Jhené AikoArtist profile →
Jhené Aiko’s comeback arrived on schedule, and it came with a Kendrick Lamar verse. Westside Whimsy, her first album in six years, is out now (Friday, Sept. 11) via Def Jam, and its centerpiece is “So Good,” a slow-rolling duet written by Lamar in which the two trade lines about the perfect love.
Rolling Stone says Lamar wrote the track and that the pair swap verses and combine their voices. It’s the first time they have shared a song of their own in 13 years, Pitchfork notes. Their partnership dates back to Lamar’s 2010 mixtape Overly Dedicated, and in 2013 he contributed a verse to “Stay Ready (What a Life)” on her debut EP, Sail Out. Playboi Carti set verses by the two side by side on “Backd00rs” last year.
What’s on the record
The 20-track LP is what Aiko calls an homage to her home city of Los Angeles. Billboard says it brings in a crew of fellow L.A. natives, including Lamar, Ab-Soul, Tyga and OHMA, along with Bay Area rapper Larry June. Ab-Soul adds ad-libs on “Love Bomb,” June appears on “Neighbors,” Tyga is on “Like, Whatever,” and OHMA closes things on “Golden Coast.” The album opens with a one-minute jazzy snippet, “Wild Cat(s),” before drifting into the ballads “Ghost” and “Break.”
Earlier this year Aiko told Rolling Stone it isn’t just a project:
It’s a lifestyle. Everything I do is that — you’ll see.
Jhené Aiko, to Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone
Why it matters
Chilombo reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in March 2020 and earned Grammy nominations, and Billboard counts Aiko as a seven-time Grammy nominee. For Lamar, the guest spot is another high-profile team-up in a run that includes “Chains & Whips” with Clipse, which won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance, and “Good Flirts” with Baby Keem in February. His last solo album, GNX, came out in 2024.
The album was announced only three days earlier, which is part of the story. Aiko announced it on Instagram with a one-line caption on Sept. 8, and the fan reaction has been loud.
What’s next
Westside Whimsy is streaming now. Victoria Monét, who is also working in the lane Aiko helped define, announced a 2026 tour the day before.
- Album
- *Westside Whimsy*, 20 tracks
- Out
- Sept. 11, 2026, on Def Jam
- Guests
- Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Tyga, OHMA, Larry June
- Previous album
- *Chilombo* (2020)
Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.
