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.
Nobody
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't get by on minimum wage (no)
Been dealing with this venomous rage
Since I was under the age
I've been under the influence of pain
And I never needed nobody
Never needed no one
I don't need no one, shit, I don't need no one
Fucking up my chakras again
My father is a doctor, I've been talking to him
All the shit I'm taking, coulda got it from him
I don't have no patience, prolly got it from him
Just a product of him
Pop one, pop two, pop three, four pills
These pains tell me how life should feel
Fuck yeah, fuck you, it's my free will
So please don't tell me to chill
'Cause I don't need nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
No, I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
No one ever listened, no one called me pretty
Everybody called me Penny, I think I am worthless
I don't have a purpose
Who am I enough for?
Why we always lose what we work for?
Why we hurt more?
Why we never see my mother cry?
She's so tough for us, poor her
She don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
She don't need no one, she don't need no one
So I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
I don't need
(Take this) grab my purse with my prescriptions in it
(Take this) tiny bursts of optimism in them
(Take this) I'm reversing my decision to win
(Take this) take this, take this, take
(Take this) back to '88 when everything was great
Then life had just begun
(Take this) it is '89 now, everything is fine now
I am only one
(Take this) wait for the 2000 and summer
I'ma be a mother, wow
(Take this) 2000 'til summer, it just got tougher
I don't have my brother now
Take this, take six, take pics, faces, famous
Face it, fake shit, pain is faithless
Yes, I am aware I am tripping
I'm here in this hell that I don't wanna live in
I smoke on my own, I drink on my own
I know it's wrong
The people I know, they just wanna know what's going on
I can't tell a soul, no, I can't tell no one
Don't need nothing from no one
No, I don't need nobody
But you're not alone, you got me
Look, I know what'll make you feel better
Here, try this
The opening lines of "Nobody" by Jhené Aiko highlight the struggle to earn attention in society. She describes how attention is expensive, and she cannot afford to pay it because minimum wage is insufficient, and she has been dealing with pain and anger since she was young. She then asserts that she has never needed anyone, and she does not need anyone now. She believes that the pills she takes reflect the pains she experiences in life, and she exercises her free will to take them. At the same time, she wonders why she feels so worthless and finds no purpose and calls on the wonders of the world that make everything great, but she struggles with living in hellish circumstances.
Furthermore, Jhené Aiko explains how her mother is tough, and despite her being a pillar of support, she does not need anyone. The narrative here is to discover the reasons behind her mother's strength, which allows her to be so sturdy and not require anyone. Even though Jhené Aiko feels all alone in her pain, she acknowledges that she has a confidante in the form of someone who cares for her. In the end, she offers a solution to the pain she feels, with the offer of a pill, she wants the person to try, believing that it will make them feel better.
Line by Line Meaning
Attention is expensive to pay
It takes a lot of effort to focus on something.
I can't get by on minimum wage (no)
I cannot survive on the minimum amount of money I earn from my job.
Been dealing with this venomous rage
I have been struggling with intense feelings of anger.
Since I was under the age
I have been experiencing this rage since I was young.
I've been under the influence of pain
Pain has had a significant impact on my life.
And I never needed nobody
I never needed anyone's help or support.
Never needed no one
I never needed anyone's help or support (double negative for emphasis).
No, I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
No, I don't need anyone's help or support (repeated for emphasis).
I don't need no one, shit, I don't need no one
I don't need anyone's help or support (double negative for emphasis).
Fucking up my chakras again
My energy centers are disrupted and imbalanced again.
My father is a doctor, I've been talking to him
I have been discussing my problems with my father who is a doctor.
All the shit I'm taking, coulda got it from him
The medication I am taking could have been prescribed by my father.
I don't have no patience, prolly got it from him
I am not very patient and I might have inherited this trait from my father.
Just a product of him
I am a result of my father's genetics and upbringing.
Pop one, pop two, pop three, four pills
I am taking multiple pills, possibly for pain relief or to alter my mood.
