While many musicians can remember the musical encounter that led them to a career in the field, Emily King was exposed to the greats from the time she was in the womb. She is the daughter of two famous jazz singers, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti, who took King with them to hear and meet all of the jazz greats from the time she was a youngster. With a history like that, it is no wonder that King went into the family business. Her unique take on life is bolstered by her Italian and African American heritage.

King grew up on New York City's East side. She struggled in school, mostly because she already knew what career path she wanted to follow. She finally broke free from school by getting her GED at the age of 16 and started pursuing music full time. Along with her smooth voice, King also started developing her songwriting skills. She also took an unconventional songwriting path, choosing to mostly focus on subjects other than relationships.

Along the way, she met Chucky Thomson from Bad Boy Entertainment, who had worked with stars like Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige. He helped her sign with J Records. She released her debut album, East Side Story, in 2006 and the single "Walk in My Shoes" came soon after. One listen to her album shows that there is depth to this young songstress. She wrote "Business Man" about capitalism without compassion. It was the first track she wrote after finishing her GED. She also poured her own experience into the album with tracks like "Colorblind," which holds a special place in King's album since she is biracial. With the amount of talent that King has, she is sure to be around the music scene for years to come.