Jhene Aiko Efuru Chilombo or simply Jhene Aiko was born on March 16, 1988 in Los Angeles, where she's also raised in a music-loving family. She started her career in early 2000s, appearing in several music videos and contributing vocals for R&B group B2K, her then-labelmates on Epic. in 2003, she planned to release a debut album "My Name Is Jhene" through the label, but it was eventually shelved. She later demanded to be released from the label to finish her education. In 2011, she returned to the music scene with a mixtape called "Sailing Soul" that was entirely written by Aiko herself and featured collaborations with Drake, Gucci Mane and Kanye West.

In 2012, she's signed to Def Jam through No I.D.'s ARTium imprint and released the single "3:16AM". In 2013, she began to shine brighter. She's featured on Big Sean's Top 40 hit "Beware" and teamed up with Drake for an appearance on his highly-anticipated album "Nothing Was the Same". Critics praised her performance with Drake and she quickly became a household name.

Later in the year, she released her debut EP "Sail Out" that spawned hits "Bed Peace" (featuring Childish Gambino) and "The Worst". She followed up the project with a full-length, her first proper album, titled "Souled Out" that debuted at No. 3 on Billboard 200 following its release in early September 2014.