Keyshia Myeshia Johnson was born in Oakland, California on October 15, 1981.[4] She is the daughter of Francine "Frankie" Lons (1960–2021) and boxing trainer Virgil Hunter.[5] Her biological mother was addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine.[6][7] Johnson was adopted at the age of two by family friends Leon and Yvonne Cole, changing her last name to Cole.[8][9] Cole has four siblings, including two brothers Sean and Sam, a younger sister Elite Noel and an older sister Neffeteria Pugh.[10] At the age of 12, Cole met and recorded with MC Hammer, after being introduced to him by her brother Sean (also known as Nutt-So).[11]
Cole moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to pursue a music career.[17] During this time, Cole collaborated with artists from her native Bay Area, among them D'Wayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone and Messy Marv.[18] In 2002, she was introduced to A&M Records A&R Ron Fair, whom signed her to the label and began mentoring her after listening to an unfinished version of one of her songs.[19]
In June 2006, Cole was featured on "(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me" by Sean Paul from the soundtrack of the romanticdance filmStep Up (2006).[32][33] It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit in several other countries, including Canada, Switzerland and Finland.[26][32] On July 9, 2006, it was reported that Cole had signed with BET for a reality series, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is.[34] Chronicling her personal life, family dynamics and professional career, the series premiered three days following its announcement.[34][35] The first season of the series, which consisted of six episodes, concluded on August 16, 2006.[36]
After A&M Records folded through a merger with Octone Records in early 2007, Cole was drafted by the Universal Music Group and Interscope Records boss Jimmy Iovine to its subsidiary label Geffen Records.[37][4] In March 2007, Cole was featured on Diddy's single "Last Night", taken from his fourth album Press Play (2006).[38] The song became an international success, reaching the top ten in Finland, Ireland and the United States.[26][39][40] On September 25, 2007, Cole released her second album Just like You, to generally favorable reviews from music critics.[41][42] For the album, she worked with various producers, including Scott Storch, Rodney Jerkins, Bryan-Michael Cox, Cainon Lamb and The Runners, among others.[43] A commercial success, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 281,000 copies in its first week and was certified platinum in the United States for sales of one million copies.[44][45][46] The lead single, "Let It Go" (featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim), marked Cole's first top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist moreover her first number-one hit on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs; eventually receiving a platinum certification in the United States.[26][28] The follow-up "Shoulda Let You Go" (featuring Amina Harris), reached number 41 on the Hot 100 and the top-ten of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number six.[26] The third and fourth singles, "I Remember" and "Heaven Sent", both reached the top-30 of the Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, spending seven and nine consecutive weeks at the summit, respectively.[26] Cole received a variety of accolades for the album, including four Grammy Award nominations and three BET Award nominations.[47][48]
Aside from her music success, Cole made her acting debut with a cameo role in the Ian Iqbal Rashid-directed film How She Move, released in January 2008 and grossed $8.6 million worldwide.[49][50] Throughout early to mid-2008, Cole made several guest appearances on songs including the singles: "I Got a Thang for You" (with rapper Trina), "Boyfriend/Girlfriend" (with hip hop quartet C-Side), and "Game's Pain" (with rapper The Game), respectively.[4] Additionally, Cole was scheduled to make a cameo on Missy Elliott's album, Block Party, which was originally intended to be released that year.[51] In August 2008, Cole and a host of other female singers recorded the charity single "Just Stand Up!", the theme song to the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer.[52] The third and final season of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is premiered via BET on November 11, 2008, and marked the highest-rated season premiere for the network, with a total of 1.94 million viewers.[53]
Cole's third album A Different Me was released on December 16, 2008.[54] The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with 322,000 copies sold in its first-week of sales, and received a platinum certification by the RIAA for selling over a million copies.[55][28] The singles, "Playa Cardz Right" (featuring Tupac Shakur), "You Complete Me" and "Trust" (with Monica), all reached the lower-half of the Billboard Hot 100 and the top-ten of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[26] To promote the album, she served as a supporting act for Lil Wayne's I Am Music Tour, which ran from December 14, 2008, to April 10, 2009.[56] Shortly after the tour ended, Cole embarked on her first headlining concert tour, A Different Me Tour, which began on May 13 and concluded on June 21, 2009.[57] Throughout this time, Cole was featured as the cover artist on several magazines such as the January issues of Jet and WordUp!, the March 2009 issue of Vibe, and the summer 2009 final double-cover issue of King.[58] In November 2009, at the Soul Train Music Awards, Cole earned a nomination in the Best Collaboration category for "Trust" (with Monica).[59]
