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.
Maniac
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Head like a brainiac
Gotta read the sign like a zodiac
I'm a lowkey freak, you don't know me yet
Good head got a lil bite to it
Little booty got a lil bounce to it
We can go all damn night to it
Wife that, gon' throw rice to it
Oh why, oh why I wait too long?
Oh his **** is way too long
I think I can take it all
Oh why, oh why you actin' scared?
Pull that pull up like a chair
Know you see me over here
Have you ever fucked with a maniac, maniac?
You just made love to a maniac, maniac
I must, I must, I must, I
Must admit I'm in love with your sex
Every single day, baby give me your best
Every single day, you be gettin' this neck
Never gettin' no rest, just took two breaths (ahh, ahh)
Need a vacay
Nigga shot more rounds than a AK
Goin' 'round 'round 'round like a AA
Never showin' up late for the late late
Oh why, oh why I wait too long?
Oh his **** is way too long
I think I can take it all
Oh why, oh why you actin' scared?
Pull that pull up like a chair
Know you see me over here
Have you ever fucked with a maniac, maniac?
You just made love to a maniac, maniac
Do you wanna fuck with a maniac?
With a maniac (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Make you fall in love with a maniac (with a maniac)
I stay up all night for ya, I'm a trooper
Call and request, I pick up, pull up quick as Uber
Anywhere, everywhere, you turn me to addict
If you love me like you say you do then get it tatted
Do you, do you, do you, I know how to do you
Flip me over then maneuver
As long as a ruler, you the ruler
Don't tell nobody else, that's the rule, yeah
Ass in the air, feet in the air
Weed in the air, we in the mirror, me and you stare
Night shift take the stress away
Then the second round take the rest away
Have you ever fucked with a maniac, maniac?
(Have you ever, loved with a maniac, baby)
You just made love to a maniac, maniac
(You just made love to a maniac)
Do you wanna fuck with a maniac?
(Do you wanna, fuck with a, maniac, maniac)
Make you fall in love with a maniac, maniac
(Make you fall in love)
You just fucked around
You just fucked around
You just fucked around
With a maniac, ma-ma-maniac
How you like me now?
How you like me now?
How you like me now?
I'm a maniac
I'm a mothafuckin' maniac
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Who love this pussy? You love this pussy
Who love this pussy? You love this pussy
You can't get enough of this pussy
I know that you like it, I know
I know, I know
I know, I know
I know
The lyrics to the song "Maniac" by Jhené Aiko are explicit and describe sexual acts. The hook of the song "Have you ever fucked with a maniac" is repeated throughout. Jhené Aiko's verses detail her sexual prowess and willingness to engage in rough sex with her partner. She speaks of taking control and dominating her partner, pulling them close and making them experience the pleasure she has to offer. The line "I'm a lowkey freak, you don't know me yet" shows her willingness to act out of her usual character to please her partner.
The chorus of the song is incredibly infectious, with the lyrics "Have you ever fucked with a maniac, maniac? You just made love to a maniac, maniac." This indicates that the sexual experience with Jhené Aiko is not calm or gentle, but rather exhilarating and intense. The song's overall message seems to be that Jhené Aiko is not afraid to be a "maniac" in bed and that her partner will find the experience to be unforgettable.
Line by Line Meaning
Hop on the dick like a maniac
She is sexually insatiable and wants to have sex aggressively.
Head like a brainiac
She is orally skilled and intelligent.
Gotta read the sign like a zodiac
She has unique sexual preferences and partners need to understand her desires.
I'm a lowkey freak, you don't know me yet
She is sexually adventurous but keeps it relatively discrete and is not fully understood.
Good head got a lil bite to it
Her oral sex is exceptional and has a little hint of aggression.
Little booty got a lil bounce to it
Her posterior is small but has a nice bouncy shape.
We can go all damn night to it
She is willing to engage in sexual activities for an extremely extended period.
Wife that, gon' throw rice to it
She wants the person she is having sex with to marry her in the future.
Oh why, oh why I wait too long?
She regrets not having sex with this person earlier.
Oh his **** is way too long
The person she is having sex with is well endowed.
I think I can take it all
She is confident and can handle the person's large genitalia.
Oh why, oh why you actin' scared?
She thinks the person is acting nervous or apprehensive.
Pull that pull up like a chair
She wants the person to relax and not be scared during sex.
Know you see me over here
She is confident in her abilities and presence.
Have you ever fucked with a maniac, maniac?
She asks if the person has ever had sex with someone as sexually intense as her.
You just made love to a maniac, maniac
She is labeling herself as a sexually intense person.
