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.
LSD
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's your view from there?
I bet it's so cool to jet across the moon
That's how I picture you in my head
Can't get outta my bed
Ever since you had left
Don't got nothin' left
Walkin' 'round half dead, still
We were halfway to Hana
We did some shrooms and we smoked marijuana
Came all this way to escape all our problems
Came all this way just to break every promise
And do
Everything you said I shouldn't do
But those things bring me closer to you, yeah
So the other night, I
Took a tiny piece of paper and put it under my tongue
This white guy said it'd be fun, and it was, but
What I saw
Oh my God
Oh my God
In Jhené Aiko's song LSD, the lyrics depict the aftermath of a relationship gone sour. The first stanza refers to the singer's longing for the person who left her. She imagines them soaring through the sky and wonders what they are thinking. She also admits that she has been unable to get out of bed since the breakup and that she feels like a shell of a person. The use of the word "halfway" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the sense of incompleteness the singer is feeling.
The second stanza takes a different turn, with the singer recounting a trip she took with her former partner. They consumed hallucinogens and marijuana in an attempt to escape their problems. The singer admits that they came to the island of Hana just to break promises to each other and indulge in behaviors that were frowned upon. The last line of the stanza creates an interesting paradox, where the singer confesses that indulging in these forbidden activities brings her closer to her former partner.
The chorus then describes the singer's experience taking LSD, where she saw something so profound that it made her exclaim, "Oh my God." The use of drugs in the song serves as a metaphor for the singer's attempt to escape reality and the pain of her heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
How you like it up there?
Asking if the person is enjoying their current situation/view.
What's your view from there?
Inquiring about their perspective of things from their recent experiences.
I bet it's so cool to jet across the moon
Envisioning the person having amazing experiences from a different, unique perspective.
That's how I picture you in my head
Imagining the person in a particular light that is interesting or appealing.
Can't get outta my bed
Feeling stuck in a negative headspace and unable to move forward.
Ever since you had left
Since the person is gone, everything is different and feels more difficult.
Don't got nothin' left
Feeling empty, as though everything that used to be is now gone.
Walkin' 'round half dead, still
Being alive but not feeling fully present, still going through the motions.
Have faith, half baked
Trying to have hope despite feeling unsure, uncertain or unprepared.
We were halfway to Hana
Traveling somewhere and using a destination as a metaphor for reaching a goal in life.
We did some shrooms and we smoked marijuana
Trying to escape reality or get a new perspective on things through psychedelic drugs.
Came all this way to escape all our problems
Going somewhere as a way to avoid life's difficulties.
Came all this way just to break every promise
Ignoring previous commitments and going against personal values while on this journey.
And do
Continuing to indulge in risky or harmful behaviors.
Everything you said I shouldn't do
Knowing that the actions taken were misguided, but doing them anyway.
But those things bring me closer to you, yeah
Feeling connected or closer to the person that may have inspired these behaviors.
So the other night, I
Starting a new part of the story, possibly indicating a turning point.
Took a tiny piece of paper and put it under my tongue
Taking another risk or trying a different drug outside of one's comfort zone.
This white guy said it'd be fun, and it was, but
Trusting someone else's suggestion of something supposedly enjoyable, which may come with consequences.
What I saw
Describing an indescribable experience or realization that was impactful.
Oh my God
Expressing amazement or shock at something profound or life-changing.
Oh my God
Repeating the same sentiment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jhene Aiko Chilombo, Oladipo Omishore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@djariatiyana3974
Verse]
How you like it up there?
What's your view from there?
I bet it's so cool to jet across the moon
That's how I picture you in my head
Can't get outta my bed ever since you had left
Don't got nothin' left, walkin' 'round half dead
Still, have faith, half baked
We were halfway to Hana
We did some shrooms and we smoked marijuana
Came all this way to escape all our problems
Came all this way just to break every promise and do
Everything you said I shouldn't do
But those things bring me closer to you, yeah
So the other night, I
Took a tiny piece of paper and put it under my tongue
This white guy said it'd be fun, and it was, but
What I saw
Oh my God, oh my God
@Ahmarnie22
No wonder why her music is so enchanting, she studies music and how it can affect your mind. It puts me in the right vibes>
@keefe951
Ugh i love her sm for that
@malloryhowarth9905
I was having a panic attack and her album Trip made me feel so calm!!
@theyyluvlexie5555
@@malloryhowarth9905 sameee😩❤️
@shiahfurr5184
@@keefe951 i lol
@cloud6318
@@malloryhowarth9905dude omg yes wtf 😭💌😏
@TheSmoothLife
The beginning of a trip full of heartache, drugs, and trying to cope with life. I watched her short film, but this album really takes you on a trip that's hard to stop once you get started. I like to drink and turn the lights off and vibe with this masterpiece of an album.
@shajuanharvey338
Mark Miles I’m glad somebody else understood
@benowens9675
This is one of my favourite albums to listen to when high on weed or low doses of shrooms
@Life_moreabundantly
I Roll Up & Feel The Same💪🏾💯🙏🏾