Music power couple Big Sean and Jhené Aiko first met in 2012 at a studio for a collaboration. Little did they both know that it was the start of a meaningful relationship, not just as professional artists but also as individuals.
Come to think of it, maybe they did? That’s because shortly after their meeting, they attended a basketball game, which was clearly a date, even though Aiko had a boyfriend then. When Big Sean was asked about it, he simply said he didn’t care. Though, they didn’t really start officially dating until four years later.
Are you interested now? Well, let’s take a look at how it all went down.
Chapter 1: Collaboration
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In a 2016 interview with Flaunt magazine, Aiko shared that their first meeting was back in 2012 at the legendary producer No I.D’s studio. It was her collaboration with the American rapper’s songs “Beware” and “I’m Gonna Be.”
She said that she felt very comfortable around Big Sean. However, it was kind of obvious between them that they were in a little competition. According to Aiko, “I want my verse to sound better than his, and he wants his to sound better than mine.” Nevertheless, they clicked.
In fact, they attended a Los Angeles Lakers game shortly after that meeting. Aiko said she had a boyfriend when they first met, but they were friends.
So when he asked her to go out with him, she said yes to the invitation. After a while, it became pretty obvious that it was a date. “We had never really been alone together. It was really fun,” she said.
Three years later, in 2015, the two did another round of collaboration for Big Sean’s sophomore album ‘Dark Sky Paradise.” They teamed up for the track “I Know” and also starred in the music video where they played two elderly lovers who shared one special night together.
Their musical chemistry was definitely off the roof. In 2016, the two artists launched their first collaborative EP, ‘ Twenty88.’ Along with the sexy album cover and music videos, many fans speculated that their relationship went beyond just music collaborators. However, Aiko was married to producer Dot da Genius at that time.
Chapter 2: Turning Into Lovers
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In June 2016, Big Sean and Aiko sparked dating rumors on the stage of Power 105.1’s Powerhouse Festival. That is because, as they sang, Big Sean went on to wrap his arms around Aiko’s waist, and when their set concluded, they shared a quick peck.
Rumors were put to rest months later when the two were spotted at the Los Angeles Lakers game (again) at the Staples Center. They sat courtside, laughing and holding hands. It came after Aiko filed for divorce from Dot Da Genius, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.
Then in 2017, with the release of Aiko’s second studio album ‘Trip,’ Aiko opened up for the first time about her relationship with Big Season. In her interview with Billboard, she shared that she lost her brother Miyagi in 2012, which led her on a quest to find someone who reminded her of him. When she met Big Sean, she knew he was it.
However, she clarified that there was no third party or anything even remotely like that that happened. “When I met Sean, I had a boyfriend and he was showing interest in me, but I was like, I have a boyfriend. But we were friends, it was never, nothing disrespectful ever happened between me and Sean.” They were really just friends who had become good friends over the years.
Then came to a point when they were both single. They knew they already loved each other as friends, so it wasn’t a difficult decision at all to be officially together. “So it was different because of that friendship. That comes first. We’re friends before anything. We can bicker like a friendship,” she said.
Chapter 3: The End of an Era?
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In October 2017, Aiko made a meaningful gesture toward her relationship with Big Sean by tattooing his face on her body. The new ink, which was done by celebrity tattoo artist Miryam “The Witchdoctor” Lumpini, featured Big Sean wearing a bowtie and a tuxedo jacket.
Then in 2018, rumors floated that Big Sean was all over Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger at the Oscars Party. The couple quickly shut it down, and then a few days later, the rapper made some noise with his surprise yacht party in LA for Aiko’s birthday. He also greeted her in a now-deleted Instagram post.
There hadn’t been any headlines about the two in a year, and they had also gotten very quiet for months. Fans suspected they had broken up, and they really did. Aiko confirmed it through a comment on an Instagram post uploaded by The Shade Room.
She said that they were good, and she still got tons of love for him. She also touched on the topic of music, noting that her next album would be all freestyles. She would be pulling inspiration from her past, present, and future, highlighting that while people love all the drama and would like to think that everything she says or does is about Big Sean, she had been through plenty of other things.
That said, even though they went their separate ways, they still showed their support for each other. In fact, the backup vocals for Big Sean’s “Single Again” was Aiko’s.
She even tweeted a link to the song. Then later that year, Big Sean worked with Aiko on her song “None of Her Concern,” which detailed their breakup. He also appeared in the music video but had no scenes together.
Chapter 4: Back Together Again
On March 2o2o, Big Sean wished Aiko a happy birthday. He posted photos of their personal moments and wrote in his caption how proud he was of her and that he loved her from the past life to the next.
A year later, they made their ‘back together again’ red carpet debut at the 2021 Grammy Awards. Aiko wore a gorgeous pink tulle dress, while Big Sean sported a black tuxedo with a black shawl.
Their next major public appearance was at the Super Bowl 2022. Aiko performed “America the Beautiful” for the kickoff, and Big Sean was right by her side to support her in her big moment.
Then on July 2022, the couple was seen in L.A., and Aiko had a very noticeable baby bump. PEOPLE broke the confirmation news, and then Big Sean and Aiko made separate uploads announcing that they would soon be mom and dad. A few months later, during a performance in LA, Big Sean revealed to the crowd that they were having a baby boy.
Finally, in November, Big Sean and Aiko welcomed Noah Hasani.
Last May 2023, Big Sean celebrated Aiko’s first Mother’s Day with a very sweet tribute post on Instagram. He wrote in his caption that seeing Aiko as a mother made him appreciate motherhood and his mom even more. He added, “Cause it’s a lot i never even thought about until seeing first hand wit my boy all the love, time, patience and sacrifice that goes into being a great Parent, its unreal. We love you @jheneaiko.”
Big Sean and Jhené Aiko’s relationship has gone through a lot, but they decided and committed to making it work. As of the writing of this article, they are an adorable family of three!
