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.
Lyin King
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go around breaking hearts just to see what is inside
Go around stealing em, feeding em to your pride
Did you ever stop and think that
I might really need that
To stay alive?
I'm starting to believe that
You don't really see that
But it's okay, I'm going to find my way
But as for you, I don't know what to say
If you don't learn, you'll never know a good thing
You'll never know a good thing
You will never know, you will never know, no good
(Never know a good thing)
You will never know, you will never know, no good
(Never know a good thing)
You will never know, you will never know, no good
You will never know
You will never know, you will never know, no good
You will never know
Mr Serial Lover
I wish your mother
Loved you like I could've
That way you would've known how to love a woman
Mr. Conditional Lover
I wish your father would've stayed
I wish you never promised things
That never did come true
But its okay you're bound to find a way
'Cause it will all come back around one day
If you don't learn you'll never know a good thing
You'll never know a good thing
You will never know, you will never know, no good
(Never know a good thing)
You will never know, you will never know, no good
(Never know a good thing)
You will never know, you will never know, no good
You will never know
You will never know, you will never know, no good
You will never know
It's okay, you just don't know no better, you're better off being alone
Hope you find comfort in all of the lies that you told
You'll never get it, I get it, I'm here on my own
I'll be on my own
But it's okay, I'm going to find my way
But as for you, I cannot say the same
If you don't learn, you'll never know a good thing
You'll never know a good thing
You will never know, you will never know, no good
(You will never know)
You will never know, you will never know, no good
(You will never, never, never, never know)
You will never know, you will never know, no good
You will never know
You will never know, you will never know, no good
You will never know, oh-whoa oh
The song "Lyin King" by Jhené Aiko is a heart-wrenching ballad about the pain of being with someone who continuously breaks your heart. The lyrics of the song describe the pain and sadness of a woman who is in a relationship with someone who constantly lies and cheats on her. The singer questions whether her partner ever thinks about how their actions affect her and wonders if he even cares that she gave him her heart. The pain of her relationship with him is evident through the line "Did you ever stop and think that I might really need that to stay alive?"
The singer talks about the difficulties of loving someone who doesn't reciprocate that love. She wishes that her partner's parents had taught him how to love a woman so that he could provide her with the love she deserves. Yet, even with all the pain and heartache she experiences, she remains hopeful and confident that she will find her way. She refuses to stay with someone who will never know a good thing, even if it means that she has to be alone.
Overall, "Lyin King" is a poignant song about the pain and heartache of being with someone who doesn't truly love you or appreciate what you have to offer. It's a song about finding the strength to walk away from someone who isn't worth your time and pain, even if that means being alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay, so you just
You seem to have a habit of ruining people's hearts without any concern for their feelings.
Go around breaking hearts just to see what is inside
You hurt people simply to satisfy your curiosity.
Go around stealing em, feeding em to your pride
You not only hurt people, but you also take pride in doing so.
Did you ever stop and think that
Have you ever thought about how your actions might be affecting others?
I might really need that
The love and care that you took from me might be crucial for my survival.
To stay alive?
I might need the love and care you took from me to thrive emotionally and mentally.
I'm starting to believe that
I am beginning to think that you are incapable of understanding and valuing emotions.
You don't really see that
You do not understand how important the love and care that I gave you was.
I had given you my life, oh yeah
I gave you my everything, my love, my trust, and my hope.
But it's okay, I'm going to find my way
Although your actions hurt me, I will heal and find my way.
But as for you, I don't know what to say
I cannot predict what will happen to you, but I hope you realize and regret the harm you've caused.
If you don't learn, you'll never know a good thing
If you don't learn how to love and appreciate others, you will never know the goodness of true love.
You will never know, you will never know, no good
If you don't learn to love, you will never experience the joy of a true and meaningful relationship.
Mr Serial Lover
You are someone who constantly seeks love and attention from different people.
I wish your mother
I wish your upbringing and background was different.
Loved you like I could've
I wish you had received the kind of love I gave you.
That way you would've known how to love a woman
If you had received the right kind of love, you would have learned how to love and appreciate a woman.
Mr. Conditional Lover
You only love people on certain conditions and never unconditionally.
I wish your father would've stayed
I wish your upbringing and background was different.
I wish you never promised things
You make promises that you never intend to or cannot keep.
That never did come true
You never deliver on those promises.
It's okay, you just don't know no better, you're better off being alone
I understand that you might not know how to love or care for others, and you might be better off being alone.
Hope you find comfort in all of the lies that you told
I hope you find solace in all the deceitful things you've done.
You'll never get it, I get it, I'm here on my own
You will never understand the pain and hurt you've caused, but I understand it, and I will heal on my own.
You will never know
If you do not learn how to love and care for others, you will never experience the goodness of true love.
oh-whoa oh
Repetition of the phrase to emphasize the pain and helplessness the singer is feeling.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brian Warfield, Mac Robinson, Jhene Aiko Chilombo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eternalrosa1
No words... Just listening it over and over... I wish your mother...loved you like I could have...That way you would have known how to love a woman!
@lovemesomesoul8426
Sabina Rose word!
@annettemaple2835
is it ever possible to JUST listen to ONE of her songs?
@lovemesomesoul8426
Annette maple never I’m bumping all of her tracks all day!👌🏼
@nicoleclavel5836
Def not 😂❤
@tammii1161
" If you don't learn, you'll never know a good thing" 😩😩💜💜
@sowpedro8296
This song is calm, violent and strong. Love it !
@princesstiana8532
jhene gives me life!
@olympia7149
Yessss!!!
@nnonomokoena210
Say no more. She's the ish no lie.