2010–2013: Calling All Hearts and Woman to Woman
On June 27, 2010, three months after the birth of her son, Cole returned to the public eye, filling in for Hayley Williams to perform the chorus to B.o.B's "Airplanes (Part II)" featuring Eminem during the BET Awards.[60] Cole's fourth album, Calling All Hearts, was released on December 21, 2010, featuring guest appearances from Nicki Minaj, Tank, Faith Evans, Timbaland, and her adoptive mother Yvonne Cole.[61]Calling All Hearts received mixed to positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album was preceded by the lead single "I Ain't Thru" (featuring Nicki Minaj) and a promotional single "Long Way Down", which were both complemented with music videos.[62] Following the album's release, Cole announced via Twitter that she had fired her manager Manny Halley and parted ways with his Imani Entertainment label in January 2011.[63] "Take Me Away" was released to urban contemporary radio as the album's second single in February 2011 and peaked at number 27 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs; spending a total of 20 weeks on the chart.[64][26] Cole supplementally promoted Calling All Hearts by serving as an opening act for the North American leg of R. Kelly's Love Letter Tour through June 16 to July 3, 2011.[65] In September 2011, Cole began working on her fifth album, which was expected to be released in February 2012.[66]
Cole's fifth studio album, Woman to Woman, was released on November 19, 2012.[67] In the United States, the album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 96,000 copies in its first week.[68] The lead single from the album, "Enough of No Love" (featuring Lil Wayne), reached number 84 on US Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, marking her 12th top-ten entry on that chart.[69] The album's second single, "Trust and Believe", peaked at number 32 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[26] Both singles were accompanied with music videos directed by Benny Boom.[70] As promotion prior to the album's release, Keyshia & Daniel: Family First, a single-season BET reality television series that documented Cole's recording process for the album and relationship with her then husband Booby Gibson, ran for eight total episodes from October 9 to December 4, 2012.[71] Cole's second headlining concert tour, the Woman to Woman Tour, began in March 2013, in support of Woman to Woman.[72] In October 2013, Cole released the music video for the album's third and final single, "I Choose You", directed by Ethan Lader.[73]
2014–2018: Point of No Return and 11:11 Reset
In March 2014, Cole debuted the title and first two singles for her fourth studio album Point of No Return, "Rick James", which features American rapper Juicy J, and "Next Time (Won't Give My Heart Away)".[74] On April 2, 2014, Cole and Australian rapper Iggy Azalea released a cover version of Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out", for The Other Woman movie soundtrack.[75] The second single from Point of No Return, "She", was released on June 24.[76] The song's lyrics sparked lesbian speculations about Cole before she clarified that the true meaning of the song was self-love.[77] Cole embarked on the Point of No Return Tour on July 12 in Rochester, New York; the tour included 22 dates that ran through to August 25.[78]Point of No Return was released on October 7, 2014, featuring guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Future, Gavyn Rhone, Wale, and August Alsina.[79] The album became Cole's third number-one R&B album and her sixth consecutive album to debut within the top 10 in the United States.[26][80] All of the tracks on the album received music videos, which were released separately.[81] The same month of the album's release, American singer K. Michelle announced that she and Cole would reportedly go on a tour together in January 2015.[82] In February 2015, Cole starred in her third BET reality series, Keyshia Cole: All In.[83] The series followed her professional endeavors, parenthood, and family problems.[84] With Cole serving as an executive producer, the series ran for eight episodes before concluding on April 21, 2015.[84]
In September 2015, Cole independently released the London on da Track-produced song "Don't Waste My Time" (featuring Young Thug) and her own remixed version of Drake's "Hotline Bling".[85][86] On November 11, 2016, it was revealed that Cole had finished recording her then-upcoming seventh studio album and had signed a record deal with Epic Records.[87] On January 27, 2017, Cole released the lead single "You" (featuring Remy Ma and French Montana).[88] The song's music video, which was directed by Benny Boom, premiered through VH1 a month later.[89] In July, Cole joined the main cast for the fourth season of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.[90] Before departing the show after the season concluded, Cole's plot revolved around her co-parenting arrangement with Gibson and her preparation for the release of her album.[90][91] On August 25, 2017, Cole released the second single "Incapable", with its Mike He-directed music video premiering on October 6.[92][93] Cole's seventh album, 11:11 Reset, was released on October 20, 2017, featuring guest appearances from Remy Ma, French Montana, DJ Khaled, Young Thug, Kamaiyah, and Too $hort.[94] Upon its release, the album debuted at number 37 on the US Billboard 200 and number 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[26] On November 25, Cole made a guest appearance on Lip Sync Battle during its Soul Train special, where she lip-synced to "Car Wash" by Rose Royce.[95] In August 2018, Cole performed at the third annual Black Music Honors.[96]
