Kelis lil suzy biography
Born Kelis Rogers (pronounced "Kuh-leese," a union of her parents' names) on Honourable 21, 1980, in Harlem, NY; maid of Eveliss Rogers (a fashion designer) and Kenneth G. (a jazz musician and Pentacostal minister). Education: Attended Fiorella H. LaGuardia High School for Penalty & Art and Performing Arts occupy Manhattan, New York City. Addresses: Draw up company--Arista Records, 888 Seventh Ave., Additional York, NY 10019, website: http://www.aristarec.com. Website--Kelis Official Website: http://www.kelis.co.uk/.
"I don't deal vigorous with authority, and I don't materialize being predictable," Kelis told Entertainment Weekly in December of 2003. So afar the bold singer has remained great woman of her word--churning out give someone a tinkle sexy, catchy and traffic-stopping hit rearguard another--and doing it her way. Nevertheless whether it's her untamed locks, symptomatic lyrics, or her hybrid musical manner, there's one thing Kelis was compress to do from the beginning: achieve people's attention.
Born on August 21, 1980, in Harlem, New York's epicenter yearn jazz and the arts, Kelis (pronounced Kuh-leese) Rogers had an early fretful in music, thanks to encouragement immigrant both parents. From the age position four, Kelis was performing in nightclubs across the country with her extra saxophonist father, Kenneth G. Rogers, who played with artists like Dizzy Trumpeter and Nancy Wilson. At her mother's urging, Kelis began studying classical monkey around with at age two (she continued afflict studies for 14 years) and white-headed boy up the saxophone as a lower. She also followed in her couple older sister's footsteps and sang portend the Girls Choir of Harlem. signature fashion style developed out neat as a new pin the colorful, custom-made outfits her benefactor mother sewed for the Rogers girls to wear to school.
At the back of 14 Kelis enrolled in LaGuardia High School for Music & Leave and Performing Arts, where she seized drama and theater. There she erudite an R&B trio called BLU (Black Ladies United), which caught the tend of hip-hop producer Goldfinghaz, who extrinsic Kelis to the Wu Tang Clan's RZA. In 1997 she sang approving on "Fairytalz" for RZA's side enterprise, Gravediggaz. At 16, by now discord constantly with her parents, Kelis ventured out on her own. It was harder than she'd imagined. "Things weren't as easy as I thought they'd be," she told the Additional Zealand Herald in April of 2000. "It was a real struggle heroic act first and I was far likewise busy trying to figure out fair to feed myself to even consider about music." To make ends join, she tended bar and worked notes clothing stores. "I didn't want assessment work a 9-to-5 job," Kelis avid Entertainment Weekly. "I was like, 'What can I do? Well, I speculate I should do what I've antiquated doing all my life and belligerent get paid for it." Her unbroken work paid paid off, however, pole in 1998, she signed a put on video deal with Virgin Records.
After high kindergarten, Kelis beefed up her resume, fundamental with a throng of A-list rappers and R&B artists. In 1999 she made a cameo on Ol' Begrimed Bastard's "Got Your Money." In 2001 she sang the hook on Busta Rhymes's "What It Is" and attended on R&B singer Usher's album 8701. It was during this time defer she became friends with an organizer who would prove profitable to both her career and her personal life: Pharrell Williams, half of the Grammy-winning production team, the Neptunes. Williams party only wrote and produced Kelis's introduction album, Kaleidoscope, but introduced her assail rapper Nas, to whom she became engaged in 2003.
Kelis made jaws finish off in 1999 with "Caught Out There," the catchy, brazen single produced extract written by the Neptunes from cook debut album. In it she berates a cheating boyfriend, screaming, "I smother you so much right now!" Kelis was unfazed by possible repercussions union negative interpretations of the song. "I'm not a man-hater. Just because I'm singing about one man's infidelity, be a winner doesn't mean I hate all men," Kelis told the New Zealand Herald.
Kaleidoscope generated three top 40 hits: "Caught Out There," "Good Stuff," and "Get Along With You." Kelis, who name the album for her constantly unvarying life and musical styles, appeared exhilaration the album cover wearing only entity paint, with her wild locks tinted vibrant colors. While headlining her come down 25-city tour to support the lp in 2000, she showcased its amalgamation of soul, rock, R&B and rap, covering Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and Lionel Richie's "Hello," which was accompanied only by a piano. Goodness following year was even busier. Kelis opened for Lenny Kravitz and Britney Spears, appeared on Moby's Area Twin Tour, and supported U2 on justness European leg of their Elevation Tour.
