Jhené Aiko Releases Westside Whimsy Featuring Kendrick Lamar

The Collaborative Track "So Good"

The new mid-tempo track, "So Good," was written by Kendrick Lamar and features the two artists swapping verses while combining their vocal styles. The song marks a significant addition to the Jhené Aiko catalog, which spans genres such as Soul and Hip Hop. In the track, Aiko delivers lines regarding her status and focus:

"I can’t let a messy bitch get in my way/ I’m way too grown plus I’m top rank. Who was popping it til they got spanked/ West side, everything Pipe, pipe, pipe it up/ Ghetto intellectual, swerving through the jet fuel, breaking down the decimals."

— Jhené Aiko

Westside Whimsy Album Details

Westside Whimsy is a 20-track album that serves as a major milestone in Aiko's career. There are conflicting reports regarding the timeline of this release; while one source describes it as her first album in six years, another identifies it as the follow-up to her 2020 effort, Chilombo. Earlier this year, Aiko spoke to Rolling Stone to frame the expectations for the new LP, emphasizing that it represents more than just a collection of songs.

"It’s not a project. It’s a lifestyle. Everything I do is that — you’ll see."

— Jhené Aiko

The album is guest-heavy, featuring collaborations with Larry June, Ab-Soul, OHMA, and Tyga. The inclusion of Lamar on the track "So Good" continues a professional relationship between the two artists that dates back over a decade.

A Longstanding Creative Partnership

The partnership between Aiko and Lamar began long before either achieved mainstream breakthrough status. Their history of collaboration started in 2010 on Lamar’s mixtape Overly Dedicated. In 2013, one year after the release of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Lamar contributed a verse to the song “Stay Ready (What a Life)” from Aiko’s debut EP, Sail Out.

While their paths appeared to diverge for several years, their voices were paired last year by Playboi Carti on the song “Backd00rs” from the album Music. The release of "So Good" marks their first direct collaboration on an Aiko project since their early work together.

Kendrick Lamar’s Recent Activity and Accolades

Kendrick Lamar has remained highly active leading up to this collaboration. His most recent album, GNX, was released in 2024. The rapper has also seen significant success on the awards circuit and in live performances. He headlined the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show last year, a performance that earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction.

In addition to his solo work, Lamar has been recognized for his guest appearances. He featured on “Chains & Whips,” a standout track from the Clipse album Let God Sort Em Out. This collaboration resulted in a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. More recently, in February, Lamar teamed up with Baby Keem for the track “Good Flirts.”