Last night, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko turned heads at GQ’s “American Rodeo” Party at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles. Clad in a chic Chloe ensemble featuring a soft pink sheer outfit and thigh-high burgundy boots, Aiko flawlessly embraced the event’s Western theme. Hosted by GQ cover stars Dwayne Johnson, John Mulaney, and Pharrell Williams, the star-studded celebration included guests like Offset and Machine Gun Kelly, showcasing a blend of high fashion and Hollywood flair.
Jhene Aiko and Big Sean are one of the most low key celebrity couples of their generation. Both have amassed incredible success in the music industry, while at the same maintaining a private life with their son. It’s an ideal set up. That said, Aiko and Sean are still prone to gossip. The former was recently seen stepping out with a ring on her finger, which led to widespread speculation about her romantic status. It was suspected that Big Sean had proposed to the singer. Jhene Aiko decided to hop on Twitter to clarify what was going on, though.
A fan posted a TikTok of Jhene Aiko and Big Sean out on the town. A ring can clearly be spotted on her hand, which delighted fans. “Bullying works,” the fan wrote above the TikTok. The singer commented in a matter of minutes, however, to clarify the backstory of the ring. “The ring is from my stylist,” she stated. “It only fit on that finger. The more you know.” Jhene Aiko and Big Sean have been dating for eight years, which has led many fans to question why they aren’t already married. Sean actually spoke on the matter during the promotion of his last album, Better Me Than You.
The rapper gave fans a glimpse into his personal life during Charlamagne tha God’s Out of Context podcast. Big Sean was asked whether he and Jhene Aiko had secretly tied the knot under fans’ noses, but he made it clear that no such conspiracy exists. “[No] secret industry marriage,” Sean explained to fans. He did, however, provide some context as to the current state of his relationship with Aiko. “It’s a little personal, you know what I mean,” he admitted. “But just like to be real with you, just like any people who have dealt with love, we’ve had our ups and downs, you know what I’m saying? And I think it’s still finding the right navigation through it all.”
He assured the fans that he wants to marry Jhene Aiko, but that he’s not ready to take that step in his life. “I don’t like putting our personal business out there like that,” he added. “But there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.” Big Sean is, however, ready to collaborate with the mother of his child again. He told Complex that he wants to reunite with Jhene Aiko for a second TWENTY88 album. The first album dropped in 2016, and was warmly received by fans and critics.
Today, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg has released his latest single, Gorgeous, featuring Jhené Aiko, via Death Row, Aftermath, and Interscope. Produced by Dr. Dre, Blu2th, Preach Bal4, and FredWreck, Gorgeous ushers in a fresh chapter for Snoop, as he revealed plans for his new album Missionary—his first full album collaboration with Dr. Dre since 1993’s Doggystyle.
Set for a December 13 release, Missionary will highlight the enduring synergy between Snoop and Dr. Dre. It promises a lineup of powerhouse features, including Eminem, 50 Cent, Jelly Roll, Method Man, Sting, and even the late Tom Petty.
Snoop and Dre’s reunion marks a historic moment, reigniting their iconic partnership, which has left a lasting influence on hip-hop.
I can’t remember the last time that general audiences were as hyped for a new Snoop Dogg as they are for Missionary, Snoop’s long-awaited reunion with Dr. Dre and a spiritual sequel to his 1993 debut Doggystyle (if you couldn’t tell from the title). After announcing the release date a day ago and revealing the tracklist earlier today, Snoop and Dre unleashed the funky first single: “Gorgeous” featuring Jhené Aiko.
The song has a bit of a big-band funk feel, complete with brassy horn stabs and those classic, crispy Dr. Dre snares. Meanwhile, Snoop sounds refreshed and effervescent, neatly C-walking all over the glitzy production with his trademark player talk — or as he puts it, “I dealt with the cons and the pros / I mix Crip sh*t with the highs and the lows.” Aiko offers her honeyed vocals on the chorus, asking, “Don’t this sh*t look gorgeous?” It certainly sounds gorgeous.
The Doggfather and Dre recently gave an interview lamenting the lack of originality in today’s rap music — although to be fair, they are in their 50s, and there’s a lot of music out these days (so much, it’s hard for professional critics to keep track). However, to their credit, they offered a solution along with their complaints: “Be original,” Snoop advised. “Right now there’s so much copycatting, mimicking, sounding alike, and imitation. Find your production, your sound, find your ear for who you are, and be original even if it ain’t hitting. Stay you.”
