Late last night, Jhene Aiko hopped on Twitter to set the record straight about her ethnicities, which led her to explain why she now avoids using the n-word in her lyrics.
After being asked what her mix is by a fan, the Chilombo songstress replied, "Whispers, cat hair, slauson asphalt and sand from venice beach." Followed by, "I am less black that someone half black, but also less white that someone half white... and asian is the least thing i am. lol. So at this point, it’s whatever they want me to be."
After essentially spelling out that if she isn't considered Black then she shouldn't be considered Asian either, she wrote a comment on Instagram, doubling down and clarifying her initial statement. "Actually wait! lol. i would like to say one more thing that hopefully simplifies this statement," she wrote, before detailing why she no longer uses the n-word in her music. "The discussion stemmed from the use of the n word in my music, in the past... and i let it be known i haven't in a while and chose not to use it anymore moving forward out of respect and consideration to my ancestors and the individuals who feel uncomfortable when i say it."
"I have a japanese grandfather and a creole/dominican grandmother on my mothers side... and both of my fathers parents are black and white. my dna results came in 25% asian, 33% african and 34% european," she continued. "So that is what i was referencing in the tweet. also, those dna sites update and change from time to time so who actually knows."
"Ok now im done explaining, promise i am human and i see you all as family regardless of how u view me," she concluded.