Keyshia Myeshia Cole[1] (born October 15, 1981)[2] is an American
recording artist. She released her platinum selling debut album The
Way It Is in June 2005, and her sophomore platinum album Just Like
You in September 2007. Cole's third studio album, A Different Me
was released on December 16, 2008, and is also certified platinum.
She is also known for her reality/documentary series Keyshia Cole:
The Way It Is which aired on BET from 2006 to 2008, which depicted
Cole navigating both her career and strained relationships with her
biological mother and sister. Cole cites Mary J Blige and Brandy
as her biggest influences and inspirations.
Keyshia Myeshia Cole was born on October 15, 1981 in Oakland, California,
where she was also raised. Cole was born to Francine "Frankie" Lons
and Sal, her deceased father. She was later adopted by Yvonne Cole
and her husband's family-friends who raised her. Along with her brother
Sean, Keyshia was first introduced to the music industry at the age
of 12, when she met and recorded with MC Hammer.[3][4][5][6] She
later formed a friendship with Tupac Shakur, who promised to help
start her singing career before he died unexpectedly. Cole moved
to Los Angeles when she was 18 to pursue a music career. In 2002,
she attracted the attention of A&M Records executive Ron Fair,
who signed her and began mentoring her. She would later release a
mixtape in 2004.
Before being signed, Cole collaborated with artists from her native
Bay Area, among them D'Wayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone and Messy
Marv.
In anticipation of her debut album, Keyshia and DJ Green Lantern
released a mixtape, Team Invasion Presents Keyshia Cole, in June
2005. It featured appearances by Shyne, Remy Ma, Fat Joe and Ghostface
Killah. The mixtape was composed mostly of songs recorded over popular
hip-hop instrumentals, including 2Pac's "I Get Around",
Nas' "Ether", Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones (Part II)" and
Scarface's "Guess Who's Back", among others. The singles "(I
Just Want It) To Be Over", a remix of "I Changed My Mind",
and "I Should Have Cheated" were also included.
2004–2005: The Way It Is
Cole's debut single, "Never", featuring Eve, was released
on March 23, 2004 to promote the soundtrack to the film, Barbershop
2: Back in Business. The single failed to chart, and Cole proceeded
to record her debut album for the rest of 2004 and into early 2005. "Never" eventually
became the final song on The Way It Is.
On November 9, 2004, Cole released her first single, "I Changed
My Mind", featuring Kanye West. The single reached #71 in the
US, and was not a huge hit for Cole. The second single from the album, "(I
Just Want It) To Be Over", was released on April 5, 2005, and
reached #1 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 (#101).
Cole completed her debut album in early 2005. The Way It Is was
released on June 21, 2005. It debuted at number six on the Billboard
200, selling 89,000 copies in the first week of release.[7] It has
since sold 1.4 million copies in the US, receiving a Platinum certification
from the RIAA.
The third single from the album, "I Should Have Cheated" was
released on August 3, 2005, and reached #30 on the Hot 100. The fourth
and final single, "Love" was released on January 6, 2006
and reached #19 on the Hot 100. It has been regarded as Cole's "breakthrough
single" by many.
2006-2007: Just like You
Cole began work on her second album in early 2006, shortly after
the release of her debut album. She was featured on the single "Last
Night" by Diddy, which was the third single from his fourth
studio album, Press Play. The recording of her second album was documented
on her reality TV show, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is in late 2006
and early 2007.
Cole's sophomore album, Just like You, was due for a release on
July 8, 2007, but wasn't released until September 25, 2007. It featured
the singles "Let It Go" featuring Missy Elliott and Lil'
Kim, "Shoulda Let You Go" featuring Amina, "I Remember",
and "Heaven Sent". Other guest artists included Too $hort,
Anthony Hamilton, Young Dro, and T.I.
Just like You debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling
281,000 copies in its first week, and has proceeded to sell 1.6 million
copies in the US, earning a Platinum certification from the RIAA,
like her debut. The album was nominated for four Grammys, Best Contemporary
R&B Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2008 Grammy
Awards and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B
Song at the 2009 Grammy Awards, however Cole failed to win any of
them.
