Sailing Soul (s) is the debut mixtape by singer Jhene Aiko It was self released on March 16, 2011. The mixtape features musical guests like Drake, Gucci Mane, Kanye West, Miguel, H.O.P.E., Kendrick Lamar, and K. Roosevelt. Don't forget to check out my previous post on Jhene's Souled Out album by clicking on this link: https://whenathinkbubblebursts.blogspot.com/2018/04/jhene-aiko-souled-out-review_23.html
Click to listen to "The Beginning"
The Beginning serves as the opener for the mixtape. It only lasts for eight seconds with an intro that is sped up and reversed.
Stranger is where Jhene addresses her feelings for a man who use her and leave her heartbroken singing, "Yea yea, ah/ Similar ways, similar game. Starting to feel the similar pain/ Are you sure we haven't met before?/ I know ya face, I know ya name/ But I don't know you?/ Isn't that crazy? Isn't that crazy?", and moves on to the chorus with lyrics like, "I think we may be/ In a different book/ On a different page/ You said you are different/ But you're the same/ Stranger".
Click to listen to "Hoe"
Hoe featuring Miguel and Gucci Mane is a "steady drum beat" which was produced by Fisticuffs.
July featuring Drake is about comparing the different phases of a relationship to changing seasons. Drake starts off his verse with, "This verse starts as my sniper hit their marks/ And your guards fall down from a rifle to the heart/ Like, clap, clap, let em fall snow/ I know you had your fears, you can let 'em all go/ And most women are motivated so I act accordingly/ But this is so refreshing that it means a little more to me", and then Jhene exchanges her verses singing on the bridge, "Oh, you had to change the game/ Oh, the weather is not the same/ Now there's only cloudy days/ Can't stand the rain in July/ Oh July, there were fireworks explodin'/ But now it's getting colder/ Leaves are turning colors/ Why, it's just not our season/ The one and only reason/ Baby oh, baby oh/ Our summer turned into fall".
My Mine is about reflecting on a past relationship with Jhene singing, "Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin' in my mine/ All of the time tried to forget you/ Memories sinkin', deep in, leakin; in my mine/ All of the time tried to forget you/ Try to forget you in my mine", and then talks about pretending to wait on a guy, but she really doesn't a man in her life right now saying, "Pretending I have the patience/ Pretending there is enough time for waiting/ Remembering when we kept it all basic/ I wanna go back so bad, I can taste it/ What do I care for?/ You are not there anymore/ I was not careful/ That is all your fault/ You let me fall".
Click to listen to "Popular"
Popular is where Jhene goes back to her younger state of mind and how she had a crush on a guy. However, the feeling was not mutual. She sings, "I was young girl/ I was a dumb girl/ I was the one who could never be your one girl/ You were the fly guy/ Never ask why guy/ Running around making all the girls cry guy/ Laying in your bed, it gets so cold/ You wonder why/ You were such the man/ What happened? It's just so sad". The hook of the song contains the sample of "Wanksta" by rapper 50 Cent.
Click to listen to "Real Now"
Real Now featuring K. Roosevelt, Lite and H.O.P.E. is about Jhene wondering what's real now after she has been hit hard singing on the hook, "What I feel, what I feel now/ What is real? What is real now?/ Am I still, am I here now?/ If I'm still, will I feel now/ What is real now?/ Will I feel now/ What is real now?/ Will I feel now/ What is real now?'.
Sailing NOT Selling featuring Kanye West is where the singer is choosing to "sail" her soul, not sell it. It begins with, "See I got a lot to say/ And I ain't afraid to say it/ Mind on money so it's why I'm tryin' to make it/ Yeah, but the money's what you make it/ Let it make you see where it's gon' take ya/ Hey, you'll be headed nowhere/ Moving so fast you won't even care", and then sends a positive to her listeners saying, "Soul/ Oh, let go, let go of your ego/ Don't lose your soul/ Sail your soul/ Sailing soul". Then Kanye exchanges his verse rapping, "This game you could never win/ Cause they love you then they hate you then they love you again/ Get away from me loneliness/ Get away from me misery/ I can only make only hits/ I'm an only child lost in the World/ I swear to momma wish me and my father talk more/ I stopped visiting around the time when I was a sophomore/ I guess everything I hate about me, I see it in him/ And I ain't finna change, so we'll never agree again/ Just a few things pouring out my soul/ Rosewood, we can see with our eyes closed/ G.O.O.D. Music". This track contains the sample of "Eyez Closed" by rapper Snoop Dogg featuring John Legend and Kanye West.
Click to listen to "Do Better Blues"
Do Better Blues featuring H.O.P.E. talks about the struggles of being together. H.O.P.E. opens up the song with, "First I saw you, Aye/ Then I liked you, Aye/ Now I love you, Aye/ Now I fight you, Aye/ If I could do better/ Then you could do better too/ But I don't want better/ It gets better with you", and then Aiko responds to H.O.P.E. with, "If I could do better/ Then you could do better too/ But I don't want better/ Cause I'm only better with you, whoa/ If you could do better/ Then I can do better too/ But I don't need better/ It only gets better with you".
On Higher, Aiko is telling the subject of her love will be like that of a high person singing, "I will get you higher (higher)/ My love will get you high".
You Vs. Them is a mid tempo song that is described as "hauntingly beautiful". The first part talks about Jhene not having him, when she wants him, is what makes it interesting for her singing, "It's the wanting you/ Never getting you/ Keeps me wanting you/ Missing you/ Just to picture you, is what gets me through/ Fit for you/ I was meant for you/ What I sent to do, meant to do/ Wasn't meant for you". Then the second part talks about her child and whether or not she should keep it with the lyrics, "I'm...... tryna save the world/ How can I when/ You belong to me/ I belong to them/ Who do I give me to? Who do I let win? You or the world/ You or the world".
Space Jam tells the story about a guy that Aiko met and the guy could tell that she was out of her comfort zone saying, "I met him in outer space/ He asked me what I was doing there/ Cause I looked out of place/ I told him where I come from/ I don't wanna go back/ He said compared to where he's from/ It can't be that bad/ And I said, "Yeah, well". Then she references to her brother's cancer singing, "I told him where I reside/ My brother is dying/ There is no cute", and she also mentions that she has a baby while continuing to follow her dreams with the lyrics, "I got a baby to feed/ I barely can eat/ Chasing a dream".
Click to listen to "Growing Apart Too"
Growing Apart Too featuring Kendrick Lamar & H.O.P.E. is the last song on Sailing Soul (s). It is a sequel to "Growing Apart" from Lamar's mixtape "Overly Dedicated". Jhene can't figure out her thoughts when it comes to a path regarding a relationship singing, "Where are you going now?/Why are you slowing down?/ Why, why, why?/ Where are we going?/ Why are we slowing down?/ Where are you going?/ We should be growing now!".
Make sure that you purchase Sailing Soul (s) on Amazon Music, Google Play, DatPiff, Spotify and SoundCloud. Support a new artist like Jhene Aiko that you've never heard of. You'll be glad that you became a fan of hers. Here are the links:
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