Keyshia Cole: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

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Birth Name:

Oakland, CA

Born:

Oct 15, 1981 in Oakland, CA

Genres:

R&B and Soul Music, Contemporary R&B Music, Rock Music

Decades Active:

2000's

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

One of the more real urban songstresses out there in the mid2000s, Keyshia Cole worked her way up the industry ladder diligently yet quickly, making her majorlabel debut in 2004 at age 21. Born on the other side of the California Bay the often tough and troubled streets of Oakland Keyshia aspired from an early age to make music her life, so much so that she started working the angles while still a preteen. For instance, she did some recording with fellow Bay Area resident MC Hammer way back in the day, when she was only 12 or so. Her singing aspirations really began to take flight during the early 2000s, however. In particular, she sang on Messy Marv's "Nubian Queen" remix in 2001, and Tony Toni Toné member Dwayne Wiggins featured her on his soundtrack to the film Me Mrs. Jones also in 2001. Following Bay Area opportunities such as these, she began contemplating a leap for the big time: Los Angeles. So when she discovered that her thenboyfriend had cheated on her, she immediately packed her bags and never looked back. In Los Angeles she quickly impressed many with her golden soprano voice and thus made plenty of industry contacts, among them AM Records president Ron Fair, who immediately signed her to a solo deal. And to work she went on her debut album, The Way It Is, cowriting a number of songs and working alongside a number of hitmakers: the trendiest talent in hiphop at the time, Kanye West, collaborated with her on "I Changed My Mind," the album's lead single, and other bigname collaborators included 112 group member DaRon, Murder Inc. rapper Chink Santana, and veteran producer EPoppi. Plus, she got the chance to collaborate with one of her inspirations, Eve, for a song on the Barbershop 2 soundtrack, "Never," which was released as a single in early 2004. When AM released The Way It Is a halfyear later, Keyshia found herself positioned alongside fellow young urban female singers like Brandy, Monica, and Beyoncé. Yet Keyshia had an edge over her peers a street edge. Having grown up in Oakland and lived there most of her young life, she knew life wasn't all glitter and gold like it was in Hollywood. She knew the streets, and that innercity viewpoint informs many of her songs, which are generally a bit rougher and less naïve than those of your typical young female urban vocalist.

- Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide