In 2016, Jhene Aiko and Big Sean made their relationship public after the singer's a very public split from her ex-husband Dot da Genius. Only a week after finalizing her divorce, Jhene posted an image of her latest tattoo featuring her new boo and prompted an immediate response from the internet world. Rumors of the couple's relationship began swirling two years earlier after a photo was posted of the two at a basketball game. Jhene explained that she met the Finally Famous rapper around the time of her brother's death in 2012, but their relationship had not always been romantic.
According to Jhene, they were just friends at the time, but nevertheless, Big Sean shot his shot. She explained to BBC Radio 1Xtra:
"He wanted to take me out on a date. I had a boyfriend, but I still went…just as a friend. I had never been courtside to a game and he's cool. I told my boyfriend 'I'm gonna go to this game.' He wanted to take me out on a date. I had a boyfriend, but I still went…just as a friend. I had never been courtside to a game and he's cool. I told my boyfriend 'I'm gonna go to this game.'"
Later, when Jhene was single and ready to mingle, Big Sean was dating Naya Rivera and the singer assumed she had missed her opportunity. It wasn't until breaking off his engagement with Naya that the two finally got their timing right and finally got the opportunity to give their relationship a shot.
Despite cheating rumors, divorce drama, and maintaining chaotic careers, the couple was seemingly very deeply in love; that is, until earlier this year when it was rumored that the two decided to end their relationship after three years. Jhene finally confirmed the alleged breakup in great detail in her latest freestyle, "Triggered", which had Black Twitter in shambles.
Jhene Aiko really know how to diss a mf in such a soulful, melodic way. 😭— 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐚𝐧.♡︎ (@𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐚𝐧.♡︎) 1557335631
The couple previously alluded to their split via social media but have been tight-lipped about whether or not the rumors were true. Last month, after the death of rap superstar and entrepreneur, Nipsey Hussle, Jhene wrote this on Big Sean's Instagram page:
"You are so special. To me. To the world. While we're both still on this planet I just want to say I love you beyond measure. Even tho I get big mad and u trigger the f*ck out of me. U make me feel. And I appreciate that. Because I thought I was dead inside. My ego has no say when it comes to you. And my heart has been broken a thousand times just to expand. It always finds room for you. I love you from this life to the next and all the other lives we've known each other before. Imma always talk my shit. But Imma always have ur back."
Despite their breakup, both Jhene and Big Sean have remained amicable; but some might say that perception changed after dropping her latest single. According to Jhene, the song, which apparently some fans interpreted as a diss, was a way for her to grieve her relationship in a healthy way. She wrote on Twitter:
"Triggered is NOT a diss song. it is a moment of talking shit out of frustration and passion. It was a moment of exaggerated expression when I was feeling lost and weak. no one is to be blamed or bashed for how I was feeling in that moment. I am in control of my feelings."
In the song, Jhene opens up about the healing process (or lack thereof) that takes place after ending a relationship you thought would last forever. She explained that it was important for her to put her feelings on paper before she could really move forward.
"'Triggered' was a moment. a moment that for me has passed. it is new to you because ur just now hearing it, but for me... it's something I moved on from the moment I expressed it."
When someone says the word "grieve" you may automatically think of a candlelight vigil and funeral, but the truth is, we all grieve different things in different ways. When we were little, saying goodbye to an old relationship meant mustering up the courage to flush your goldfish down the toilet, but as adults and that goldfish is now the man you thought you'd spend your life with, the process becomes much more difficult. The 29-year-old singer revealed that the key to her healing was investing the negative emotions she might have felt at the time into art.
"This is how I paint. this is me yelling and throwing paint at a canvas... then going out into the world feeling less tension, more open... more loving. going to bed feeling less stressed, more optimistic."
Jhene also explained that creating art is one of the most reliable forms of self-care. It's true that energy can't be created or destroyed, but you have full autonomy over your emotions and how they feed your vibe. Having true emotional intelligence is a superpower and knowing how to shift your mood regardless of how you feel can prevent you from making some regrettable decisions. Jhene explained that writing the song was a way for her to walk in her own truth as well as break some old bad habits.
"One night I was so deep in my feelings, I was afraid of what I might do. I didn't want to revert to the same bad habits that have set me back time and time again. I realized that instead of running away from my emotions…I needed to sit with them, express myself and say whatever came to mind. It was healing to say the least…and now I feel a bit more free."
So take it from Jhene, the next time you're on your Waiting To Exhale sh*t ready to bring the noise with some matches, gasoline, and a cigarette, try writing a dope freestyle instead.
Check out Jhene's full video for "Triggered" below!
Jhené Aiko - Triggered (freestyle)www.youtube.com
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