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.
On the Way
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An angel walked up to my door
Opened the windows to my soul
Told me he thinks that I should know
There's no slowin' down
As the globe spins 'round and 'round
You gotta keep goin', better keep goin'
Gotta keep goin', you gotta keep goin'
You gotta keep goin', you better keep goin'
You gotta keep goin'
If there's one thing that I
Learned while in those county lines
Is that everything takes time
You have gotta lose your pride
You have gotta lose your mind
Just to find your peace of mind
You have gotta trust the signs
Everything will turn out fine
So why aren't you smilin'? Why aren't you smilin'?
Life can get wild when, you're caught in the whirlwind
Lost in the whirlwind, you're chasin' the wind
You gotta understand
There's really no end, there's really no beginnin'
There's really no real, there's really no pretendin'
There's really no fail, there's really no winnin'
'Cause nothin' really is, and everything really isn't
At forty-four minutes to four
An angel walked up to my door
Opened the windows to my soul
Told me he thinks that I should know
That life only gets harder but you gotta get stronger
This is for my brother, I do this for my daughter
That's why I keep goin', that's why I keep goin'
That's why I keep goin'
That's why I keep goin', I gotta keep goin'
I gotta keep goin', I gotta keep goin'
I gotta keep goin', gotta keep goin'
Gotta keep goin', oh
And I gotta show them that I can keep goin'
Ohh
I
I gotta keep goin', I gotta keep goin'
I gotta keep goin'
Why aren't you smilin'? Why aren't you smilin'?
Life can get wild when, you caught in the whirlwind
Lost in the whirlwind, you're chasin' the wind
You gotta understand
There's really no end, there's really no beginnin'
There's really no real, there's really no pretendin'
There's really no fail, there's really no winnin'
'Cause nothin' really is and everything really isn't
That's why I keep goin'
The song "W.A.Y.S" by Jhené Aiko is an inspirational ballad about the need to keep moving forward, even when life gets tough. The song begins with Aiko receiving a visit from an angel at forty-four minutes to four. This angel opens the windows to Aiko's soul and tells her that there's no slowing down as the world keeps spinning. In order to keep going, Aiko needs to trust the signs, lose her pride and mind, and learn that everything takes time. The chorus emphasizes the need to keep moving forward and to keep going, even when life gets tough.
Aiko then reflects on her experiences in jail and how she learned that life only gets harder, but you have to get stronger. She dedicates the song to her brother and daughter and uses her experiences as motivation to keep going. The song ends with Aiko questioning why people aren't smiling and emphasizing that life can get wild, but there's really no end, beginning, real or pretend, fail or winning. The song is ultimately about the need to keep pushing forward, even when faced with adversity, to find peace of mind and reach your goals.
Line by Line Meaning
At forty-four minutes to four
At a very specific time, just before 4:00, something significant occurred.
An angel walked up to my door
Something unexpected, perhaps divine intervention, happened.
Opened the windows to my soul
This event allowed the singer to truly see and understand themselves.
Told me he thinks that I should know
The stranger came with a message that was meant for the artist specifically.
There's no slowin' down
Life is constantly moving forward, and it's important to keep up.
As the globe spins 'round and 'round
The world keeps turning, and time keeps passing - with or without you.
Better keep goin', you gotta keep goin'
It's important to keep pushing forward, even when things get tough.
If there's one thing that I
The artist is speaking from personal experience.
Learned while in those county lines
This lesson was learned during a difficult time or in a challenging environment.
Is that everything takes time
Patience is necessary in achieving any goal.
You have gotta lose your pride
Sometimes, ego can get in the way of progress and must be put aside.
You have gotta lose your mind
Overthinking or letting emotions cloud judgement must be avoided.
Just to find your peace of mind
Finding inner peace requires adjustment or transformation of thinking and priorities.
You have gotta trust the signs
Trusting intuition or inner guidance is important to progress towards a goal.
Everything will turn out fine
Having faith in the journey will ultimately lead to a positive outcome.
Life can get wild when, you're caught in the whirlwind
Life can be chaotic and unpredictable when one is caught up in the fast pace of daily life.
Why aren't you smilin'?
The artist is questioning why someone isn't happy, despite the unpredictable nature of life.
You gotta understand
The singer is urging for comprehension and empathy towards the challenges of life.
There's really no end, there's really no beginnin'
Life is an ongoing process without clear-cut definitions of absolute start or finish.
There's really no real, there's really no pretendin'
The artist questions what is truly real or imagined, as perspective and interpretation can vary.
That's why I keep goin'
The artist reiterates the importance of perseverance and resilience under tough circumstances.
This is for my brother, I do this for my daughter
The artist has motivations to keep going beyond personal fulfillment, for the sake of loved ones.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Warfield, Mac Robinson, Michael Volpe, Stephen Bruner, Jhene Aiko Chilombo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dalovelyangelcakes
We need a Whole Album just Mila J & Jhené Aiko that shit would be 🔥🔥🔥
@TaylorPlays_
EXACTLY! at least an EP 🥺
@lovelyscorp79
On some water sign sister shit. My gawd litty!!!!
Scorpio libra pisces gang!
@luckap79
I love both ✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽👍🏽
@Meshaalex5958
Mila j and her are sisters
@asiamarie7279
Yess we dooo
@poeticverses3790
She makes freaky so calming and innocent
@honeysweetsleeps1267
Anything in divine harmony IS 😉
@Saran2701
LMAO
@jbell7105
Lmaoooo