These pains tell me how life should feel
The pain I feel is shaping my outlook on life.
Fuck yeah, fuck you, it's my free will
I am defiant and will not let anyone control me, it is my choice.
So please don't tell me to chill
Please don't tell me to relax or calm down.
No one ever listened, no one called me pretty
No one paid attention to me or gave me compliments.
Everybody called me Penny, I think I am worthless
Everyone referred to me by a nickname and I feel that I am not valued.
I don't have a purpose
I don't have a clear reason or direction in life.
Who am I enough for?
I am unsure who I am trying to please in life.
Why we always lose what we work for?
Why do we seem to always lose what we have worked hard for in life?
Why we hurt more?
Why do we experience more pain than joy in life?
Why we never see my mother cry?
Why don't we see our mother express her emotions or vulnerabilities?
She's so tough for us, poor her
Our mother is trying to be strong for us, but we feel sorry for her.
She don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
Our mother doesn't need anyone's help or support.
She don't need no one, she don't need no one
Our mother doesn't need anyone's help or support (double negative for emphasis).
So I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
So I also don't need anyone's help or support (repeated for emphasis).
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
I don't need anyone's help or support (double negative for emphasis).
Take this, grab my purse with my prescriptions in it
Take my purse and the medication inside it.
Take this, tiny bursts of optimism in them
Take these pills that contain small moments of hope and positivity.
Take this, I'm reversing my decision to win
Take these pills that will help me change my mindset and make better choices.
Take this, take this, take
Take these pills.
Take this, back to '88 when everything was great
Take these pills that will help me remember a time when things were good.
Then life had just begun
This was a time when my life was just starting to take shape.
Take this, it is '89 now, everything is fine now
Take these pills to help me see that everything is okay now.
I am only one
I am just one person trying to navigate life.
Take this, wait for the 2000 and summer
Take these pills and wait for the year 2000 and the summer season.
I'ma be a mother, wow
I will become a mother soon, which is surprising and exciting.
Take this, 2000 'til summer, it just got tougher
Take these pills to help me cope with the challenges that arose between 2000 and the summer season.
I don't have my brother now
My brother is no longer with me.
Take this, take six, take pics, faces, famous
Take these pills, take six of them, and take pictures of people who are famous or familiar to me.
Face it, fake shit, pain is faithless
Acknowledge the reality of fake behavior and that pain can make it difficult to believe in anything.
Yes, I am aware I am tripping
I am aware that I am not thinking clearly or logically.
I'm here in this hell that I don't wanna live in
I am currently living in a difficult or painful situation that I wish to escape.
I smoke on my own, I drink on my own
I smoke and drink alone, possibly as a way to cope with my problems.
I know it's wrong
I understand that my smoking and drinking habits are harmful and not healthy.
The people I know, they just wanna know what's going on
The people in my life are curious about my situation and problems.
I can't tell a soul, no, I can't tell no one
I cannot confide in anyone or share my feelings.
Don't need nothing from no one
I don't need anything from anyone (double negative for emphasis).
No, I don't need nobody
No, I don't need anyone's help or support.
But you're not alone, you got me
Even though you feel alone, you do have me for support and care.
Look, I know what'll make you feel better
I have a solution that can help improve your mood or situation.
Here, try this
Here, try this pill or solution.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jhene Aiko Chilombo, Brian Warfield, Maclean Robinson, Oladipo Omishore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amelianwuzor3823
Attention is expensive to pay
I can't get by on minimum wage
Been dealing with this venomous rage
Since I was under the age
I've been under the influence of pain
[Chorus]
And I never needed nobody
Never needed no one
No, I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, shit, I don't need no one
[Verse 2]
Fucking up my chakras again
My father is a doctor, I've been talking to him
All the shit I'm taking, could've got it from him
I don't have no patience, prolly got it from him
Just a product of him
Pop one, pop two, pop three, four pills
These things tell me how life should feel
Fuck yeah, fuck you, it's my free will
Please don't tell me to chill
[Chorus]
'Cause I don't need nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
No, I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
[Verse 3]
No one ever listened, no one called me pretty
Grampy called me Penny, I think I am worthless
I don't have a purpose
Who am I enough for?