The lead single from the album, "Let It Go", featuring
Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim, was released on June 19, 2007. The single
is Cole's most successful single to date, as it reached #7 in the
US. The second single, "Shoulda Let You Go", featuring
and introducing Cole's best friend Amina, was released on October
19, 2007, and was mildly successful, by reaching #41 in the US.
The third single from the album, "I Remember" was released
on December 5, 2007. The single was highly successful, by reaching
#24 in the US. The fourth and final single was the critically acclaimed "Heaven
Sent", was released on March 7, 2008. It reached #1 on the Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for nine weeks, and #28 in the US.
Cole was featured on Jaheim's third single, "I've Changed",
off his fourth album, The Makings of a Man.
2008–2009: A Different Me
In 2008, Cole made guest appearances on songs such as "I Got
a Thang for You" with rapper Trina on her album Still Da Baddest
and "Boyfriend/Girlfriend" with hip-hop band C-Side on
their album Class In Session. She also made a guest appearance in
the music video for "She Got Her Own", by singers Ne-Yo
Jamie Foxx and Destiny McMorris-McCall and in the song "Game's
Pain" by Compton-based rapper The Game.
Cole is also featured on the charity song "Just Stand Up",
which was released in August 2008 and raises money for cancer research
along with various pop, hip-hop, and R&B artists that year. As
a result of SU2C fund raising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory
committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research
was able to award 73.6 million dollars towards novel, groundbreaking
cancer research.[8]
Cole embarked on the I Am Music Tour with Keri Hilson, Lil' Wayne,
and T-Pain from December 2008 to February 2009.
She released her third studio album, A Different Me, on December
16, 2008. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling
322,000 copies in its first week.[9] The album has gone on to sell
over 850,000 copies in the US, receiving a gold certification from
the RIAA. The album is Keyshia's least successful album to date.
The album was preceded by lead single "Playa Cardz Right",
featuring the late rapper 2Pac, which was released on October 28,
2008, and reached #63 on the Hot 100. The second single from the
album, "You Complete Me", was released on January 20, 2009,
and reached #62 on the Hot 100, making the first and second singles
mild hits.
Cole released the third and final single from the album, "Trust",
a duet with Monica, on May 5, 2009, and reached #5 on the Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and #70 on the US Hot 100. The fourth
single from A Different Me was confirmed as "This is Us",
and was due for a release in September 2009, but it was never released,
due to Cole's pregnancy.
Cole was on the cover of the March 2009 issue of Vibe, and was on
the cover of the Summer 2009 final double-cover issue of King. Keyshia
and Yvonne Cole appeared on the June issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine.
In 2009, she also made a guest appearance on Keri Hilson's "Get
Your Money Up" from her debut album In a Perfect World….
Keyshia began work on her fourth studio album in early 2009 also
with Jasmyne.
She also toured with Keri Hilson, The-Dream and Bobby Valentino
on the A Different Me Tour.
2010-present: Calling All Hearts
In August 2009, Keyshia Cole announced that she was beginning work
on her fourth studio album Calling All Hearts[10] which will be released
by Winter of 2010. The new album is said to contain production from
KrucialKeyz, The Runners, Kanye West, and Missy Elliott.[11] Cole
was featured on the remix of R. Kelly's single "Number One" along
with T-Pain. She is also currently listed as one of the inspirations
for Pepsi: We Inspire.[12] Cole also worked with Gucci Mane on the
song "Bad, Bad, Bad" from The State vs Radric Davis. On
June 27, 2010 she returned to the spotlight for her first televised
appearance since the birth of her son, filling in for Hayley Williams
to sing the chorus to B.o.B.'s "Airplanes (Part II)", featuring
Eminem during the 2010 BET Awards. Cole featured on Faith Evans album
Something About Faith. In September 2010 Cole stated that her fourth
studio album will be released on December 21, 2010. The album's first
single entitled, I Ain't Thru, features Nicki Minaj and was released
by Keyshia herself via Twitter on October 15, 2010. The album's second
single entitled, "Long Way Down" was released November
19, 2010. She is no longer represented by Imani Entertainment. She
is now represented by Ashley Fox Management.