You can check out “Gorgeous” with Jhené Aiko above.
Missionary is out 12/13 via Death Row/Aftermath/Interscope Records. Find more information here.
Big Sean is on a creative roll. The rapper has finally dropped his anticipated comeback album, Better Me Than You, and he has even more music on the way. He previously alluded to new music during an IG Live session, but he confirmed it during a recent interview with Complex. Not only is Sean working on another full length project, but he’s doing so with the mother of his child, Jhene Aiko. The two artists have a long history of working together, and they’ve may be considering a sequel to their 2016 joint album.
Big Sean has not slowed down one bit since the release of the aforementioned Better Me Than You. If anything, the rapper has hit the gas and decided to put even more work in. He told Complex that he has plans to reunite TWENTY88 for a new album in the near future. “I’ve been looking at [the album] as a living, breathing being because I decided to put it out this week,” he told the outlet. “I was going to keep holding onto it.”
Big Sean’s recording process has been somewhat scattered. Still, he told the outlet that he wants to make sure they end up in the right place. For example, he pointed to a Nicki Minaj collab as a track that would fit better on a TWENTY88 album. “One of the Twenty88 songs,” the rapper noted. “I was like, ‘Oh, it kind of fits better on the album,’ but it wasn’t all the way done yet.” The album sales for Better Me Than You have not been spectacular. That said, we’re excited to see what Sean has in store regardless.
Big Sean also has plans for a joint album with The Alchemist. They worked together on a standout cut for Larry June’s The Great Escape, and Alc produced the song “Together Forever” on the new Sean album. Fans may have anticipated more Alchemist beats on Better Me Than You, but it seems Big Sean was saving them. “That’s part of a side quest I’m doing with Alchemist that me and him been locked in on,” the rapper revealed. “So, excited about that.” He then confirmed that a full length album between him and The Alchemist is in the works. “That’s a project that me and Alchemist are working on together,” he explained. “So that’s why that part is not on the album.”
Jordan Howlett, better known as Jordan The Stallion, is collecting musician collaborations like wild Pokémon. So far, the famed TikToker has created a fun clips with Method Man and Donald Glover, which all spawned hilarious nicknames including Grownish Gambino.
Today (August 9), Howlett added Big Sean to his growing cameo list. In the silly video, it is actually the “Precision” rapper that initiates the clip (which you can view here).
“So, the album didn’t drop tonight,” says Sean. “Maybe some days from now it will. But the last track [“On Up“] I did was about my son.”
“As a new dad, I realized that I don’t know that many recipes,” Sean said. “So, I guess my best bet is to ask Jordan. I guess I do that by zooming in and saying, come here.”
Jordan appeared and the sketch begins. But instead of flipping through Jordan’s handy dandy notebook of beloved recipes, Sean absorbs the vast world of culinary arts by shifting into a questionable fashion get-up. Oh, if only it was that easy in real life. But for the sake of Big Sean, Jhene Aiko, and baby Noah, it magically is.
Big Sean SZN is officially underway. The rapper’s unveiled a handful of singles since the top of the year in anticipation of his forthcoming album, Better You Than Me, due out on August 9th. This morning, he unveiled the new single, “One Up” and its music video. This came after the release of “Yes,” “Precision,” and “Shut Up,” along with his stellar guest verses on Eminem’s “Tobey” and DJ Premier’s “Ya Don’t Stop” alongside Lil Wayne. Sean Don has been getting busy. After a four-year wait, his upcoming project sounds like it could be his best to date.
Within that four-year window, much has happened in his life, including the birth of his first son, who appears in the “One Up” video. Sean sat down with Charlamagne Tha God for the latest episode of Out Of Context, where they addressed everything from his relationship with Ye and G.O.O.D Music to nearly giving up on rap. Below, we’ve rounded up five of the biggest takeaways.
In September 2023, a leaked version of Kendrick Lamar’s “ELEMENT” surfaced online containing direct shots at Big Sean. In the song, Kendrick raps, “Big Sean keep sneak dissin’, I let it slide/ I think his false confidence got him inspired/ I can’t make them respect you baby, it’s not my job/ You’re finally famous for who you date, not how you rhyme/ Cute ass raps, get your puberty up/ Then make you a classic album before you come at us/ Drake and Meek Mill beef might got you gassed up/ But I’m a whole ‘nother beast, I’d really f*ck you up.”
