Keyshia Cole Biography

You'd better bet that Keyshia Cole keeps it real, and won't take disrespect lightly-or at all. As one of hip-hop's brightest rising stars, she's attracted a following that appreciates her soulful lyrics and the grit behind her honey-sweet voice. If you need proof she's a girl of steel, you could ask her former boyfriend, who she caught cheating in the early ‘00s. A couple minutes later, she wasn't just over it-she was gone, with her bags packed and the accelerator pressed to the floor. Destination - Los Angeles. More specifically - The Big Time.It didn't take her long after arriving to secure a record deal, but that's not to say the climb to the top has been an easy one. On the contrary, it's been a tooth-and-nail scrap of rehearsing, performing and impressing. It all started in Oakland, where Keyshia grew up. Before she was 12, she recorded alongside MC Hammer, bowling him over with her vocal range. But it took her a move to L.A. to find a professional role in the music industry. Her debut, 2005's The Way It Is, attracted a bevy of hip-hop's biggest names to work alongside, including Kanye West, Alicia Keys and producers Ron Fair and E-Poppi. On "I Changed My Mind," a collaboration with West, Keyshia talks about a guy she's devoted to, but is more into himself than their relationship. When he makes it clear his demands come before what she wants for her life, she makes it clear she's leaving.In an industry where women are often just models or playthings for male artists, Keyshia is a strong feminine voice, not afraid to embrace her sexuality, but also clear that she's no one's toy. Songs like "I Should Have Cheated" get that point across right away, "You can't accuse me of all the things/you know that you are guilty of/And I see that it is easy for you to blame/everything on me/If that's the case I should go have my fun/and do all the things you say I do."Keyshia continues to release new songs that prove she's an evolving artist, developing her sound and public persona. But she's already wise beyond her years, and her music carries the wisdom gained from the romantic drama that naturally comes from asserting who you are in a relationship.