Jide means rebirth...the rebirth of music. Jide was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and is the grandson of the Chief of Nigeria. Jide came from greatness and is destined for greatness.
When he was 3 years old, Jide saw Diana Ross on TV, in concert at Central Park. As he ran by, he noticed that people were crying. Her music and her voice brought so much emotion to people, and at that moment Jide knew that he had to sing. He had to be a part of something that compelled people to express such emotion that it brought them to tears.
Jide knew he wanted to sing R&B, but he didn't just want to be another R&B singer. He wanted to set himself apart, but still stay true to himself. One day while listening to an R&B song, in his mind, he heard African percussion behind it. His imagination sparked an idea that would later on develop into the rebirth of Jide and his music.
Earlier in his life, Jide thought certain aspects of his African heritage might interfere with his musical goals, but after some soul-searching he came to a conclusion: His African heritage was not any kind of handicap, it was part of him. It was part of his music, the part that he had always felt was missing, and now he was complete.
Jide began to create his new sound, fusing African percussion, chants, hip-hop beats, and R&B melodies. Now when you hear his music, you feel like you're in a club in the middle of the jungles of Africa, dancing with warriors before they go off to battle. His ballads capture the full essence of R&B, but the percussion still gives off that jungle vibe. This combination that Jide uses creates a sound that not only represents his music, but also represents who he is.
Jide has been a featured vocalist on The Maury Povich Show, CBS Morning Show, and local Long Island news channels, and he even sang for the U.S. President at the White House. Jide has also expanded his talents into the field of acting: He was in the movie Shaft, has been featured in several commercials (one of which includes the Toyota Rav 4), and also had an appearance on an episode of HBO's Oz.
Jide's music has that commercial vibe that people can connect to, but also fulfills a void that many people felt was missing for a long time--a void that is completed when they hear those African drums making their bodies move, when they hear those African chants hovering over his hot hooks, making the pop and urban markets say, "I’m not sure what he's saying in that part, but it feels right and it sounds hot."
Jide is on a mission to take R&B to the next level, so if you're ready to discover music all over again, ready to lose yourself in music like you used to, then you're ready to meet Jide.
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