch, you cool there. If we’re rolling to meet this dignitary who just flew in from Mozambique and we gotta impress her, then you cool in that circle too. But right now, I’m focused. I’m looking forward to being intrigued by a woman.”
When it comes to his celebrity crush, Jidenna revealed that there are a few ladies he has his eye on. However, instead of naming names, he joked, “I got legit ones. But I can’t tell you, because if I tell you, it’s gonna kill my chances. I got my eyes on a couple.” The singer didn’t leave us completely guessing — he dropped a subtle hint saying, “I will say this…they got TV shows.” And by TV shows, Jidenna confirmed that he’s not referring to reality television. If you’re like us, then the first celeb that comes to mind is Miss Issa Rae. She and Jidenna not only knew each other from their days at Stanford, but Issa also gave him his first acting role on her series Insecure. As for whether or not he’ll be making an appearance on season two of the HBO series, Jidenna said, “I want to! Ask Issa Rae.”
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Insecure may have been his first acting gig, but it won’t be his last. The Classic Man has caught the acting bug, yet he hasn’t fallen in love with Hollywood like most celebrities do. He told us, “I will say that I don’t want to go too deep into Hollywood where I lose music. ‘Cause I’m still not even finished my rookie year, in terms of having a full album cycle. Sometimes you go so far in Hollywood that your celebrity gets bigger than the music. That’s not what I want right now.”
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Catch Jidenna performing live at the 2017 BET Experience presented by Coca Cola on June 23 at L.A. LIVE. Tickets are available at http://www.axs.com/betexperience.
For more information on the lineup, schedule, prices and merch, check out BETexperience.com.