2019–present: Upcoming eighth studio album and Keyshia Cole: This is My Story
In 2019, BET announced that Cole would return with a fourth reality show Keyshia Cole: My New Life, which premiered in November 2019. In 2019, Cole was featured on "All Me" by Kehlani. That same year she started hosting her own talk show, One on One with Keyshia Cole, airing on Fox Soul. In June 2020, it was reported that Keyshia Cole had signed a management deal with talent management company Primary Wave which was shortly after the reveal that she had reunited with longtime friend and record producer who she worked with for her first four albums, Ron Fair.[97] On July 22, speculations came out about a possible Verzuz battle between Cole and Ashanti after Cole publicly challenged her during the live streamed match between rappers DMX and Snoop Dogg.[98][99] On December 2, Cole announced via her Instagram Live that she would soon be competing in a match while singing a few of her previous records.[100] Two days later, it was confirmed that the latest Verzuz battle would be between Cole and Ashanti. The in-person competition was expected to take place on December 12, 2020,[101][102] though it was postponed after Ashanti tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the event. Following the battle, Cole released the non-album single "I Don't Wanna Be in Love", under her independent record label, Hearts and Stars, created with the support of BMG.[103]
On June 23, 2023, Cole released her first single since "I Don't Wanna Be in Love", titled "Forever is a Thing", in support of her Lifetime-original biographical television film, Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story, which premiered on June 24. The song and film were inspired by the death of Cole's mother, along with other major events in her life and career.[104] The movie received three million viewers throughout its debut weekend and was the number one telecast on cable on its premiere night. In late 2023, Cole sang the original song "No Love Lost" for the soundtrack to the remake of The Color Purple (1985). In December 2023, Cole appeared on Nicki Minaj's song "Love Me Enough", alongside Monica, from the Gag City Edition of Minaj's fifth studio album Pink Friday 2.[105][106][107] In 2023, Cole competed in season ten of The Masked Singer as "Candelabra". She was eliminated during the Group C finals in "Soundtrack of My Life" alongside John Oates as "Anteater".
Artistry
Cole possesses the vocal range of a soprano.[108][109] Her voice has been described as having a "flexible range of R&B, the muscular punch of soul and the hard character of hip hop" and contains a "smoky flavor, and a husky texture."[2] Cole's musical themes and lyrics touch upon the topics of empowerment, reflection, heartache and love.[4] Her fifth studio album "Woman to Woman" (2012) was described by
Ben Ratliff of The New York Times as a R&B almanac of shaky romance, with nearly every song a first-person narrative with gnarled details, endlessly recombining data about suspicion, jealousy, pride, punishment, self-respect, the led-up, the aftermath."[110] The album's lyrics revolved around "emotionally painful romantic issues."[111]Betty Wright listed Cole as one of the artists who she believed were "still holding the torch" for R&B music.[112] Cole grew up listening to her mentor Tupac Shakur.[113] She cites Mary J. Blige as one of her greatest musical inspirations, along with Faith Evans, Toni Braxton, Monica, Chanté Moore and Brandy.[114][115][116]
Other ventures
In October 2012, it became public knowledge that Cole and shoe designer Steve Madden, had collaborated on a three-piece shoe collection that was initially slated to debut one month later.[117] It was also reported that the first pair of shoes are red platform heels with ruffles and a heart-shaped cutout on the wedge, while the second pair of shoes are "funky-patterned" strappy heels.[118] During an appearance with WWPR-FM's The Breakfast Club, she discussed the collection and said:
"I've been talking about this Steven Madden deal for about four years now. [...] I wanted to do a deal with Steven Madden is because, when I didn't have any money and before I got my deal, I use to buy Steve Madden shoes. So I just want to make sure that I do really cute shoes that my demographic can afford. [The shoes will debut in] November. I've already made all three and they will be featured in my videos and in the album packaging."[117]
On July 26, 2013, Cole posted images of more shoes from the collection.[119] In September 2013, the shoe line was launched and included seven heel styles ranging from pumps to booties to tall boots.[120] In support of the launch, Cole embarked on a personal appearance tour; the tour began on September 19 at Pentagon City Mall in Arlington, Virginia, continued on September 21 at Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland, and concluded on September 26 at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, Georgia.[120] A second range of shoes were introduced in March 2014.[121] Regarding his collaboration with Cole, Madden stated: "Keyshia is great to work with. She brings fresh ideas to the table, and knows what girls want. It was a pleasure to work with her again."[121] In December 2021, Cole partnered with hair grooming company Red by Kiss, launching a line of bonnets and headscarves.[122]
