Biography
Who is Jhené Aiko?
Early life and real name
Jhené Aiko was born Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo on March 16, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Christina Yamamoto and pediatrician Karamo Chilombo. She grew up with several siblings in South Los Angeles before moving near Slauson Avenue, where she was homeschooled until high school.
Her mother has Spanish, Dominican, and Japanese roots. Her father has Native American, African-American, and German-Jewish heritage. She took vocal lessons in Culver City during her youth.
Music career beginnings
Jhené Aiko began her career in 2002 by providing vocals for several releases by the R&B group B2K. She also appeared in music videos for artists like O'Ryan and P.Y.T. During this period, record labels marketed her as the cousin of B2K member Lil' Fizz to help build her audience, though they were not actually related.
She planned to release her debut album through Sony, The Ultimate Group, and Epic Records, but shelved the project due to label tension. She then stepped away from the music industry to focus on her education.
Return to music and breakthrough
Jhené Aiko returned to music by releasing her first mixtape titled Sailing Soul(s) in March 2011. She wrote nearly all the songs on the project, which featured guest appearances from artists like Drake and Kanye West. She later signed a recording contract with producer No I.D.'s ARTium Recordings through Def Jam Recordings.
In 2013, she gained mainstream attention with her guest performance on Big Sean's single Beware, which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Later that year, she released her debut extended play, Sail Out, which included singles like 3:16AM and The Worst. The latter received a quintuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Studio albums and success
Jhené Aiko released her debut studio album, Souled Out, in September 2014. She followed this with her second studio album, Trip, in 2017. Her third studio album, Chilombo, arrived in 2020 and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
The album Chilombo earned her three Grammy Award nominations, including a nomination for Album of the Year. Throughout her career, she has also collaborated with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, and The Weeknd.
Birthday and age
Jhené Aiko was born on March 16, 1988, which makes Jhené 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Jhené shares the date with 26 other famous people.
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