Why we always lose what we work for?
Why we hurt more?
Why we never see my mother cry?
She's so tough for us, poor her
[Chorus]
She don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
She don't need no one, she don't need no one
So I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
I don't need
[Verse 4]
(Take this) grab my purse with my prescriptions in it
(Take this) tiny bursts of optimism in them
(Take this) I'm reversing my decision to win
(Take this) take this, take this, take
(Take this) back to '88 when everything was great
Then life had just begun
(Take this) it is '89 now, everything is fine now
I am only one
(Take this) wait for the 2008 summer
I'ma be a mother, wow
(Take this) 2012 summer, it just got tougher
I don't have my brother now
Take this, take six, take pics, faces, famous
Face it, fake shit, pain is faithless
Yes, I am aware I am tripping
I'm here in this hell that I don't wanna live in
I smoke on my own, I drink on my own
I know it's wrong
To people I know, they just wanna know what's going on
I can't tell a soul, no, I can't tell no one
Don't need nothing from no one
No, I don't need nobody
Outro]
But you're not alone, you got me
Look, I know what'll make you feel better
Here, try this
@elenatheunicorn
Attention is expensive to pay
I can't get by on minimum wage (no)
Been dealing with this venomous rage
Since I was under the age
I've been under the influence of pain
And I never needed nobody
Never needed no one
No, I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, shit, I don't need no one
Fucking up my chakras again
My father is a doctor, I've been talking to him
All the shit I'm taking, coulda got it from him
I don't have no patience, prolly got it from him
Just a product of him
Pop one, pop two, pop three, four pills
These pains tell me how life should feel
Fuck yeah, fuck you, it's my free will
So please don't tell me to chill
'Cause I don't need nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
No, I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
No one ever listened, no one called me pretty
Everybody called me Penny, I think I am worthless
I don't have a purpose
Who am I enough for?
Why we always lose what we work for?
Why we hurt more?
Why we never see my mother cry?
She's so tough for us, poor her
She don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
She don't need no one, she don't need no one
So I don't need nobody, nobody, nobody
I don't need no one, I don't need no one
I don't need
grab my purse with my prescriptions in it
(Take this) tiny bursts of optimism in them
(Take this) I'm reversing my decision to win
(Take this) take this, take this, take
(Take this) back to '88 when everything was great
Then life had just begun
(Take this) it is '89 now, everything is fine now
I am only one
(Take this) wait for the 2000 and summer
I'ma be a mother, wow
(Take this) 2000 'til summer, it just got tougher
I don't have my brother now
Take this, take six, take pics, faces, famous
Face it, fake shit, pain is faithless
Yes, I am aware I am tripping
I'm here in this hell that I don't wanna live in
I smoke on my own, I drink on my own
I know it's wrong
The people I know, they just wanna know what's going on
I can't tell a soul, no, I can't tell no one
Don't need nothing from no one
No, I don't need nobody
But you're not alone, you got me
Look, I know what'll make you feel better
Here, try this
@jayro792
This song is the perfect example of being in a place where you do need help but people have let you down so much or dont really give a shit that you learn to rely on yourself because depending on someone else means problems and hurt
@ivanperez1853
i’m there right now , feel like im stuck in limbo with no where to go.
@1natalie_
100
@jayro792
@Ivan Perez i feel your pain. Im still there. Hope you were able to come out of that space
@sweetpeabeme
Great point
@ABitOf_Everything
Man .
Stuck
In this rut.
Probably time to see a therapist.
@lorainemzizi9661
"since I was under the age...I been under the influence of pain..." this line gets me every time
@jackieo.8719
Loraine Mzizi EVERYTIME , EVERYDAY that i listen .. i’ve never felt something as much as that line 🥺🤦🏾♀️
@Zakiya4321
Seriously
@keemydavis9909
Loraine Mzizi u and me both