I must, I must, I must, I
She is consumed by her desire for sex.
Must admit I'm in love with your sex
She is emotionally attached to the person's sexual abilities.
Every single day, baby give me your best
She wants the person to have sex with her every day and give their best performance.
Every single day, you be gettin' this neck
She performs oral sex on the person every day.
Never gettin' no rest, just took two breaths (ahh, ahh)
She has constant sex with the person and is only stopping momentarily to take a breath.
Need a vacay
She needs a break from the constant sexual activity.
Nigga shot more rounds than a AK
The person has strong sexual stamina and lasts a long time.
Goin' 'round 'round 'round like a AA
The sex is consistent and continuous like a loop.
Never showin' up late for the late late
The person is always on time and ready for sex.
I stay up all night for ya, I'm a trooper
She stays up all night to engage in sexual activities with the person.
Call and request, I pick up, pull up quick as Uber
She is always available for sex and is quick to arrive.
Anywhere, everywhere, you turn me to addict
She is addicted to sex with this person and will engage with them anywhere and everywhere.
If you love me like you say you do then get it tatted
She wants the person to prove their love for her by getting a tattoo.
As long as a ruler, you the ruler
The person's genitalia is long and they are dominating sexually.
Don't tell nobody else, that's the rule, yeah
She is keeping their sexual experiences private.
Ass in the air, feet in the air
They are engaged in a sexual position where her butt and feet are in the air.
Weed in the air, we in the mirror, me and you stare
They are smoking marijuana and admiring their reflections while having sex.
Night shift take the stress away
Sex is a way for them to relieve stress at night.
Then the second round take the rest away
They have sex multiple times in a night to fully relax.
Do you wanna fuck with a maniac?
She is asking the person if they want to engage in sex with her.
Make you fall in love with a maniac, maniac
She is suggesting that sex with her is so intense that it could cause the person to fall in love with her.
You just fucked around
The person has engaged in sexual activities with her.
With a maniac, ma-ma-maniac
She is labeling herself as a sexually intense person.
How you like me now?
She is asking the person how they feel about her now that they have had sex.
I'm a maniac
She is labeling herself as a sexually intense person.
I'm a mothafuckin' maniac
She is emphasizing her intensity.
Who love this pussy? You love this pussy
She is asking the person if they enjoy having sex with her.
You can't get enough of this pussy
The person is highly attracted to her sexually.
I know that you like it, I know
She is confident that the person enjoys having sex with her.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jhene Chilombo, Noel Fisher, Sean Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chelsea Short
Every woman has this side. Anyone that judges her for expressing what comes natural for majority of us makes no sense. Be free Jhene! <3
Rxbyn
Idc what anybody says, her lyrical content and flow are always flawless. That's a big part of what draws me to her music and make me feel where she's coming from. It's how she says it.
Ly Avaiya
YAAAAAAAAS JHENE! show these people how versatile u are!!! She's a lyrical genius....if u think this song isn't "the jhene u know" HAVE U BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK? Have u not heard twenty88 or living room flow, just to name a few. She told us the next album wouldn't be so much heartbreak because they reflect her life and what she's going through at the time....but I think this is perfect. Don't worry yall will get yall lil heartbreak songs back lmao
Mariah M
I love it! She does what she wants & don't care what record labels think or say! Although 3:16am is my all time favorite! She got a whole lot of negative feedback when the video for Wading came out but she can make crazy beautiful and her voice is amazing! Why is it the ones w/ real talent struggle to get noticed, but these Disney brats get autotuned album's & can't even lipsync their "own song" My favorite lyric of all time is "Shame on me for changing. No, No, No Shame on you for staying the same" Don't ever sell out girl!
Poot Lovato
Mariah M, thats spotless mind :)
Jazzy
This song should've reached a million views by now, I don't understand why she is so underrated. I love her music another song from her to put on repeat.
Xavier
5 years later and it’s still less than a million views
Ms 5000 Watts
Like Jhene herself said about her album, you will be seeing ALL sides of her. If you somehow have a problem with her expressing her sexual side then I'm sorry but you must be super New here because Jhene has expressed that side many times.
I understand a song not being for you but stop saying she's "gone to the dark side" because of a song expressing sexuality. She has s child, did you think she magically conceived her? Go listen to her older songs if you're a true fan and you'll see this is nothing new.
Love ya Jhene 🤗
Stephanie Mccaulley
Ms 5ooo Watts THANK YOU!
WarriorDescision
Out of all the videos on Youtube, i never thought i would see a comment from you on videos like this lol. Love ya vids WATTS!!