KELIS

Background: Kelis Jones-Rogers (Kelis) was born on August 21, 1979. Raised in Harlem, NY, she is the daughter of a jazz musician father and fashion designer mother. She was encouraged to express herself through music at an early age, and played several instruments and sang in church choirs throughout her childhood. At age sixteen she enrolled in the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. It was here that she formed her first band, an R&B group called BLU (Black Ladies United). Style of Music: Although her style of music is rooted in the R&B and hip-hop traditions, Kelis considers herself a versatile musician. She has worked with artists of many different genres in her career. Although people in the music industry have attempted to define her in many different ways, Kelis believes she is simply a musician who expresses herself freely without regard for genre or category. Career: Kelis started her career by forming a band with legendary production duo "The Neptunes". She quickly became well known in hip-hop and R&B circles and collaborated with many artists, many times performing backup vocals or as a featured singer on individual tracks. She has performed with artists such as Busta Rhymes, Foxy Brown and the late Old Dirty Bastard, to name just a few. Mainstream Success: Kelis achieved mainstream success in 2003 with the release of her album "Tasty", which featured the smash hit single "Milkshake". The album sold 400,000 copies in the first two months and she received a nomination for a Grammy Award the following year. The album and single have since gone gold, selling more than 500,000 copies each. She has also released three other original albums, each with varying levels of success. Most recently she released a greatest hits collection titled "The Hits". Personal Life: Kelis is married to hip-hop superstar Nas. They have produced a reality show about their life for MTV called "Mr. and Mrs. Jones". She recently graduated from culinary school and is currently writing a cookbook. She also has her own line of fashion accessories called "Cake".