Kehlani Biography

Kehlani is a contemporary R&B singer which rose to prominence thanks to the soundtrack “Gangsta”. She achieved initial fame with the teen pop group “PopLyfe” as a finalist on America’s Got Talent.

Early Life

Raised mostly by her aunt, Kehlani Ashley Parrish was born in Oakland, California on April 24, 1995. She started training as a dancer at the Oakland School for the Arts and later at the Juilliard School but quit after an injury and focused on singing. 

Music Beginnings and Struggles

Kehlani was the lead vocalist of the group called “PopLyfe”. The group auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” during its twelfth run where they finished fourth place. After leaving the group because of a contractual dispute she was left homeless between 2012 and 2013, sleeping where she could find shelter. At the request of “America’s Got Talent” host Nick Cannon, she joined a rap group in Los Angeles but left shortly after because of disagreements regarding the direction of the group. She was contacted again by Cannon, and this time she was provided with an apartment and the chance to start recording music.

Road to her First Album

She released her first mixtape “Cloud 19” in 2014. In 2015 she was the opening act for rapper G-Eazy’s “From the Bay to the Universe” tour. The same year she released her second mixtape “You Should Be Here” debuting at number 5 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Kehlani was soon after signed to Atlantic Records and supported her mixtape with a tour that was sold out in the US and Europe dates. In 2016 she was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Urban Contemporary Album”. “Gangsta” was one of the soundtracks of the highly anticipated “Suicide Squad” movie which propelled her on the map even more, reaching the Hot 100. Her first album “SweetSexySavage” was released in January, 2017 under Atlantic Records.

Photo credit: Kehlanimusic.com