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.
Stay Ready
Jhené Aiko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Any other instant
Here in this dimension
You and I are meant to be
I have waited lifetimes to find you
Now that you're here
I can remind you
Of the things you've been dreamin'
I promise you
If you just give me 24
Man, all I need is 24 hours
I promise you'll want plenty more
You'll probably be with it forever
So how does it sound
Us on the ground
Giving you my love?
There's no place quite like here
There's no better time than now
You gotta stay ready
There's no place quite like here
There's no better time than now
That's why I stay ready
Tell me find your spot with the warning that I might slip
And when you climb on top that's the ultimate road trip
Ride on me like your Pac got me thinkin' it's 96'
I can rap on some nineties shit, wrap your leggings around my hip
I'm so hip to it tourists want to come speculate
But if I stay monogamous promise this kiss will always taste like candy
And yeah, it's obvious mama now probably can't stand me
I'm sure they're tired of this look that you have when you're antsy
We gon' fuck around (mm) we gon' fuck around
And triple through triplets of babies right now
And that might break the record and no, that don't mean you're fertile
That means we're fucking reckless, plus we don't use protection
I find myself reading old text messages when I'm bored
We find ourselves sexting 'til that connection is restored
I know that sounds immature, but if we never grow up
Then I'm wishing good luck on the seas that's inside this wall
Come to me
Come, come to me
Look at what you've done to me
You put a gun to me
Then you brought the sun to me
Shine like blood diamonds
Learning to have patience
Only 'cause you are timeless
The universe energy doesn't lie
And this chemistry is infinity at a million
Times
I wrote a million rhymes to scrabble your
Star power
And after 24 bars, you get 24 hours
There's no place quite like here
There's no better time than now
You gotta stay ready, yeah
There's no place quite like here
There's no better time than now
That's why I stay ready
All that I know is right now
Nothing's for sure but, right now
Gotta get yours like, right now
Like, right now
All that I know is right now
Nothing's for sure but, right now
Gotta get yours like, right now
Like, right now
I been through some shit man
But I be on my shit man
I decided
That what you give
Is what you're given
So I been tryna do it right
I been doin' like
Whatever gets me through the night
What a life
I'm steady always on the go
You steady always on the go
We steady losin' all control
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
They say the truth ain't pretty
But comin' from that pretty mouth
The truth is fitting
'Cause you ain't never talkin' loud
And you know plenty
You know what I'm talkin' bout
'Cause you just get me
Yeah, you so pretty
If everything is dipped in gold
Then baby, it will never grow
Everything sweet ain't sugar coated
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life that I've been given
What a life
What a life that I've been living
What a life
What a life we die to live in
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
The song Stay Ready by Jhené Aiko is all about two people who are meant to be together in this dimension. The singer tells her lover that she had waited for lifetimes to find him and now that he is with her, she is going to remind him of all the things he has been dreaming about. She promises him that if he just gives her 24 hours, he'll want plenty more and they will be together forever. The chorus suggests that there's no better place or time than now to be together, and they have to stay ready for it. The second verse finds the two lovers in a moment of passion where they're making love like it's the '90s. They're so into each other that they don't even need protection. The lyrics are focused on living in the moment and enjoying love with a focus on the present time.
The lyrics also suggest that this is not just a physical relationship but a spiritual one. The singer associates herself with the universe energy that doesn't lie and claims that the chemistry between them is infinite at a million times. She's also got a sense of reality that everything isn't always perfect and that they must be prepared for what's yet to come. The song is about appreciating what they have right now and being prepared for whatever the future may bring.
In summary, Stay Ready is a song about appreciating what one has right now and being ready to deal with life's changes. It's about living in the moment and being fully present, so nothing passes them by. It’s about the love and the chemistry between two people who are meant to be together and enjoying it to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
We do not exist in
We don't exist in any other dimension than the current one
Any other instant
We don't exist in any other time than the current moment
Here in this dimension
We only exist in this specific dimension
You and I are meant to be
You and I are destined to be together
I have waited lifetimes to find you
It took me multiple lifetimes to find the person I've been searching for
Now that you're here
Now that I've found you
I can remind you
I can help you remember
Of the things you've been dreamin'
Of the dreams you've had that may have faded away
Times two
With twice the intensity
I promise you
I swear to you
If you just give me 24
If you give me 24 hours
Man, all I need is 24 hours
I only need 24 hours
I promise you'll want plenty more
After 24 hours, you'll want more of me
You'll probably be with it forever
You'll likely stay with me forever
So how does it sound
How does it seem to you
Us on the ground
Us together, in a grounded state
Giving you my love?