Sean explained that Joe Buddenprimarily pushed this narrative that the two had beef. However, prior to the leak coming out, Sean was assured by Dave Free and Punch that there was no smoke. Moreover, Big Sean said his verse on “Deep Reverence” ft. Nipsey Hussle was inspired by a text exchange he had with Kendrick Lamar, who he claimed apologized for the misunderstanding. It should be noted that he didn’t think Kendrick would’ve done him worse than Drake. Ultimately, he felt he was ready for whatever came with a potential feud.
(Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage via Getty Images)
Big Sean expressed gratitude for the opportunity he had with G.O.O.D Music. First, he said that the $6 million discrepancy has been handled. However, he said he took a cut compared to what he was owed for the sake of avoiding courtrooms. “With the deal I signed, he made more money off of my music than me,” he explained, adding that he wasn’t necessarily bothered by that. However, he audited Def Jam for the money and later learned that the money was actually sent to G.O.O.D Music.
“He said what he said [on Drink Champs]. I’m not into gossip and stuff but he said what he said and it made me realize that I couldn’t take all of what he was saying serious on that Drink Champs,” Sean told Charlamagne. “Very performative… that’s what I’m not. That’s what he’s good at.” Kanye allegedly tried to make sure that there was a picture of the two taken to squash the narrative.
But at the root of their issues is Drake, apparently. “I think he was just pissed because he thought I chose Drake over him. I only bring that up because he brought that up to somebody who told me something,” he said. Sean explained that Ye demanded a verse on “Blessings,” which the Detroit MC helped him write. However, he gave him a deadline, and Ye basically ignored that. “For some reason, he thinks – Drake didn’t even want him on that song but I was like, ‘I’m putting Ye on the song anyway because Ye put me on. If he wants to be on the song, he’s going to be on the song,” Sean explained. Apparently, even though Ye failed to pull through, he felt like Sean was not being loyal.
Coming To Terms With The Big 3
IPhoto by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)
In another Kendrick-related excerpt, Big Sean explained that he understood why he’s not mentioned in the same vein as his peers, namely Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and J. Cole. “I hear my name every time people talk about this Big 3 stuff,” he said. Then, he acknowledged that his inconsistency as an artist played a significant role in people’s perception of him. “My consistency is where I lack. I say that in that too. It’s like, I haven’t put out music in four years, bro, essentially, I haven’t put a project out. I can’t expect to be in that conversation when I haven’t been consistency feeding hip-hop, feeding the fans.”
However, that might change in the future. Sean said that he feels like he has the potential to release more music while keeping it on “God’s time.” “I think the way my life is going, that’s one of my priorities is to put more music out with meaning, though,” he said, “I do feel like when it comes to rapping abilities, I have no limit on my rapping abilities… I can hang with anybody on any song… I’ve proven that with all of them. He added, “Even with ‘Control,’ the next song we did, I made sure I had a better verse on ‘Holy Key.’”
Nearly Giving Up On Rap Dreams
(Photo by Arik Mazur/FilmMagic via Getty)
An emotional point in the interview came when Sean started reflecting on his high school years where he wrote down a list of labels that he wanted to sign to, which included G.O.O.D Music at #1. “It was one of them omens. There’s just one little thing I needed to realize ‘Nah, I can do this, bro. I met Ye and rapped for him. He said he wanted to sign me.’ I just manifested and visualized the paperwork coming in all this time. In that one year, I was depressed, I just wanted to give up bad,” he said, explaining that he felt that he was “done.”
His grandma encouraged him to apply for community college as a backup plan. “I remember my mom being like, ‘What are you doing?’ And it was… it was a moment, dawg,” he added as he tried to fight back tears, explaining that she pushed him to keep following his dreams. “I’m just thankful I had these guardian angels in my life, like my mom, just coming in the form of anything – a book.”
Big Sean Discusses The Possibility Of Marrying Jhene Aiko
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
After being together for so long, many have wondered whether Big Sean and Jhene Aiko will ever get hitched. Sean denied that they had a secret industry wedding before divulging his thoughts on marriage in general. With the two sharing a child together and working together as a musical duo, there’s another layer of complexity to their relationship. “We’ve had our ups and downs and I think it’s still finding the right navigation through it all. I don’t know if like – to me, marriage symbolizes the best relationship,” he explained. “I feel like having a relationship is first and foremost and marriage is a byproduct of that.”
