Jhené Aiko’s Evolution From Working with B2K to R&B Superstardom — The Culture Crypt
Niall Smith
From her start in music in the early 2000s to her dominance over modern R&amp;B, this is Jhené Aiko's story.
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The Culture Crypt
Jhené Aiko has reached R&B superstardom since breaking into the mainstream in 2011 with her Sailing Soul(s) mixtape. She’s been on chart-topping singles like Omarion’s ‘Post to Be’ as well as ‘Eternal Sunshine’ and ‘The Worst’.

Aiko also cites Sade, Kid Cudi, TLC, Lil Kim and John Mayer as inspiration. Along with PartyNextDoor and The Weeknd, she helped usher in the modern alternative R&B sound into mainstream music.

When Aiko emerged in the early 2010s, this wasn’t her first attempt at her music career. In 2002, she was an associated act and friend of R&B/pop group B2K.

She was falsely positioned as group member Lil’ Fizz’s cousin for marketing purposes. Throughout her early career, she managed to land songs and features on The Proud Family, Barbershop and You Got Served soundtracks.

Aiko also had a dozen songs on the B2K remix album and their platinum-selling second album ‘Pandemonium’. Aiko also fronted her own solo track called ‘Dog’ to close the album.

After the industry hype, Jhené’s then-official website announced her album ‘My Name Is Jhené’ in 2002. The album was supported by the single ‘No L.O.V.E’. The LP suffered multiple delays from 2002 to 2004.

Due to, due to label tension with Epic and TUG Records, the album ultimately was shelved.

My Name is Jhené was one of the many TUG albums that were shelved along with her sister Mila J’s ‘Spit Personality’ in late 2006. Fortunately, both Aiko and Mila J’s TUG-era music has leaked or been released over the years.

A then-teenage Aiko decided to go back to education. Aiko returned to music in 2007 on MySpace.

On September 9, 2014, Aiko released her commercial debut album ‘Souled Out’ Sonically, the record incorporated psychedelic music, alternative R&B, neo-soul and hip-hop seamlessly. A bulk of the production on the LP was handled by No I.D.

Aiko followed up with a collaboration with her partner ‘Twenty88’ in 2016 and her second album ‘Trip’ in 2017.