The Untold Truth Of Jhene Aiko
While R&B singer Jhené Aiko has certainly not been flying under the radar, she made headlines yet again when it was announced that she would be hosting the 63rd Annual Grammy's Premiere Ceremony, set for March 14, 2021.
But that's not all. As reported by Billboard, not only is the music artist hosting the pre-Grammys show, but she's also nominated for not one, not two, but THREE awards including Album of the Year for her 2020 release Chilombo, plus noms for Best Progressive R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for her song "Lightning & Thunder", a collaboration with music icon John Legend. To put it simply, while everyone else was binging Tiger King and baking banana bread, Aiko was BUSY!
With all the attention surrounding her highly publicized hosting gig, many are left simply wanting to know more about the beautiful singer. Keep reading after the jump to learn five interesting facts about the celeb!
Jhené Aiko wrote a beautiful and tragic song for her brother
Jhené Aiko hails from a rather large family.
As reported by People, Aiko is the youngest of five children born to her parents, Kiramo and Christina Chilombo. While her father worked outside of the home as a pediatrician, her mother focused her efforts on raising her children and maintaining the home. Aiko's siblings include a brother named Jahi, and two sisters Jamila and Miyoko.
Tragically, her other brother, Miyagi, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010 and died just two years later. When asked about the impact the loss had on her, Aiko revealed that she was "in limbo," dealing with the aftermath of the loss while experiencing a surge in her career simultaneously. "On one hand, I got to do so many things. But on the other, my brother, who I was the closest person to, wasn't there to experience it with me," she explained. "He would've been on tour with me. He probably would've been DJing my sets. Mentally, I was lost."
Ultimately, however, Aiko found a way to channel her pain into a purpose. Prior to her brother's passing, Aiko was able to convey her love of her brother through a song she wrote for him titled "For My Brother." According to Aiko, that song was playing when Miyagi took his final breath.
Jhené Aiko's daughter helped inspire her music career
It's no secret that Jhené Aiko has a very impressive resume, but perhaps her biggest role is that of "mom."
As reported by People, Aiko shares a daughter, Namiko Love, with R&B singer O'Ryan. She was 20 years old at the time of Namiko's birth, and though her relationship with O'Ryan didn't work out, she dove headfirst into motherhood.
During an exclusive interview, the single mother explained that after she had her daughter it was very important that she establish a solid career for herself. "I had to be responsible. I had to wake up and feed her, and I had to work," Aiko expressed. Make no mistake about it — Aiko grinded for years to get to the top. "I started going on GarageBand and making little songs for MySpace," she revealed. "At the time, I was renting a room from my friend's mom's house. It was this little tiny room. I'd put on something for Namiko to watch, Yo Gabba Gabba!, and then I would turn it down and I would be on my computer, singing quietly. I was so used to recording while she's asleep, that's my style now."
Successful singer and songwriter... check! Super mom... check! Is there anything this woman can't do?
When it comes to tattoos, Jhené Aiko is a fanatic
It probably comes as no surprise that singer and songwriter Jhené Aiko is a sucker for some good ink! After one look at Aiko, it's plain to see that she loves beautiful body art. It may, however, come as a surprise to know just how many tattoos the music artist has.
According to Body Art Guru, the celeb has at least 15 tattoos. But perhaps, the most famous ink she has (or past tense had, rather) is the one of her reported on-again-off-again boyfriend, Big Sean. Aiko made headlines when she opted to have the rapper's portrait tattooed on her left bicep, per The Source. In the tattoo, her love interest donned a tuxedo and bowtie.
Aiko made even bigger headlines when she started to cover up the tattoo, sparking rumors that the famous couple had called it quits. According to E! News, when asked why she opted to cover Big Sean's face with a dragon she quipped back, "Don't let this distract you from the fact that i also covered my buddha and Bible verse... but still love and respect Buddha AND Jesus lol. have a good day, kids."
Maybe it's really not that deep, after all.
Jhené Aiko's relationship with Big Sean has been full of ups and downs
Speaking of Big Sean... Some fans believe that Jhené Aiko has some explaining to do regarding the mysterious relationship with the famous rapper.
According to Billboard, sparks first started flying between the pair while they collaborated on songs "Beware" and "I'm Gonna Be" in 2013. There was only one caveat: Aiko was in a relationship with someone else at the time. Though Aiko did eventually ditch the boyfriend, Sean went on to date Naya Rivera and Ariana Grande, and it wouldn't be until years later that he and Aiko officially became an item.
Unfortunately, per Elite Daily, after three years of dating, it was rumored that the couple called it quits in March of 2019. But not for long: it appears that the couple reunited in late 2019. While both parties remain fairly mum about their relationship status, the many Instagram pics they post together suggest that they are indeed an item. During a February 2020 interview with Essence, the singer alluded to her relationship with the rapper. And in March of 2020, Big Sean took to Instagram to wish Aiko a happy birthday. "Always proud but never surprised cause I know how great you are at everything you do," he gushed. "Even tho we gotta be inside n quarantine, you even make that sound good. I Love you from da past life to the next."
Is this the part where we start singing Sean and Jhene sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...?
Jhené Aiko said she "didn't really know" her husband
But enough about Big Sean. Let's not forget about Jhené Aiko's brief marriage to Dot Da Genius in 2014.
As it turns out, the marriage was so short and sweet that Aiko claims that she didn't even know the man she married. During an interview with Essence, Aiko opened up about her decision to marry the record producer in Las Vegas after only knowing each other for two months. "We never moved in together. That's why when people were like, 'Oh, you left your husband.' I'm like, honestly, Sean is more of a husband as my friend," Aiko revealed. "I didn't really know him...I found out he had a girlfriend the whole time. It was crazy."
The marriage did end up giving her some material, however. It's reported that the song "Never Call Me" was an ode to her divorce. The song famously includes the lyrics: "So let's stop pretending like we were in love. We never shared anything but the drugs. We were both numb, never had anything real between us." YIKES.