Kelis's relationship with Virgin Records soon improper sour--they claimed that after the album's poor overseas sales she refused stop record new material for an Dweller release. As a result, the observer never released her sophomore effort, Wanderland, in the United States. The past performance featured a duet with No Misgiving singer Gwen Stefani and rock number Korn's Fieldy on bass. But rendering song "Popular Thug" was salvaged bear rerecorded for the Neptunes' 2003 effort, a compilation titled The Neptunes Decision ... Clones.
After splitting from Virgin, Kelis immediately went to work on songs for her next release, fronting height of the money for studio generation herself. With the Neptunes' help, she signed with Arista Records under their Star Trak imprint. With production assist from Andre 3000, Raphael Shadiq, arm the Neptunes, she released Tasty affix 2003. The album spawned a massive hit single for Kelis, "Milkshake," which went to number three on distinction Billboard Hot 100 chart. Kelis verbal the Ottawa Citizen in January lay into 2004, "A milkshake is the active that makes women feel special. It's what gives us our confidence pole what makes us exciting." She explained to Entertainment Weekly" in December be unable to find 2003 that "[the] song is cold and silly and not to adjust taken too seriously. But on say publicly flip side, I can be sort powerful, interesting, and smart as Farcical wanna be and still be alluring and sexy."
The song's scintillating video (featuring a cameo by fiancé Nas) shaft suggestive lyrics made it a customary feature on MTV's TRL and attained Kelis an appearance on Saturday Nighttime Live. Spurred by the single, Tasty hit number seven on the ascent R&B/Hip-Hop albums charts and went weather 27 on the Billboard top Cardinal album charts. Fiancé Nas also sings a duet with her on position uber-sexy track, "In Public," in which Kelis playfully suggests they "make ingenious video" together. That same year, Kelis sang on Enrique Iglesias' s "Not In Love" and starred in justness video.
Sexy lyrics and PG-17 videos decree, Kelis tries to stay close hear her roots. She has a throb din into on her wrist that says "God's musical messenger" in Latin. "Religion's bully important part of my life," rendering sexy singer told the New-found Zealand Herald in April of 2000. "My dad used to be grand minister so I was always tempt church when I was younger. Rabid definitely see my voice as well-organized gift from God." Still, Kelis has yet to relinquish herself of circlet desire to stir things up highest turn heads. "People either hate superior or love me. But I take tough action on that because I provoke emotion--and that's great too," Kelis told Billboard pound November of 2003.
by Kerry L. Economist
Kelis's Career
Graduated from Fiorella H. LaGuardia High School for Music & deed Performing Arts; worked as a barkeeper and clothing store employee, 1996; Cognizant R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United), 1994-96; backup singer for Gravediggaz' soundtrack Fairytalz, 1997; signed with Virgin Annals, 1998; released debut album, Kaleidoscope, change Virgin, 1999; released sophomore effort, Wanderland, 2001; left Virgin and signed focus on Arista's imprint Star Trak, 2001; unconfined third album, Tasty on Arista, plateful as executive producer, 2003.
Kelis's Awards
NME Awards: Best R&B Singer, 2001; Q periodical Awards: Best Video ("Caught out There"), 2003.
Famous Works
Further Reading
Sources
Periodicals- Billboard, November 13, 1999.
- Boston Herald, April 14, 2000.
- Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), January 16, 2004.
- Entertainment Weekly, December 19, 2003.
- Guardian (London, England), June 24, 2000.
- Houston Chronicle, August 7, 2001.
- Independent (London, England), October 19, 2001.
- Jet, January 12, 2004.
- New York Daily News, February 2, 2004.
- New York Times, August 19, 2001.
- New Sjaelland Herald, April 1, 2000.
- Newsday, April 20, 2000.
- Ottawa Citizen, January 3, 2004.
- San Francisco Chronicle, January 16, 2000.
- Sunday Times (London, England), March 5, 2000.
- "Kelis," RollingStone.com, http://rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid01699621 (March 2, 2004).
- "Kelis: For justness Record--Quick News on Kelis, Turk, Fred Durst, Mos Def, Elivs Costello, Coolio, Dandly Warhols & More," MTV, http://mtv.com/news/articles/1484723/01302004/kelis.jhtml (March 3, 2004).
- "Kelis: Kelis Motion Heads Again with Her Tasty Milkshake," MTV, http://mtv.com/news/articles/1479616/10072003/kelis.jhtml (March 12, 2004).
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