KELIS

'Kelis Rogers-Jones' (born 'Kelis Rogers' on August 21 1979^[1]), professionally known as 'Kelis', is an American R&B singer and songwriter.

Contents

Biography

Music career

''Kaleidoscope'' (1999)

''Wanderland'' (2001)

''Tasty'' (2003)

''Kelis Was Here'' (2006)

Current activities

Arrest

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

References

External links

Biography

Kelis was born and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Her first name, pronounced , is a combination of the name of her father Kenneth and of her mother Eveliss. Kenneth is an African-American jazz musician, a Pentecostal minister, and a professor at Wesleyan University.^[2] Eveliss is a Chinese-Puerto Rican fashion designer, who inspired Kelis to pursue her singing career.
As a child, she sang in church choirs and played violin, piano, and saxophone while attending Manhattan Country School, a private school. Kelis left home at age sixteen, but continued her education at age sixteen when she went to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she formed R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United). After graduation, she formed a band with The Neptunes and, with their support, landed herself a record deal.
She has since worked with a variety of musicians including Gravediggaz, Busta Rhymes, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim, OutKast, P. Diddy, Mondo Grosso, Usher, LFO, Moby, Richard X, Timo Maas, Björk, No Doubt, Enrique Iglesias, Sean Paul, Too $hort, and her husband, Nas. Her most notable duets were popular singles and music videos, even in the U.S., during 1999 and the early 2000s decade. These include the following: "What It Is" with Busta Rhymes, "Candy" with Foxy Brown, and "Got Your Money" with Ol' Dirty Bastard, with whom she was initially discovered beatboxing in a video of his.

Music career

''Kaleidoscope'' (1999)

Main articles: Kaleidoscope (Kelis album)

Kelis began recording her debut album, ''Kaleidoscope'', in late 1998 and was finished within a year. The album was produced by The Neptunes members Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. It debuted at number one hundred and forty-four on the ''Billboard'' 200 and reached the top fifty on the Top Heatseekers, selling over 10,736 copies in its first week of release. The album has since sold just 249,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its lead and most notable single, "Caught out There", peaked at number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and became a minor MTV/BET video hit. The entire album really took off in Europe, where all three singles — "Caught out There", "Good Stuff" (featuring Terrar of Clipse), and "Get Along with You" — were sizable hits. Kelis's colorful style in both clothing and hair received considerable attention.
"Caught out There" entered the UK Singles Chart at number four. With its success, it was decided that another single should be released. A second single, "Good Stuff", was a modest hit, securing a number nineteen position on the UK Singles Chart, although the third release, "Get Along with You", only reached number fifty-one in the United Kingdom, despite Kelis promoting the track there. According to the BPI, a British music charts organization, ''Kaleidoscope'' went Gold, selling over 100,000 copies in the UK, where it reached number forty-three on the UK Albums Chart. Furthermore, Kelis won the BRIT Award for "International Breakthrough Act" in 2001. Her biggest market was in Europe, where a combination of rap and R&B intermixed with rock and roll, and other genres were readily accepted. Australia and Asia were also easy markets for Kelis.

''Wanderland'' (2001)

Main articles: Wanderland

Her second album, ''Wanderland'', was released two years later exclusively in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, after its lead single, "Young, Fresh n' New", failed to catch on in the U.S. The video for the song barely registered on American MTV or VH1, but got heavy play on MTV2 (as well as on MuchMusic in Canada). According to Kelis, she and then-American record company Virgin did not like ''Wanderland''. The record executives at Virgin felt the album material didn't have strong enough singles. Unlike those of her debut, ''Wanderland's sales were mediocre, at just 80,000 copies worldwide, and the only single to be released off the album, "Young, Fresh n' New", reached only number thirty-two in the UK.
Kelis, who had moved to Europe during her successful period there, began touring with U2 on their European tour, and in the United States with Moby during his Area:One tour. It was in the U.S. that she met rapper Nas, and the couple got married on January 8, 2005.

''Tasty'' (2003)

Main articles: Tasty

Kelis finally found mainstream success in the U.S. in 2003, with her Hot Dance Music/Club Play number-one, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top five single, "Milkshake"; this helped to propel her third album, ''Tasty'', to sell over 400,000 copies in the U.S in only two months. It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination in 2004 for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance". Although The Neptunes contributed a number of tracks to the album, Kelis began collaborating with other producers, such as Dallas Austin, André 3000, Rockwilder, and Raphael Saadiq, producing an altogether more eclectic sound. According to Nielsen SoundScan numbers, the album has sold 528,000 copies in the United States and has gained Gold status in the U.S., where "Milkshake" also went Gold, selling over 500,000 copies.
The single and album immediately found success in Europe. According to the BPI, ''Tasty'' went Platinum in the United Kingdom, selling over 300,000 copies, and the hit single "Milkshake" went Silver, selling over 200,000 units—it was the fourteenth best-selling single in the UK in 2004. The album's second single, the Dallas Austin-produced "Trick Me", also proved successful on radio and music video channels in Europe and went to the top ten in many European countries during mid-2004. However, the song did not garner success in the U.S., where its music video barely received airplay. "Trick Me" was important because The Neptunes were, for once, not involved in its production. Kelis's success grew in Australia, where the album ''Tasty'' went Gold (selling over 35,000 copies), and where "Milkshake" and "Trick Me" went Platinum (selling over 70,000 copies each).
"Not in Love", Kelis's collaboration with Enrique Iglesias from his 2003 album, ''7'', was released as a single the following year, reaching number five in the UK. Although the single didn't enter the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it peaked at number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Kelis followed the success of the third ''Tasty'' single, "Millionaire" (featuring André 3000), with the Rockwilder-produced, sexually suggestive track "In Public" (featuring Nas). The single was a UK-only release, going to number seventeen on the chart with no video.
During this time, she collaborated with Björk on a remix of the first single from ''Medúlla'', "Oceania", which appeared as a B-side to the album's second single, "Who Is It". With the success of ''Tasty'', Kelis went on tour as the opening act for Britney Spears's The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004.

