On December 16, 2011, Aiko signed a recording contract with American record producer No I.D.'s record label Artium, distributed through Def Jam Recordings. She has been described as having gentle and pop-tinged vocals. [Tyler Antonius]
Jhené Aiko was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Christina Yamamoto and Dr. Karamo Chilombo (birth name Greg Barnes), a pediatrician. She is of mixed race background—her mother is of Japanese, Spanish, and Dominican descent, while her father is of African American, Yaqui, Choctaw, Cherokee, Navajo, and German Jewish descent. She often states her ethnicity as "Japanese, African American, Native American, etc." based on percentages but identifies with all parts of her heritage. Aiko has also stated that she has French ancestry and has stated regarding her ancestry, "I’m a quarter Japanese. That’s the only percentage I know for sure because it’s my grandfather's. And then everyone else is pretty much like mixed." Her older sisters Miyoko and Jamila were in the R&B group Gyrl and toured with Immature, who were signed to MCA/Silas Records. This led to Jhené’s first meeting with producer Chris Stokes when she was five years old, and eventually he heard her sing. When B2K signed with Epic Records, Jhené was signed as well. She served as the opening act for B2K on their Scream Tour 3.
Aiko began her musical career contributing vocals to several B2K releases in 2002. She featured on tracks five through eight of the R&B group's remix album B2K: The Remixes - Volume 1. "Santa Baby", a cover she recorded, was also featured on their album Santa Hooked Me Up and she appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "Tease" from Pandemonium!. Her song "Dog" appeared as a bonus track.
Aiko also appeared in numerous music videos including O'Ryan's debut video, "Take It Slow", B2K's debut video "Uh Huh" and "Why I Love You", P.Y.T.'s "Same Ol' Same Ol' (Remix)" featuring Sarai, Play's "M.A.S.T.E.R. (Part 2)" featuring Lil' Fizz video and Morgan Smith's 2004 video "Blow Ya Whistle". Jhené also has songs featured on the soundtracks of Barbershop, The Master of Disguise, You Got Served, The Proud Family, and Byou. She released a video for her single "NO L.O.V.E" (re-recorded from Tha' Rayne version in 2002) which debuted on BET's 106 & Park when she was 15 years old.
Aiko was set to release her debut album, then-titled My Name Is Jhené, however the album was never released due to tension at the record label Epic, which ultimately led to Aiko asking to be released from the label. She then began to focus on school and continue her education.
In 2007, she made a return to music, in an interview she spoke on the choice saying “Shortly before I conceived my daughter, I stepped back into the field and took a meeting with a label head. In this meeting, I was innocently told, to ‘sell’ myself when walking into these meetings. “That’s when I decided I would ‘sail’ myself rather than sell myself.” Aiko released a mixtape on March 16, 2011 entitled Sailing Soul(s) via her official website, JheneAiko.com. All the songs on the mixtape were written by her, except “July” which was written by Micah Powell and most of the songs were produced by Fisticuffs, except “July” and “You vs Them” which were produced by Bei Maejor, “Real Now” which was produced by Roosevelt, “Do Better” which was produced by J. Lbs and “Growing Apart” which was produced by Tae Beast. The album's artwork was shot by photographer Jay 3. The mixtape also features collaborations from Miguel, Drake, and Kanye West, as well as others.
To promote the mixtape Aiko was joined by Grammy-nominated R&B singer Miguel on a one-off free secret tour on Sunday, July 15. The free tickets were given away at the Key Club box office on July 6 from 11AM-5PM on a first-come, first-served basis. The concert started at 7:00pm and finished as 9:30pm, lasting a duration of two and a half hours. On October 21, 2012 Aiko released a music video for the song "My Mine". Aiko also released a video for the mixtapes second track "Stranger". Datpiff certified the mixtape gold with downloads of 100,000. In 2011, she also began working closely with artists from Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment such as Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul.
