Kehlani

“I really hate finding out people that show love really be talking crazy behind the scenes. bitch buck up and hate me wit ur chest.” – Kehlani

Who Is She?

Kehlani Ashley Parrish is a native of Oakland, CA known widely known for her R&B musical singing career. Born April 24, 1995 Kehlani originally started off in a teen group by the name of Poplyfe where they were the top finalist on America’s Got Talent finishing at number 4. Kehlani’s family dynamics were not the easiest growing up with her father passing away when she was just a baby to her mother serving prison time during Kehlani’s childhood year in which both her parents had a struggling addiction with drugs. So she was taken in by her Aunt and put into the Oakland School for the Arts where she studied dance but had an injury and could no longer pursue that route so she fell back on music. In which she was inspired by artists like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott. And with the encouragement of Simon Cowell to start her own solo career Kehlani did just that and four years later she signed with Atlantic Records with the help of Nick Cannon who met Kehlani on America’s Got Talent and was interested in her musical talents brought her to LA where she could start her musical journey with ease. Here is where her journey started from a small town girl from the city of Oakland to the stage of America’s Got Talent all the way to Hollywood Hills and sold out arenas around the world this is how it began and how it is now going.

Path to Stardom

Her first commercial mixtape was “Cloud 19” (2014) listed on Complex’s “50 Best Albums of 2014” and her second mixtape “You Should Be Here” (2015) debuting at #5 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart which was what really jump started her career and made her an international icon and is still popular to this day. This mixtape was so big that the tour for it sold-out in all of North America. Rolling Stone even named her on the “10 New Artist You Need to Know” in 2015. Which led to her being nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album (2016). Between times Kehlani was featured on the movie Suicide Squad with her hit track “Gangsta” reaching number 41 on the Hot 100. It was not until two years later after her second mixtape that Kehlani finally released a studio album, SweetSexySavage. Receiving achievements like #47 on The 50 Best Albums of 2017 and #9 20 Best R&B Albums of 2017. From then she keep topping the charts with her singles and features. Her song with Cardi B, “Ring” coming in at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and her mixtape, “While We Wait” debuting at #9 on the US Billboard 200. And her latest masterpiece being her new and second studio album that was just released this past spring It Was Good Until It Wasn’t with three major top hits “Toxic”, “Everybody Business”, and “F&MU” and continues to gain recognition by the day.

Why I Stan Baelani!

First her Kehlani is a fellow queer queen that is unapologetically herself! She is such a precious soul that is always giving back to her community and supporting those around her with positivity. Donating to charities for the Lgbtq community in addition to George Floyd this past summer and even volunteering to past out food to the homeless during the pandemic. Though she is very talented she is much more than her talent she is light and love everything that she touches turns to gold. I love how she is vulnerable with who she is as a person outside of her fame her humbleness is truly inspiring. Like her music she has her own rhythm and blues that is perfectly tuned!

Similar Artist

Bibliography

Golden, Zara. “Meet Kehlani, A Soft-Hearted R&B Star Who Looks Like A Badass.” The FADER, The FADER, 25 Apr. 2018, www.thefader.com/2015/03/11/kehlani-says-drink-your-water. 

 

 

Macias, Karina. “Kehlani To Help Various Bay Area Organizations During COVID-19.” 106.1 KMEL, 22 Apr. 2020, kmel.iheart.com/content/2020-04-22-kehlani-to-help-various-bay-area-organizations-during-covid-19/. 

 

 

Pearce, by: Sheldon, et al. “Kehlani.” Pitchfork, pitchfork.com/artists/32908-kehlani/. 

 

 

“Kehlani.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, www.forbes.com/profile/kehlani/. 

 

 

Artistic Fuel. “Kehlani and Five Other Artists from Oakland to Know.” Artistic Fuel, 5 May 2020, www.artisticfuel.com/music/kehlani-oakland-artists/. 

 

 

Kellman, Andy. “Kehlani: Awards.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/kehlani-mn0003226468/awards. 

 

 

“Kehlani.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm1351445/awards. 

 

 

Dukovic, Pari. “Kehlani Is Ready to Give You Something to Talk About.” Vulture, 8 May 2020, www.vulture.com/2020/05/kehlani-profile-it-was-good-until-it-wasnt.html. 

 

 

Cragg, Michael. “R&B Star Kehlani: ‘You Can’t Believe That Everybody Means What They Say about You’.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 May 2020, www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/30/kehlani-good-until-it-wasnt-music-toxic-should-be-here. 

 

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