Other ventures
Acting career
In 2005 Keyshia Cole starred as herself in the dance movie How She
Move.[13]
Reality TV
Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is
In conjunction with her album release, BET began airing the second
season of Cole's reality show Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is on October
30, 2007. The show premiered to record breaking ratings for BET.
It is the top returning series premiere in BET history, as well as
the number one original series premiere of the year. A reported 2.9
million viewers and 2.0 million households watched the season 2 finale.
It is now the #1 series telecast in BET history.[14] Season 3 of
the series was filmed in Summer 2008 and premiered on November 11,
2008. The show was rumored to be having a fourth season, however;
Cole has concluded that there will not be a fourth season. On Tuesday,
August 25, 2009, Cole's mother and sister debuted their own reality
show titled Frankie & Neffe on BET. Their show's season finale
aired on Tuesday, October 6, 2009.
Personal life
In 2006, Cole dated rapper Young Jeezy. Their relationship ended
after a declined proposal; however, there has been conflicting reports
on either side as to who actually proposed. Jeezy claimed that Cole
proposed to him in a Vibe article, while Cole asserted in an Essence
article that she turned down a proposal from him.[15]
In March 2009, Cole began dating Daniel Gibson of the NBA's Cleveland
Cavaliers.[16] and later became engaged to him. On February 4, 2010,
the pregnant Cole was hospitalized for precautionary reasons.[17]
On March 1, 2010 Cole was admitted into the hospital with labor pains.
One of Keyshia's closest friends, R&B singer Monica, confirmed
the labor situation via her official twitter page.[18]
On March 2, 2010, Cole gave birth to her first child, a boy, named
Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr.[19] Keyshia currently resides in Ohio and
Georgia. Keyshia and Daniel are currently engaged and are planning
to get married in March.
Discography
Main article: Keyshia Cole discography
* The Way It Is (2005)
* Just like You (2007)
* A Different Me (2008)
* Calling All Hearts (2010)
Tours
* Dreamin' Tour (performing with Young Jeezy) (2007)
* Double Up Tour (opening for R.Kelly) (2007)
* I Am Music Tour (opening for Lil Wayne) (2008)
* A Different Me Tour (headliner) (2009)
Filmography
Television
Year Title
2005 All of Us (Guest Appearance)
2006–2008 Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is
2008–2010 Snoop Dogg's Father Hood (Guest Appearance)
Paris Hilton's My New BFF (Guest Appearance)
BET's 106 and Park (Guest Appearance)
BET Awards
Films
* How She Move (2008) - Herself
* ATL 2 (2011) - TBA
Awards and nominations
Year Award/nomination
2005 Win Vibe Award (Tied with Young Jeezy) for Next Award
Vibe Award Nomination for R&B Voice of the Year & Vibe Vixen
NAACP Image Awards Nomination for Best New Artist
2006 BET Awards Nomination for Best Female R&B Artist & Viewer's
Choice
Soul Train Awards Nomination for Best Female R&B/Soul Single & Best
Female R&B/Soul Album
American Music Awards Nomination for Favorite Female Artist
2007 Soul Train Music Awards Nomination for Best Female R&B/Soul
Single
Urban Music Awards Nomination for Best Collaboration 2007
BET Awards Nomination for Best Collaboration
Win ASCAP Award for R&B/Hip Hop Song ("Love")
2008 Grammy Awards Nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Let
It Go")
Grammy Awards Nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album (Just
Like You)
BET Awards Nomination for Best Female R&B Artist
BET Awards Nomination for Best Collaboration ("Let It Go")
BET Awards Nomination for Viewer's Choice Award
Early Entertainment Awards Win for Video of The Week (Heaven Sent)
2009 Grammy Awards Nomination for Best R&B Song (Heaven Sent)
Grammy Awards Nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
(Heaven Sent)
BET Awards Nomination for Best Female R&B Artist
American Music Award Nomination for Favorite Female R&B/Soul
Artist
Soul Train Music Award Nomination for Best Collaboration (Trust feat.
Monica)