Kelis

Her first name is a portmanteau of her father's name, Kenneth (1944–2000), and her mother's name, Eveliss.

Her father Kenneth was an African-American jazz musician and Pentecostal minister and was formerly a professor at Wesleyan University.

Her mother Eveliss is a Chinese-Puerto Rican fashion designer who inspired Rogers to pursue her singing career.

She has three sisters, two older and one younger.

As a child, Rogers sang in church choirs and played violin, piano, and saxophone while attending Manhattan Country School, a private school.

At 13, she shaved off all of her hair.

In an interview, Rogers says she was kicked out of her parents' house at 16 for bad behavior, stating that she would sometimes clash with her mother, but continued her education at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she formed the R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United).

She was also a bartender and a sales associate at a clothing store before graduating high school.

Inspired by jazz and disco music from the 1970s, the album was met with critical acclaim despite domestic commercial failure; it instead found moderate success on international charts.

Spawning three singles: "Caught Out There", "Good Stuff" (featuring Pusha T), and "Get Along with You", the album reached number 43 on the UK Albums Chart and earned gold certification by the country's British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1979), known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and chef.

She attended New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she learned to play the saxophone and won a spot in the Girls Choir of Harlem.

Upon graduation, Rogers soon landed a role as a backing vocalist for the hip hop group Gravediggaz.

In 1997, Kelis provided background vocals on "Fairytalez", a track on hip hop group Gravediggaz's album The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel.

Afterward, a friend introduced Kelis to The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo); they formed a strong bond, and with their support she landed a record deal with Virgin Records.

According to Kelis, Virgin Records advised her that publishing royalties would be split evenly among Williams, Hugo, and herself; however, Kelis made no money from sales of her first two albums on the label.

Kelis has said that Williams was credited as a songwriter on songs of hers that he had not written.

She then began working with music producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, collectively known as the Neptunes, who led her to sign with Virgin Records in 1998.

Kelis began recording her debut album Kaleidoscope in mid-1998 and was finished within a year.

Rogers released her debut studio album, Kaleidoscope through the label in December 1999.

Produced by The Neptunes and released by Virgin Records in 1999, Kaleidoscope peaked at number 144 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and reached the top five on the Top Heatseekers chart.

She parted ways with Virgin Records after her second album, Wanderland (2001) received poor sales—not seeing a domestic release until 2019.

After signing with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment, Rogers released her third studio album, Tasty (2003) to a commercial breakthrough while earning continued critical praise.

The album was led by the singles "Milkshake", "Trick Me", "Millionaire" (featuring André 3000), and "In Public" (featuring Nas).

She has collaborated with R&B and hip hop acts including Nas (whom she married in 2005), Busta Rhymes, Outkast, and Puff Daddy; electronic and dance producers such as Calvin Harris, Disclosure, Giorgio Moroder, Timo Maas, and Richard X; pop and rock acts Enrique Iglesias, Duran Duran, and No Doubt; and indie and alternative musicians including Björk and Dave Sitek.

She has sold 6 million records worldwide and has had particular success in the United Kingdom, where ten of her singles have peaked within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart.

Rogers was born and raised in the Frederick Douglass Houses in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan.

Her fourth album, Kelis Was Here (2006)—preceded by the single "Bossy" (featuring Too Short)—reached number ten on the Billboard 200.

Rogers took a hiatus from music after its release, venturing into culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu.

As of 2006, the album has sold 249,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Its lead and most notable single "Caught Out There" became a top 10 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit and peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.

During this time, Kelis featured on Ol' Dirty Bastard's U.S. top 40 single "Got Your Money".

The album performed better in Europe, where "Caught Out There" was a moderate hit in most European countries except the United Kingdom, where the song saw massive success, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart.

The single "Good Stuff" (featuring Terrar of Clipse) reached number 19; another single "Get Along with You" was less successful, reaching number 51.

She later signed with will.i.am Music Group to release her fifth album, Flesh Tone (2010), which explored electronic music.

Two of its singles, "Acapella" and "4th of July (Fireworks)" found success on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart and the UK Dance Singles Chart.

Tying-in with her culinary career, she released her sixth studio album Food (2014), which became her second top-20 album in the UK and spawned three singles: "Jerk Ribs", "Rumble" and "Friday Fish Fry".

The album explored a neo soul recording style.

Rogers has been recognized at the Brit Awards, Q Awards, NME Awards, and Grammy Awards.

Her musical output as a lead and featured artist encompasses various genres.