Keyshia Cole

Biography

Keyshia Myeshia Cole (née Johnson; born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Dubbed by music critics as the "Princess of Hip-Hop Soul", Cole's music is rooted in contemporary R&B and hip hop soul, with songwriting that draws on relationships and personal experiences. She possesses a soprano vocal range that has been described by critics as raspy and emotionally expressive.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Cole began pursuing music professionally in the early 2000s after relocating to Los Angeles, working with Bay Area artists and producers before signing with A&M Records. Her debut studio album, The Way It Is (2005), debuted within the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and sold over one million copies in the United States; it spawned the commercially successful singles "I Should Have Cheated" and "Love". The album's success led to the creation of the BET reality television series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, which premiered in July 2006 and chronicled her personal life and career.

Her second album, Just like You (2007), was released through Geffen Records and Interscope Records following the closure of A&M Records and became the best-selling album of her career, debuting at number two and receiving a platinum certification for selling over one million copies in the US. Its lead single, "Let It Go" (featuring Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott), became Cole's highest-charting single as a lead artist, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. Her third album, A Different Me (2008), also sold over one million copies in the US, and was followed by her fourth album, Calling All Hearts, in 2010. Her fifth album, Woman to Woman (2012), featured the Hot 100-charting single "Enough of No Love" (featuring Lil Wayne) and coincided with the BET reality series Keyshia & Daniel: Family First, which chronicled Cole's family life and her work on the album. Her sixth album, Point of No Return (2014), was followed by the BET reality series Keyshia Cole: All In, which chronicled the tour supporting the album.

After departing Interscope, Cole joined the main cast of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood during its fourth season in 2017. That same year, she released her seventh studio album, 11:11 Reset, via Epic Records. In 2019, Cole began hosting the Fox Soul talk show One on One with Keyshia Cole, which aired until 2020, and later established her independent record label Hearts and Stars with the support of BMG. Cole starred in and executive produced the Lifetime biographical film Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story, which premiered in June 2023. Cole co-headlined the Love Hard Tour in 2024 and then led The Way It Is 20th Anniversary Tour from 2025 to 2026.

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