In 2012, Aiko met with No I.D., record producer and vice president of A&R at Def Jam, who ended up signing Aiko to his Artium Records imprint through Def Jam. Aiko released the track "3:16AM" which was made available for digital download on iTunes September 4, 2012. The song was released as the first single from Sail Out. In 2012, Aiko was also the opening act on the highly anticipated “Life Is Good/Black Rage” concert tour headlined by fellow American artists, rapper Nas and singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill. In June 2013, Aiko was featured on the Big Sean song "Beware", which ended up reaching the Top 40 in the United States. This was her first song to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. In October 2013, it was revealed Jhené Aiko would open for Canadian rapper Drake on his Would You like a Tour? concert tour. She had previously collaborated with Drake on his third album Nothing Was the Same (2013), lending her vocals on the tracks "Wu-Tang Forever" and "From Time".
Aiko then released her debut EP Sail Out, on November 12, 2013. "Bed Peace" featuring Childish Gambino was released as the album's second single on September 17, 2013. The single's artwork was inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-Ins for Peace protest against the Vietnam War. The EP features guest appearances from American rappers Vince Staples, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and Ab-Soul. The EP debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 34,000 copies. On January 14, 2014, "The Worst" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States as the album's third single. On May 2, 2014 "The Worst" rose from three to one on the airplay Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop, in doing so she became the first female artist to top the chart as a lead with a debut single since Jazmine Sullivan reached the same feat with "Need U Bad" in 2008. "The Worst" also rose forty seven to forty three on the Hot 100. The song peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at forty-three, becoming Aiko's first solo release to chart in the region, the song also peaked at number eleven on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
On January 18, 2014, Aiko appeared on Saturday Night Live performing the song "From Time", with the episode's guest host, Drake. In a January 2014 interview with Vibe, Aiko announced her debut studio album Souled Out would be released in May 2014. However the album would be delayed. On March 16, 2014, Aiko premiered a song titled "My Afternoon Dream," along with an accompanying music video directed by Aiko and Krissy. It has yet to be revealed if the song, produced by Key Wane, will feature on the album.
On June 23, 2014, Aiko posted the cover art and a snippet of Souled Out's first single, titled "To Love & Die", on her official Instagram page. The single's artwork was described as "space-y" by Adelle Platon of Vibe magazine. The song was released for digital download on iTunes, the following day. On June 26, 2014, Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd, announced he would be headlining the "King of the Fall Tour", essentially a mini-tour across America in September / October 2014, the tour will consist of four shows and start on 19 September 2014 in New York, at the Barclays Center and end on October 10 in San Francisco, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Aiko and frequent collaborator Schoolboy Q, were confirmed as the tour's supporting acts.
Aiko is a Christian, having been baptized when she was 16 at the evangelical Pentecostal Foursquare Church. At the age of 20, Aiko became pregnant by American R&B singer O'Ryan and gave birth to her daughter Namiko on November 19, 2008. Before losing her brother Miyagi to cancer on July 19, 2012, Aiko recorded "For My Brother" on her laptop, which was initially intended only for her brother's ears. He died soon after hearing the record. On August 27, 2013, Aiko was involved in a car accident in Los Angeles along with her daughter Namiko, older sister Miyoko, and her daughter's father O'Ryan. Aiko suffered a broken wrist, chipped tooth and had stitches in her chin. Her daughter, however, was unharmed in the accident.
Drinking and Driving
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dancing on the edge with you, but I am not scared with you
Could you remind me why I am here?
I can only feel with you, I am only real with you
So I need you to tell me
That you love me some more
Put your hands on my body
I know you barely know me,
But tonight I am yours
Ask me what do I want
I say whatever can cure this mess
Do whatever I'm yours
Do whatever can cure this loneliness, yes
Do whatever I'm yours
Do whatever I'm sure
Anything, anything, anything, anything to feel alive
Anything, anything, anything to feel my heart beating
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I am still here
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I'm still needed
Na na na na na na oh yeah
I got one hand on this bottle
One foot on the gas
I'm searching for trouble
I'm going too fast
I'm running from shadows
I'm hoping to crash
Just to wake me up from the pain and the past
Hennessy, plenty weed, do you have anything stronger?
I don't care, give it here
Wanna make this high last longer
Unafraid, unaware. Can't you see that I am dying?
