RESPECT. Album Review: Jhene Aiko & Big Sean’s ‘TWENTY88’

Intimate, sensual, fresh, a new light that drives passion through the hearts of it’s consumers. This hot, newly delivered piece of art has gifted the internet with its presence that is both well thought out and pieced together both delicately and smoothly.

Jhene Aiko and Big Sean have joined forces to create a body of work entitled Twenty88. It’s 808’s, thumping bass, subtle guitar chords alongside the chill production grants a continuous groove that is both addictive and an attention grabber. Touching up on the lyrics, I recognize that emotions run high when things aren’t going well in a relationship; words are flung that you don’t mean, low-blows are spoken into existence that can make or break the bond between the two of you resulting in a toxic outcome: losing the one who had your back since day 1; the one who never left or gave up on you even in the midst of hardships.

But, through self-reflection, communication and the acknowledgement of your wrongdoings can bring in a breath of fresh air that can guide you back towards redemption road. The album as a collective is raw and vulnerable in content which makes an artist authentic and real in character. Through sacrifice and devotion you allow for yourself to grow as an individual. Both Aiko and Big Sean’s conjoined album showed me that selflessness helps a relationship thrive and by appreciating the person who has been riding with you from the beginning allows for the relationship to become stronger in bond.

Nothing has to be added to this album to make it a perfect 10 (even though a SZA feature on “On the Way” would be an amazing additive!) but a rate of 8/10 has been given due to its production, lyricism, and chemistry between both Jhene Aiko and Big Sean in this work of art. “Selfish,” “Push It” and “Memories Faded” are just three of the amazing songs off this album that should be given a proper, full on listen to. All three songs subliminally coincide with one another giving a heated clash of love, sexual frustration, and admiration for one another. Even though the 808’s and kicks drive the beat, the repetitious pattern in almost every song can get old, outdated, boring, and drawn out. To produce a hard-hitting song or album in this case, the beat must variate between rhythms and experiences for its audience’s consumption. Though Twenty88 lacks variation in beat production its message through a lyrical story reigns over the album as a whole and reels in its audience’s attention through not only sentimental storytelling but also by giving inexplicit advice for keeping a relationship thriving, healthy, leveled and deeply rooted into the ground of communication for future growth and development.

You can stream Twenty88 on Tidal. Tell us what you think of the project!