She dropped her debut album, Souled Out, in 2014, but Jhene Aiko has actually been part of the music industry since the early 00s. That's when she was hired to co-write songs for the former R&B group, B2K. Her association with the group landed the singer her first record deal, but Jhene ended up walking away when music execs attempted to change her image and sound.
Instead, Jhene, who is currently dating rapper, Big Sean, went back to school before eventually deciding to put out her highly-acclaimed 2011 mixtape, Sailing Soul. It gained the attention of music producer, No I.D., who would sign Aiko to his ARTium record label.
While she tries to keep much of her private life out of the spotlight, there are some things about Jhene that have surfaced during her rise to fame. Here’s a list of not-so-known facts about one of the biggest R&B singers.
12 Tupac Is Her Biggest Influence
While this might surprise people, Jhene Aiko has made it no secret that the late rapper, Tupac Shakur, continues to be one of her biggest influences. In the past, she’s credited the ‘Changes’ rapper with helping her learn to voice her opinions, whether people agree with her or not.
11 She Provided Vocals For B2K
Jhene got her start in the music industry when she started providing vocals for the former R&B group, B2K. She’s featured on a handful of songs on the group’s remix album and even attended red carpet events with them, in the hopes that her public association with B2K would propel her solo career.
10 She’s Been Longtime Friends With Lil Fizz
Jhene has been friends with Lil Fizz since her teenage years, so when she was on the come-up to launch her own music career, Sony and Epic marketed her as the cousin of the B2K singer, as a marketing tool to attract more fans. It was years later before Jhene would admit that she’s not biologically related to Fizz.
9 She Was First Signed To Epic Records
Her first record deal came with Epic, and that label was determined to make a star out of Jhene Aiko. However, following a number of differences about her image and the music she wanted to make, the singer decided to leave the record company. It was a bold move, considering she hadn’t even dropped her debut album yet.
8 After Leaving The Label, She Returned To School
When things weren’t going as great as she had expected with Epic Records, Jhene decided to walk away and focus her attention elsewhere. Given that she was still very young, she decided that the best way forward was to return to school, and that’s exactly what she ended up doing.
7 She Recorded A Song For Her Late Brother
In July 2012, Jhene’s brother, Miyagi Cholombo, died from brain cancer, which would inspire the songstress to pen a tribute song titled, ‘For My Brother.’ She initially didn’t plan to release the track publicly, but following his death, Jhene felt that many people could identify with the words in the song, consequently resulting to a public release.
6 She Was In A Relationship With R&B Singer, O’Ryan
Jhene started dating R&B singer, O’Ryan, in 2005, shortly after she appeared in his music video for ‘Take It Slow.’ The pair were together for three years and went on to welcome a daughter named Namiko Love Browner. Aiko was just 20 years old when she gave birth to her child.
5 She Quit Vocal Lessons After Learning She Was Pregnant
Before she found out about her pregnancy, Aiko had been attending vocal lessons while studying at West Los Angeles College, She was gearing up to finally commence work on her debut album. Those plans were pushed back following the life-changing news about her bun in the oven.
4 She Landed A New Deal With Artium Records
In 2012, after having teased the public with her ‘Sailing Soul(s)’ mixtape just one year prior, Jhene got the attention of famous music producer, No I.D., who ended up signing the ‘Sativa’ singer to his Artium Records imprint, through Def Jam. This meant that Jhene would finally get the chance to put out her first project, with the backing of a major label.
3 She Was Told To Change Her Image When Approaching Labels
When Jhene was going around to meetings in the hopes of landing her next record label, she was often told that the image and sound she wanted to make wouldn’t stand a chance of being commercially successful. It was almost as if the labels were hoping to turn Jhene into Beyoncé, and that simply wasn’t going to happen for her.
2 She Was Married For A Few Months
In March 2016, it was rumored that Jhene Aiko had tied the knot with her former husband, DJ/record producer, Oladipo “Dot da Genius” Omishore. The news was confirmed when Omishore took to Instagram and gushed about his “wife” in an endearing post on her birthday. He wrote: “Happy Birthday to my gorgeous wife. Happy to be on this quest w/ you!!!”
1 Her Siblings Also Work In The Music Industry
Jhene comes from a talented family. She has five sisters and two brothers - with the inclusion of her late sibling, Miyagi. Her sister, Miyoko, was part of the popular girl band, Gyrl, while her other sister, Mila J, is an R&B singer who has worked with the likes of Ty Dolla $ign and Timbaland.