Classic Man

"Classic Man"
Single by Jidenna featuring Roman GianArthur
from the album Wondaland Presents: The Eephus
Released	January 4, 2015
Format	Digital download
Length	3:46 (original version) 3:55 (remix version)
Label	Wondaland Epic
Writer(s)	Various Amethyst Amelia Kelly Charlotte Aitchison Eleanor Kateri Tannis George Astasio Jasbir Sehra Jason Pebworth Jidenna Theodore Mobisson John Turner Jonathan Christopher Shave Kurtis McKenzie Milan Wiley Nana Kwabena Tuffuor Nathaniel Irvin III Roman GianArthur Irvin
Producer(s)	Various Jidenna Nana Kwabena Nate "Rocket" Wonder
Jidenna singles chronology
"Classic Man" (2015) "Yoga" (2015)

"Classic Man" is a song by American singer Jidenna, released on February 3, 2015 as his commercial debut single. The song, which features vocals from fellow American singer Roman GianArthur, was included on Janelle Monáe's Wondaland Records collective EP, The Eephus, as the lead single. In December 2015, it was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.^[1] The song was produced by Jidenna, alongside Nana Kwabena and Nate "Rocket" Wonder.

Composition

The song samples Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's 2014 single "Fancy", which features English singer Charli XCX and production from The Invisible Men, with all the original writers and composers being credited on "Classic Man".^[2]

Music video

The music video 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.^[3] The video was directed by Alan Ferguson.^[4] The music video for the remix was released on July 15, 2015. It features Jidenna and Kendrick Lamar rapping in various locations. Rapper/singer Ty Dolla Sign, Janelle Monáe, Roman GianArthur, and hip-hop producer Hit-Boy make cameo appearances in the music video.^[5]

Commercial performance

"Classic Man" debuted at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated May 23, 2015.^[6] The song peaked at number 22 in its sixteenth week on the chart.^[7] As of August 2015, the song has sold 399,000 copies in the US.^[8]

Remix

Jidenna and Wondaland Records released a remix of the song featuring American rapper Kendrick Lamar, included as a bonus track on The Eephus EP. The remix was accompanied by a music video, which premiered on July 15, 2015.^[9] Jamaican rapper Sean Paul also released a remix of this song called "Ganja Man".^[10]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2015) Peak position Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[11] 44 France (SNEP)[12] 142 South Africa (EMA)[13] 7 UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[14] 28 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[15] 174 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 22 US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[17] 33 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 9 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[19] 29 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[20] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2015) Position US Billboard Hot 100[21] 72 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 22 US Rhythmic Songs (Billboard)[23] 19

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[24]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard. December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
2. Tharpe, Frazier (15 July 2015). "Jidenna's "Classic Man" Samples Iggy Azalea's "Fancy"". complex.com.
3. "Jidenna - Classic Man on YouTube". VEVO. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
4. Zeichner, Naomi. "Jidenna Premieres "Classic Man" Video". The FADER. THE FADER, INC.
5. "Jidenna - Classic Man (Remix) ft. Kendrick Lamar on YouTube". VEVO. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
6. "The Hot 100: The Week of May 23, 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
7. "The Hot 100: The Week of September 3, 2015". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
8. Steinfeld, Mitchell (August 8, 2015). "Hip Hop Single Sales: The Weeknd, Silento & Fetty Wap". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
9. "Jidenna - Classic Man (Remix) ft. Kendrick Lamar". VEVO. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
10. https://www.facebook.com/seanpaul/posts/10153649757564668
11. "Ultratop.be – Jidenna feat. Roman GianArthur – Classic Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop Urban.
12. "Lescharts.com – Jidenna feat. Roman GianArthur – Classic Man" (in French). Les classement single.
13. "EMA Top 10 Airplay: Week Ending 2015-09-01". Entertainment Monitoring Africa. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
14. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40 - 21 August 2015 - 27 August 2015". officialcharts.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
15. Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart: CLUK Update 15.08.2015 (wk33)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
16. "Jidenna – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Jidenna. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
17. "Jidenna – Chart history" Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay for Jidenna. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
18. "Jidenna – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Jidenna. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
19. "Jidenna – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Jidenna. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
20. "Jidenna – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Jidenna. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
21. "2015 Year End Charts – Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
22. "2015 Year End Charts – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
23. "2015 Year End Charts – Rhythmic Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
24. "RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - Jidenna". Recording Industry Association of America.