Wanna feel what is real. Anything is worth me trying
Do whatever I'm yours
Do whatever can cure this loneliness, yes
Do whatever I'm yours
Do whatever I'm sure
Anything, anything, anything, anything to feel alive
Anything, anything, anything to feel my heart beating
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I am still here
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I'm still needed
Is there life after death
Or should I hold my breath?
I just don't know
I just wanna go
Wherever you take me, oh yeah
And if it all comes down to this
If it all comes down
If it all comes down to this one night
If it all comes down to this
Will you be around?
Will you be the one keeping me alive?
Anything, anything, anything, anything to feel alive
Anything, anything, anything to feel my heart beating
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I am still here
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I'm still needed
"Drinking and Driving" by Jhené Aiko is a poignant reflection on the depths of loneliness and pain, and a search for something that can make the singer feel alive again. The view is beautiful, and the singer is dancing on the edge, but she doesn't feel anything until she's with the person she's singing to, who is likely someone who could drive her to drink and do drugs. The lyrics reveal that the singer is in a lot of pain and wants to feel alive again, and she seems to be using drugs and alcohol to cope. It is a cry for help and an admission of vulnerability.
The lyrics also show the complexity of the singer's emotions. Despite the self-destructive behavior, she wants to be loved and held. She is seeking connection with someone who can "cure this mess" and make her feel "like I am still here." The song hints at suicidal ideation with the line "Is there life after death or should I hold my breath?" The singer wants someone to keep her alive, to make her feel like she still has purpose.
Overall, the song is a raw look at addiction, loneliness, and the longing for connection. It also serves as a warning to anyone who is struggling with addiction to recognize that there is help available and to reach out for it.
Line by Line Meaning
Man the view was is nice from here
I'm in a breathtaking situation right now
Dancing on the edge with you, but I am not scared with you
I'm in a dangerous position, but I have faith in you
Could you remind me why I am here?
I'm questioning my existence, please tell me my purpose
I can only feel with you, I am only real with you
I'm only able to let my guard down and be myself around you
So I need you to tell me, that you love me some more
I need reassurance that you care about me deeply
Put your hands on my body, as my clothes hit the floor
Let's get physical and intimate with each other
I know you barely know me, but tonight I am yours
We're taking a risk by being together, but let's live in the moment
Ask me what do I want, I say whatever can cure this mess
I'm trying to escape from my emotional pain and turmoil
Do whatever I'm yours
I'm willing to do anything for you
Do whatever can cure this loneliness, yes
I'll do anything to fill the void inside me
Do whatever I'm sure
I trust you to make decisions for me
Anything, anything, anything, anything to feel alive
I'll do anything to feel like I'm actually living
Anything, anything, anything to feel my heart beating
I'm desperate for something to make me feel alive and in touch with my emotions
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I am still here
I want to feel like I'm present and relevant in this world
Anything, anything, anything to feel like I'm still needed
I need to feel like I have a purpose and worth in this life
I got one hand on this bottle, one foot on the gas
I'm drinking and driving recklessly
I'm searching for trouble, I'm going too fast
I'm looking for danger and excitement
I'm running from shadows, I'm hoping to crash
I'm trying to escape from my inner demons and pains
Hennessy, plenty weed, do you have anything stronger?
I need something more potent to numb my pain
I don't care, give it here, wanna make this high last longer
I'll take anything to keep me in this euphoric state
Unafraid, unaware. Can't you see that I am dying?
I'm not afraid of the consequences of my actions, but I'm dying inside
Wanna feel what is real. Anything is worth me trying
I want to experience something authentic and genuine, I'll do anything to achieve it
Is there life after death, or should I hold my breath?
I'm contemplating the meaning of life and what comes after it
I just don't know, I just wanna go, wherever you take me, oh yeah
I'm lost and have no direction, I'll follow you
And if it all comes down to this, if it all comes down
If everything falls apart
If it all comes down to this one night, if it all comes down to this
If this is my last night on earth
Will you be around? Will you be the one keeping me alive?
Will you be there for me in my time of need?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JHENE AIKO CHILOMBO, OLADIPO O. OMISHORE, MICAH EVAN POWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind