Who Was Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo and What Happened To Him?

Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo (Born: July 7, 1986 – Died: July 19, 2012) was an African-American media personality with Japanese, Spanish, Dominican, German, and Jewish ethnic traits. He was famous for being the elder brother of Jhene Aiko, the famous singer and songwriter.

Miyagi passed on at the age of 26, and his death blew a sad wave over his family members, most especially his younger sister Jhene Aiko Chilombo. Read on to find out what happened to Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo.

Miyagi Hasanni Ayo Chilombo was Born in Los Angeles, California

Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo was born on July 7, 1986, in Los Angeles, California, United States, to his parents; Dr. Karamo and his ex-wife, Christina Yamamoto.

The late Miyagi was not the only child of his parents; he was their fourth child and second-born son. He had an elder brother named Jhai Chilomo, two elder sisters named Mila J. Chilombo and Miyoko Chilombo, and a younger sister named Jhene Aiko Chilombo.

There is no detail on his childhood background, as not so much is known about his upbringing. However, it has been reported that he shared a close bond with his siblings, especially his younger sister, Jhene Aiko, as she was the one he would mostly hang out with.

He also had three half-siblings named Marcia Chilombo, Dio Chilombo, and Kareena Chilombo from his mother’s second marriage following his parent’s divorce in 2000 after staying married for 20 years.

Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo was born and raised in a family that has excelled in music. Miyoko and Jamila, two of his sisters, rose to prominence as members of the R&B girl band dubbed “Gryl” in the 1990s, while Jhene was signed to the American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, Epic Records in the 2000s.

Jhene Aiko is the Younger Sister of Late Miyagi Hasani Chilombo

Popular singer Jhene Aiko is the younger sister of Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo. She is a popular American singer and songwriter who is famous for her vocals and is currently dominating the American R&B circle. She has appeared in several music videos for the R&B group B2K.

The singer had recorded a song on her laptop titled “For My Brother” in honor of her late brother before he died. The song was intended to be for only her brother, who listened to it before he died, but she later got to release it for other people who found themselves in similar situations.

Some of her famous albums are Souled Out (2014), Trip (2017), and Chilombo (2020). Jhene shared a close bond with her late brother Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo. The pair often spent time together as brother and sister. He was also a major contributory factor to Jhene’s success in the music industry as he was the one that introduced Jhene to new artists, books, and new ways of thinking.

Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo was Diagnosed with Cancer in 2010

Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, which took his life after two years of battling the life-threatening disease. After he was diagnosed with cancer, Miyagi Chilombo turned to Buddhism and tried his best to always be in good spirits – despite the circumstance he had found himself at the time.

He Died at the Age of 26

When people die, the ones that hurt the most are the loved ones they leave behind as they get to struggle every day to get over the heartbreak. On the 19th of July 2012, a sad event occurred. Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo died at the age of 26 from an inoperable brain tumor and was buried in the cemetery of West Burbank Blvd, Burbank, located in California.

At the time of his death, Jhene Aiko’s career was taking off, thanks to the release of the single Beware, her musical collaboration with more prominent rappers in the industry, Lil Wayne and Big Sean.

His Death Affected His Family Members

Miyagi’s death had thrown the family into disarray, which Jhene had to deal with in public. The singer, in an interview, disclosed that she was mentally lost and confused because the brother she was closest to had just died.

She also cited that it was during the time of his death that she began getting so many opportunities which made her wish her brother was still alive to join her on her tour as he would’ve been Djing her sets and also sharing her experience with her.

As mentioned earlier, his death inspired her to write a tribute song titled For My Brother. The singer didn’t intend to release the song publicly at first, but after his death, she realized that many people could relate to the lyrics, resulting in a public release.

To cope with the pain she felt after the loss of her brother, Jhene Aiko disclosed in an interview with PEOPLE that she tried her best to avoid anything related to her brother or his death and resorted to writing. That way, she was able to pour out and express her emotions on pen and paper without feeling judged.

Miyagi’s sister, Miyoko, was also greatly affected by his passing on. Miyoko had also taken to her Instagram page to share how much she misses her brother, citing that it is inevitable for people to die but how they left is what hurts the most.

The singer often takes to her Instagram page to talk about her brother Miyagi on his birthday every year. In one of her posts, she included a photo of him with the caption stating how it’s been eight years since his demise, and she still misses him so much.

The loss of a child is not easy to overcome, and such can be said for his parents. On the 7th of July, 2022, his father, Dr. Karamo Chilombo, also known as Dr. Chill, who is an American medical doctor and musician, wrote a tribute on his Facebook handle, which he dedicated to his late son, Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo, wishing him a Happy Heavenly Birthday citing the fact that if he were alive, he would have been 36 years old.