Sean added that the pressure of getting married creates a level of fear in the decision, especially with the divorce rates. While he added that they could get married in the future, it’s not necessarily the priority in their lives. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, I feel like, in general. We have so many relationships. It’s like being peers, being in a group together, parents, romantic – it’s a crazy connection because no matter what we’re always going to be tied together. No matter what,” he said.
“She and me have to be on the same page. Not to say that we aren’t but I feel like – I can only speak for myself that there needs to be more work done so we could keep going because there’s a lot of focus on our family, there’s a lot of focus on careers and everything and that’s something I feel like has not been the main focus.”
Big Sean’s new album, Better Me Than You, is coming soon, and he keeps the rollout rolling with a video for his new single, “On Up.” The video is shot from the perspective of Sean and Jhené Aiko’s son as Sean reflects on — revels in, really — fatherhood.
Sean began the rollout for the new album back in March with the release of the “Clarity” freestyle, then quickly followed up with his single, “Precision.” Unfortunately for him, the buzz for the new project was overshadowed and derailed by the battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
After lying low for a bit, Sean rebooted the hype machine with an eyebrow-raising freestyle for On The Radar Radio. While some fans misinterpreted the freestyle as a shot at Kendrick Lamar, the supporters of the verse’s true target, Kanye West, allegedly retaliated by leaking the album early. Sean shot down the theory that Kanye did it himself, and with a new management team in place, seems confident that the album will return him to fans’ good graces and earn him the attention he deserves.
You can watch the video for “On Up” above.
Better Me Than You is out 8/9 via FF to Def Entertainment. You can find more information here.
Jhene Aiko possesses some of the most effortlessly soothing and stunning vocal chops of anyone in the R&B/soul genre. Sadly, though, the Los Angeles, California native has not been gracing us with her talents that much over the last few years. Her last studio album, Chilombo, dropped all the way back in 2020. However, if you want, you can count the rerelease of her 2011 debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s) in 2021. Or you could mention the fact that she put together a sleeping soundtrack for babies in 2022. As far as singles go, Aiko has more to offer in that department. In fact, her most recent is “Sun/Son” from January. This has us more and more hopeful that she is nearing a new album. Also helping that is this new Jhene Aiko single, “guidance”.
It comes in the midst of The Magic Hour Tour, with openers including Coi Leray, Tink, Umi, and Kiana Lede. Jhene Aiko is approximately halfway through, as today she will be performing in her hometown. She will wrap things up on August 22 in Columbus, Ohio, so maybe around then a new LP will be upon us. In the meantime, what does “guidance” have to offer. To be honest, it delivers and then some. On this 3:36-long record, Jhene is feeling free after finding the courage to move on from a relationship that is weighing on her. The track’s instrumental is so captivating that she decided to give fans a piano version, just like how she did with “Sun/Son”. Be sure to give each version a spin with the links below.
And you’re not enough for you It’s nobody’s fault, it’s nobody’s loss Just had a lot to learn You were the match that lit up my path To show me what bridge to burn
Jhené Aiko has taken to an interesting release strategy for her new songs lately. In January, she released two versions of “Sun/Son,” including a stripped-down, piano ballad edition alongside the original. She continues the trend on her new song, “Guidance,” another gentle ballad that finds the LA singer recognizing, “I got a lot of God in me, and I can stand alone.” In addition to the original, which features a soft beat defined by an acoustic guitar loop, there’s also a piano version, which you can check out below.
It would actually be very cool to see Jhené release her next project in two versions — like a “buy one, get one” sale for music.
While fans await news of this project, Aiko also released videos for Chilombo singles “Surrender” and “Love,” which she filmed to accompany the album four years ago but withheld as a result of the pandemic shutdowns.
The singer is currently playing songs from that album — as well as fan favorites from Sailing Soul(s) and more — on her Magic Hour Tour with fellow hip-hop-influenced soul singers Kiana Ledé and Tink, and rapper Coi Leray. However, despite the peaceful lineup, the tour hasn’t been without some discord, as seen at the recent Atlanta stop. You can recenter, though, by listening to “Guidance” above.
COMING SOON
