85 to Africa

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
The Guardian	[9]
HipHopDX	3.7/5[10]
Pitchfork	6.7/10[11]
The Root	(favorable)[12]

85 to Africa garnered positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic writer Andy Kellman wrote that: "Continuing where the Boomerang EP left off, even tighter lyrical, sonic, and collaborative connections are made with his father's home continent. The rapping and singing dandy is still chiefin' -- coasting on charisma and wit more than skill, preening and gloating through much of the LP in his inimitable way, humble enough to accept one of the humorous nicknames bestowed on him."[8] Brody Kenny of HipHopDX praised Jidenna's "charismatic performances" throughout the album and its world-spanning production but was critical of his lyrics being "shoddy" and "egregious" at points and not bringing more focus to himself, concluding that: "[T]here's no sense of shyness in Jidenna when he performs, his vocals ringing out proudly and loudly at the top of the mix. But he might be holding himself — and his music — back by not presenting himself as boldly as he could. He can use his voice for rapping and singing, but he's still getting the hang of using it to truly deliver a message."[10]

Pitchfork contributor Rawiya Kameir was also critical of Jidenna's "hardy, awkward rapping" not quite living up to his ambitious ideas but gave praise to DJ Dahi and Nana Kwabena's "cinematic and expansive" production, the "universally understood" cultural references and the record's second half for best embodying its "metaphorical highway to Africa" concept, concluding that: "It feels necessary to celebrate the visibility of these songs, propelled into the mainstream without the rubric of any A-list affiliation. It would be unwise to extrapolate too much from such anomalies, but it's hard not to feel that Jidenna's right about something."[11] Dean Van Nguyen of The Guardian found criticism in the album's production being "clean to the point of sterility" and Jidenna himself being a "competent rhyme-spitter" that "lacks distinction", but gave praise to "Worth the Weight" and "The Other Half" for showcasing his "star quality", concluding that: "In these moments, Jidenna gives reason to believe he can outlast the gimmicks."[9]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} – signifies a co-producer