Expressing my love to you
There's no place quite like here
There is nowhere else like this moment
There's no better time than now
This moment is the best time
You gotta stay ready
You must be prepared
Tell me find your spot with the warning that I might slip
Tell me to find your spot with the knowledge that I may make mistakes
And when you climb on top that's the ultimate road trip
And when you're on top, it'll be an amazing journey
Ride on my like your Pac got me thinkin' it's 96'
Ride me like you're Tupac, which makes me feel like it's the 90s
I can rap on some nineties shit, wrap your leggings around my hip
I can rap on 90s songs, while you wrap your leggings around my hip
I'm so hip to it tourists want to come speculate
I'm knowledgeable about something that tourists want to experience
But if I stay monogamous promise this kiss will always taste like candy
If I remain committed, I promise you the kisses will always be sweet
And yeah, it's obvious mama now probably can't stand me
And yeah, it's obvious that my mom probably hates me right now
I'm sure they're tired of this look that you have when you're antsy
I'm sure they're exhausted about that nervous expression you get
We gon' fuck around (mm) we gon' fuck around
We're going to mess around, we're going to mess around
And triple through triplets of babies right now
And conceive three sets of triplets right now
And that might break the record and no, that don't mean you're fertile
And it might set a record, but that doesn't mean you're able to bear children
That means we're fucking reckless, plus we don't use protection
That means we're being careless, and we're not using protection
I find myself reading old text messages when I'm bored
I read old messages when I'm bored
We find ourselves sexting 'til that connection is restored
We participate in sexting as a way to regain emotional and mental bond
I know that sounds immature, but if we never grow up
I know that sounds childish, but if we don't mature
Then I wish you good luck on the seas that's inside this wall
Then I wish you good luck navigating the emotional turmoil that comes with an unevolved relationship
Come to me
Come be with me
Come, come to me
Come and stay with me
Look at what you've done to me
Look at how you've affected me
You put a gun to me
Your impact on me is so intense, it feels like a weapon
Then you brought the sun to me
Yet, you also bring light to my life
Shine like blood diamonds
Shine as brightly as valuable, rare diamonds that were obtained through ethically questionable means
Learning to have patience
Learning how to have faith and wait
Only cause you are timeless
Becoming patient only because what we have is eternal
The universe energy doesn't lie
The energy of the universe is honest
And this chemistry is infinity at a million
And our connection is infinite and intense
Times
I wrote a million rhymes to scrabble your
I wrote a million songs to convey my feelings for you
Star power
The power of my love and attention for you
Now the 24 bars, you get 24 hours
Now I'm presenting 24 lines to you, and you have 24 hours to react
All that I know is right now
All that we have is this moment
Nothing's for sure but, right now
There is no certainty beyond the current time
Gotta get yours like, right now
You have to take what you want right now
I been through some shit man
I've had gone through a lot
But I be on my shit man
But I'm always moving forward despite the difficulties
I decided
I made a conscious choice
That what you give
That what you put into something
Is what you're given
Is what you get in return
So I been tryna do it right
So I've been trying to do everything right
I been doin' like
I've been doing everything in my power
Whatever gets me through the night
Whatever method helps me get by at night
What a life
This is what life is like for me
I'm steady always on the go
I'm always on the move
You steady always on the go
You're always on the move too
We steady losin' all control
As we continue to move forward, we're losing control
They say
People say
The truth ain't pretty
The truth isn't usually beautiful
But comin' from that pretty mouth
But coming from an attractive person
The truth is fitting
It's easier to accept the truth when it comes from an attractive source
'Cause you ain't never talkin' loud
Because you don't express yourself in a loud way
And you know plenty
But you're completely aware of what's going on
Yea you know what I'm talkin' bout
You know exactly what I'm trying to say
'Cause you just get me
Because you understand me the way I am
If everything is dipped in gold
If everything is coated in artificial, false beauty
Then baby it will never grow
Then it will never truly develop or flourish
Everything sweet ain't sugar coated
Everything delightful isn't always artificially enhanced
What a lie
This fake beauty is a lie
What a life
This is what my life is like
What a life that I've been given
This is the life I've been given
What a life
This is what my life is like
What a life that I been living
This is the life I've been leading
What a life
This is what my life is like
What a life we die to live in
This is the life that we die to experience
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Warfield, Mac Robinson, Jhene Aiko, Kendrick Duckworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nonnabarca3651
[Verse 4: Jhene Aiko]
They say
The truth ain't pretty
But coming from that pretty mouth
The truth is fitting
'Cause you ain't never talkin' loud
And you know plenty
Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' bout
'Cause you just get me
Yeah, you so pretty
If everything is dipped in gold
Then, baby, it will never grow
Everything sweet ain't sugar coated
fav
@fshzi
nah cause that 💘you so... pretty💘 always gets me
@mirahhyt7207
Fr😩
@rebekahsmith9466
So tru
@Genius-ix6ci
Time stamp?
@heriatarotag562
@@rebekahsmith9466 l poop poopoo oooo pool lol
@keyaTleane
Same!!!😫
@byebye7773
Used to be very insecure.. Hated the way i look, My weight, Always looked at the other girls my age. Just looking like wow. I’m really ugly.. Hearing this song made me happy, Confident also even put a smile on my face. Told me I don’t have to hold in my thoughts or my feelings. 💕💕 You all our queens and kings. Don’t let your mind control you,follow your heart. 💗💗
@melaxieee
I always felt the same but I just know your very beautiful ! EVERYONE is unique in their own way so remember your beautiful theirs nothing like YOU ! ❤️
@tracy414
ur still over weight
@skinth8969
@@tracy414 they are fine asf