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.
My Mine
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine
All of the time tried to forget you
Thought I could get you to be mine
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine
All of the time I can't forget to
Pretendin' I have the patience
Pretendin' there is enough time for waitin'
Rememberin' when we kept it all basic
I wanna go back so that I could taste it
What do I care for?
You were not there anymore
I was not careful
That is all your fault
You let me fall
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine
All of the time tried to forget you
Thought I could get you to be mine
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine
All of the time I can't forget to
Try to forget you in my mine
Buried alive here inside a nightmare
Livin' a life where you're gone
There is no light here
It'll be light-years until my mind's clear (you're gone)
I did it all for love
I did it all
I'd trade it all for you
I'd trade it all
But what do I care for?
What are you here for?
If you're not there when I call?
I was not careful
And that's all your fault
You let me fall
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine (in my mine)
All of the time tried to forget you
Thought I could get you to be mine
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine
All of the time I can't forget to
Try to forget you in my mine
This ain't how it's supposed to be
You and me supposed to be
Remember when it be just you and me
In your crib smokin' trees
Like you took control of me
You had a hold of me
Had me so gone, baby
Yeah, you had me givin' me all of me
Now it's all over, it's all done
Shouldn't have never told ya, you're the one
I'll be all right
I will be just fine
I'll be okay
Once you get out my mind
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine (yeah, yeah, yeah)
All of the time tried to forget you
Thought I could get you to be mine
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine (in my mine)
All of the time I can't forget to
Try to forget you in my mine
In my mine
In my mine, mine
Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
The lyrics to My Mine by Jhene Aiko depict the struggles of trying to move on from a past relationship, but finding that memories are still deeply rooted and haunting. The repetition of "memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine" emphasizes the persistence of these memories and the struggle to forget them. The singer pretends to have patience and time for waiting, but longs to go back to a simpler time when things were "all basic." The lyrics "I did it all for love, I'd trade it all for you" reveal the depth of the singer's feelings for their past lover, but they ultimately blame them for letting them fall and the pain they now feel.
The line "this ain't how it's supposed to be, you and me supposed to be" expresses the heartbreak of a relationship that did not end as expected. The nostalgia of "remember when it be just you and me in your crib smokin' trees" reinforces the longing for a simpler, happier time. The repetition of "I'll be all right, I will be just fine, I'll be okay once you get out my mind" shows the determination to move on despite the difficulty.
Overall, Jhene Aiko's My Mine is a heartfelt song that conveys the pain of a failed relationship and the struggle to move on from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine
The memories of you and me are strong and deeply embedded in my mind, and they are slowly fading away
All of the time tried to forget you
I have been putting in a lot of effort and energy to forget about you, to move on from our past relationship
Thought I could get you to be mine
I had hoped and believed that we could be together, that I could have you as my own
Pretendin' I have the patience
I am pretending to be patient, waiting for our relationship to be fixed, to work out, to be restored
Pretendin' there is enough time for waitin'
I am pretending that there will be enough time for us to fix what went wrong, to make things right between us
Rememberin' when we kept it all basic
I remember when things were simple between us, when we were just enjoying each other's company, without any complications or drama
I wanna go back so that I could taste it
I wish I could go back to that simple, happy time and experience it again
What do I care for?
I don't care anymore, I have moved on, I don't have feelings for you anymore
You were not there anymore
You have left my life, you are not a part of it anymore
I was not careful
I was not cautious with my heart, I let myself fall too hard for you
That is all your fault
You are the one to blame for all the pain and hurt you caused me
You let me fall
You did not catch me when I fell, you did not support me when I needed you
Buried alive here inside a nightmare
I feel trapped and suffocated by the pain and memories of our failed relationship
Livin' a life where you're gone
I am living my life without you, without the person I thought would be by my side forever
There is no light here
I am lost in darkness, without hope or happiness
It'll be light-years until my mind's clear (you're gone)
It will take a long time for me to heal and move on from the pain and heartbreak of our failed relationship
I did it all for love
I gave everything I had to this relationship because I loved you
I'd trade it all for you
I would give up everything else in my life just to be with you
What are you here for?
Why are you here, why do you keep haunting me, why do I still have feelings for you?
If you're not there when I call?
If you are not there for me when I need you, when I call out for you, then what is the point of this relationship?
Now it's all over, it's all done
Our relationship is over, it is finished, there is no going back
Shouldn't have never told ya, you're the one
I regret telling you that you were the one, that you were the love of my life, because you ended up hurting me
I'll be all right
I will be okay, I will get through this pain and heartbreak
I will be just fine
I will be okay, I will recover from this heartbreak and move on with my life
I'll be okay
I will be okay, I will survive this heartbreak and find happiness again
Once you get out my mind
Once I am able to forget about you, to move on from you, I will be able to find peace and happiness again
In my mine
All these memories and thoughts are trapped in my mind, they won't go away
In my mine, mine
These thoughts and memories are mine, they are a part of me, and they won't go away
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jhene Aiko Chilombo, Songea Edmonson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NayelytheCat
✨My Mine✨
Yeah... yeah... yeah!
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time tried to forget you,
Thought I could get you to be mine.
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time I can't forget to,
Try to forget you in my mine
Pretend to not have the patience,
Pretending there is enough time for waiting,
Remembering when we kept it a basic,
I wanna go back so that I could taste it
What do I care for?
You were not there anymore
I was not careful,
That is all your fault,
You let me fall
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time tried to forget you,
Thought I could get you to be mine.
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time I can't forget to,
Try to forget you in my mine
Buried alive here inside a nightmare,
Living a life where you're gone,
There is no light here,
It will be light-years until my mind's clear.
I did it all for love,
I did it all
I'd trade it all for you
I'd trade it all
But what do I care for?
What are you here for?
If you're not there when I call?
I was not careful,
And that's all your fault,
You let me fall
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time tried to forget you,
Thought I could get you to be mine.
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time I can't forget to,
Try to forget you in my mine
This ain't how it was supposed to be,
You and me supposed to be,
Remember when it be just you and me in your crib smoking trees
Like it's in control of me,
You had a hold on me,
Had me so gone baby,
Yeah, you had me giving me all of me
Now it's all over, it's all done
Shouldn't have told ya, you're the one
I'll be all right,
I will be just fine
I'll be OK,
Once you get out my mind
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time tried to forget you,
Thought I could get you to be mine.
Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine,
All of the time I can't forget to,
Try to forget you in my mine
@lizzy6847
usually artists get better over time but she was better since the beginning 😭😩
@Tinker-xr1gi
Right and you can see the growth from this to Chilombo toooo 🥺❤️
@pbrinrini2894
Fr✨
@liyahli3638
Yess
@dajanaejackson9787
Completely agree, I miss the old Jhene though 😔.
@rubyortiz400
💯
@2012NuLife
Damn this track is 10 years old already. This is that classic Jhene'
@aestheticgul5539
Is this old music?
@2012NuLife
@@aestheticgul5539 Yes this is 10 years old like I said 😆
@setapartmindset8859
Damn, seriously? 0.o Time flies