"Classic Man" is a song by Nigerian-American rapper

Jidenna Jidenna Theodore Mobisson (born May 4, 1985), known mononymously as Jidenna, is an American rapper and singer. In 2015, Jidenna released two singles, "Classic Man" (featuring Roman GianArthur and Kendrick Lamar) and " Yoga" (with Janelle Monáe ...

, released on February 3, 2015, as his commercial debut single by Epic Records. The song, which features vocals from fellow American singer Roman GianArthur, was included on

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon� ...

's Wondaland Records collective EP, '' The Eephus'', as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

. In December 2015, it was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

. The song was produced by Jidenna, alongside Nana Kwabena and Nate "Rocket" Wonder.

Composition

The song credits the writers of Australian rapper

Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...

's 2014 single " Fancy", which Jidenna attributes to the similarity between the two songs and the increased caution of the record industry following the copyright infringement verdict against "Blurred Lines".

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

of the song was released to YouTube on February 20, 2015. The video shows Jidenna at a party, walking on the street, and at a martial arts school. The video was directed by Alan Ferguson. The music video for the remix was released on July 15, 2015. It features Jidenna and

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

rapping in various locations.

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...

, Issa Rae, Roman GianArthur, and

Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), better known by his stage name Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he had signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. ...

make cameo appearances in the music video.

Commercial performance

"Classic Man" debuted at number 89 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the chart dated May 23, 2015. The song peaked at number 22 in its sixteenth week on the chart. As of August 2015, the song has sold 399,000 copies in the US.

Remixes

Jidenna and Wondaland Records released a remix of the song featuring American rapper

, included as a bonus track on '' The Eephus EP''. The remix was accompanied by a music video, which premiered on July 15, 2015. The remix is also featured in the video-games '' MLB The Show 16'' and '' NBA Live 16''. Jamaican rapper Sean Paul also released a remix of this song called "Ganja Man". T-Pain released a Jidenna approved remix called "Classic Man (T-Mix)", featuring Vantrease and Young Cash of

Nappy Boy Entertainment Nappy Boy is an American record label founded by R&B and hip hop artist T-Pain. The label is distributed by RCA Records, and formerly by Jive Label Group. The label's roster of artists includes Gym Class Heroes front man Travie McCoy, Young Ca ...

Usage in popular media

Chopped and screwed Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a music genre and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and deejaying. It developed in the Houston hip hop scene in the early 1990s by D ...

version of "Classic Man" featured in the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winning 2016 film ''Moonlight''. The track was also heard in the 2016 film ''

Dirty Grandpa ''Dirty Grandpa'' is a 2016 American comedy film about a lawyer who drives his grandfather to Florida during spring break. The film was directed by Dan Mazer and written by John Phillips. It stars Robert De Niro and Zac Efron with Aubrey Plaza ...

''.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2015 debut singles 2015 songs Epic Records singles Jidenna songs Songs written by Charli XCX Songs written by George Astasio Songs written by Iggy Azalea Songs written by Jason Pebworth Songs written by Jon Shave Songs written by Kurtis Mckenzie Music videos directed by Alan Ferguson (director)