Jhené Aiko

Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo (born March 16, 1988) is an American R&B singer and rapper known for her ethereal voice, introspective songwriting, and genre-blending musical style. She began her career in the early 2000s, contributing vocals to several releases by the boy band B2K and appearing in their music videos. In 2002, she was signed to The Ultimate Group and Epic Records, where she was marketed as the “cousin” of B2K member Lil' Fizz—a claim used as a promotional tool despite the two not being biologically related.

Though a debut album titled My Name Is Jhené was planned for release in 2003, label conflicts and a personal decision to focus on her education led Aiko to part ways with the label before the album could be released. During this period, she also contributed songs to several movie soundtracks, including Barbershop, The Master of Disguise, and You Got Served.

After a hiatus, Aiko re-emerged in 2011 with the critically acclaimed mixtape Sailing Soul(s), marking her independent artistic rebirth. That same year, she signed to ARTium Recordings, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings helmed by producer No I.D. Her mainstream breakthrough came in 2013 when she was featured on Big Sean’s hit single “Beware” alongside Lil Wayne. Later that year, Aiko released her debut EP, Sail Out, which featured standout singles such as “3:16AM,” “Bed Peace” (featuring Childish Gambino), and “The Worst”—the latter of which was certified five times platinum by the RIAA.

Her debut studio album, Souled Out, was released in 2014 to widespread critical and commercial success. She followed it with Trip in 2017 and Chilombo in 2020, the latter peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 and earning her three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Album of the Year.

With a career marked by resilience, authenticity, and emotional depth, Jhené Aiko has become a defining voice in modern R&B, blending vulnerability with strength in her music while consistently evolving as an artist.