''Kelis Was Here'' (2006)

Main articles: Kelis Was Here

Kelis' fourth studio album, ''Kelis Was Here'' (originally due to be called ''The Puppeteer''), was released in August 2006, and debuted and peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200. Despite the top ten debut, the album has sold only 126,000 copies in the United States as of November 2006, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its lead single, "Bossy" (featuring Too $hort), achieved frequent airplay on urban radio and was a moderate hit in the U.S., peaking at number sixteen. The album includes production credits by Scott Storch, Cee-Lo Green, Raphael Saadiq, will.i.am, Max Martin & Dr. Luke, Knobody, Polow da Don, Damon Elliott, Cool and Dre, Sean Garrett, and Bangladesh. Unlike on Kelis's previous albums, the producers The Neptunes are not featured at all, and Kelis said that was "very important to me", but said it was purely a business decision and has no ill will towards Williams or Hugo. ''Kelis Was Here'' was nominated for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
The second single from the album, which was pushed by her American label (Jive Records), although without a properly physical release, was the collaboration with Nas, "Blindfold Me". The song failed to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and reached only number ninety-one on the R&B chart. Afterwards, her European label (Virgin) decided not to release this single and to go instead with the Cee-Lo-featured "Lil' Star", which was another hit for Kelis in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three. In the UK, ''Kelis Was Here'' has shipped 60,000 copies and earned a Silver ceritification from the BPI. It charted at number forty-one only, but following the popularity of "Lil' Star", it re-entered the albums chart in February 2007. According to the ARIA, ''Kelis Was Here'' has gone Gold, selling 35,000 despite the fact the album had a low debut of only ninety-six on the Australian chart.
Kelis collaborated with Busta Rhymes and will.i.am on the track "I Love My Chick", the second single from Rhymes' 2006 album, ''The Big Bang''. This was the second time Kelis has teamed up with Rhymes, with the first time being on his 2002 song "What It Is". Kelis is also featured on the soundtrack to the dance film ''Step Up'' with a song called "80's Joint".

Current activities

Kelis is writing a cookbook and designing her own line of fashion accessories, called Cake.^[3] She is also working with Ashanti on a high-heeled shoes line called KeShany Heels.^[4]
Ford has chosen Kelis to help advertise the 2007 Ford Edge. She has recorded a theme song for the commercial, called "Push It to the Edge", with help from Grammy Award-nominated producer Scott Storch.^[5]
Also, Kelis and her husband Nas have signed a contract with MTV to record a reality show called ''Mr. and Mrs. Jones'' during his tour throughout the U.S. in support of his latest studio album, ''Hip Hop Is Dead''.^[6]
Kelis is set to be working with Annie Lennox on a duet for the Eurythmics' new album, due to release in late November. Artists such as Pink, Mary J. Blige, and Madonna will also appear on the album.^[7]
During the summer, Kelis will be touring in Europe, appearing in numerous festivals among France, the UK, and Germany. She has begun work on her fifth album, according to the website IndieLondon.co.uk.^[8] Scottish electronic producer Calvin Harris has said he may be collaborating with her.^[9]

Arrest

Kelis was arrested early morning on March 2, 2007 in Miami Beach, Florida. According to the police report, two female officers were working on an undercover operation in South Beach as prostitutes. The singer started screaming racial obscenities at the women and was immediately restrained by her friends. Kelis was detained and charged with two misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and for resisting arrest without violence and was taken to Miami-Dade County Jail, where she was later released on a $1,500 bail bond.^[10]

Discography

Main articles: Kelis discography

Albums

★ 1999: ''Kaleidoscope''

★ 2001: ''Wanderland''

★ 2003: ''Tasty''

★ 2006: ''Kelis Was Here''

★ 2007: Kelis' fifth studio album

Singles

Year	Single	Album
1999	"Caught out There"	''Kaleidoscope''
	"Good Stuff" (featuring Terrar)
	"Get Along with You"
2001	"Young, Fresh n' New"	''Wanderland''
2003	"Milkshake"	''Tasty''
2004	"Trick Me"
	"Millionaire" (featuring André 3000)
2005	"In Public" (featuring Nas)
2006	"Bossy" (featuring Too $hort)	''Kelis Was Here''
	"Blindfold Me" (featuring Nas)
2007	"Lil' Star" (featuring Cee-Lo)

See also

★ List of African Americans

★ List of Chinese Americans

★ List of Puerto Ricans

★ List of number-one dance hits (United States)

★ List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

★ List of artists who reached number one in Ireland

References

1. Nas and Gray Help Kelis Celebrate Birthday
2. Question time: Kelis
3. KELIS TO LAUNCH CLOTHING LINE & COOK BOOK
4. Exclusive Kelis interview
5. Ford Chooses Kelis To Push Edge
6. Nas Shrugs Off Kelis Arrest, Gets His 'Greedy On' With Tour, New Album
7. Annie Lennox To Collaborate With Madonna On New Album
8. O2 Wireless Festival 2007: Air and Kelis join bill
9. Then Calvin created disco
10. Singer Kelis Arrested After Making Racial Slurs to Police

External links

★ Official U.S. website

★ Official UK website

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