Personal life
Relationships
Through November 2005 to October 2007, Cole and rapper Jeezy discreetly dated each other.[123] During a 2008 interview with Vibe, Jeezy alleged that Cole had proposed to him, saying: "Keyshia asked me to marry her, bought me a ring and everything. She not gonna tell you different. I was grown enough to tell her, 'Look, baby, that isn't what it is right now. I'm trying to get my shit together. I'm trying to get my money, take care of me and mine."[123]
Cole began dating NBA player Daniel Gibson in May 2009, announcing their engagement and her pregnancy in January 2010.[123][124] On March 2, 2010, she gave birth to her son, Daniel Hiram Jr., with Gibson.[123] The couple were married at a ceremony in Las Vegas, on May 21, 2011,[125] before renewing their vows in Hawaii in September 2011.[126] The entire wedding weekend was filmed and aired on Keyshia and Daniel: Family First, in October 2012.[127] In March 2014, Cole confirmed during an interview on The Breakfast Club that she and Gibson were separated, succeeding the rumors that Gibson had cheated on Cole with a stripper.[128] In April 2017, Cole announced that they had filed for divorce,[129] which was finalized on September 3, 2020.[130]
On May 3, 2019, Cole announced that she was expecting her second child, with her then-boyfriend Niko Khale.[131] Cole gave birth to her second son, Tobias Khale, on August 1, 2019.[132] In October 2020, Khale confirmed that he and Cole had ended their relationship.[133] In April 2022, Cole had a brief romantic fling with former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown.[134] After being seen together at a nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia, Hunxho revealed that he and Cole were dating.[135]
Family
Frankie & Neffe, a 10-episode BET spin-off of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, debuted on August 25, 2009, and followed the lives of Cole's mother Frankie Lons and her older sister Neffeteria Pugh.[136] According to reports, Cole was displeased with the series and her family's attempts to exploit their lives for reality television.[137] In December 2011, Lons published her memoirThe Best Years I Never Had, which detailed her personal hardships.[138][7] Cole asserted in a December 2012 interview on BET's 106 & Park that she was multiracial, despite not knowing her father's true identity or race at the time.[139] The reason for this was that Cole's mother claimed an unknown Italian man was Cole's biological father.[139]
As displayed on Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is. Cole and her sister Neffeteria had a tense relationship.[140] Pugh's autobiographical book The Price I Paid, which was published in 2012, was perceived as a "tell-all book" that mainly discussed her relationship and disputes with Cole.[141] Pugh claimed that the book explores her life and the lives of her family following their appearances on reality TV.[141] In a series of tweets on January 10, 2013, Cole vented her annoyance at the book, tweeting: "How many of y'all have leaches [sic] in your own family?? I must realize that I'm not by myself! B—discuss me in your book and feature the shoes I gave you on the front? F—— Phony!".[141][142] In May 2016, Cole met her biological father, Virgil Hunter, after a paternity test confirmed their connection.[143] Through an Instagram post, Pugh publicly apologized to Cole on March 19, 2018, for their prior disagreements.[140] In March 2021, Cole's younger sister Elite Noel disclosed on her Instagram story that she was estranged from Cole.[144] Cole's mother, Lons, died on July 18, 2021,[145] from a drug overdose.[5] On November 14, 2021, Cole announced that her adoptive father, Leon Cole, Jr., died from complications from COVID-19.[146]
Assault charge
Cole became romantically involved with rapper and record executive Birdman in January 2014.[123] On September 19, 2014, Cole was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly assaulting a woman in Birdman's condominium home; which led to him cutting ties with Cole soon after.[147] The woman, Sabrina Mercadel, sued Cole for $4 million over the alleged assault. On December 28, 2017, the lawsuit was finalized after Cole purportedly didn't show up to court resulting in her being ordered to pay $100k toward Mercadel.[148]
Controversies
Feuds
The dispute between Cole and Lil' Mo is believed to have begun around 2005.[149] In an interview with HipHollywood on April 3, 2013, Lil' Mo disparaged Cole, citing Cole's divisive tirade against Beyoncé's "Bow Down (I Been On)" from the previous month, saying, "Sit down, get off Twitter, if you can't handle it, keep your opinions to yourself. Who is your publicist? Who is tweeting for you?".[150] Cole instantly reacted, captioning an Instagram picture with the words "You gotta be able to smile through the bullsh--".[151] Lil' Mo again dissed Cole during an appearance with The Breakfast Club on May 2, 2013.[152] She went so far as to mention Cole as a vocalist she thinks she can surpass vocally.[152] Amid rumors that Cole had thrown eggs at the car of rapper Bow Wow, with whom Cole was rumored to have dated at the time, Lil' Mo dubbed Cole a "thot" on an episode of her podcast, The Lil' Mo Show, on March 11, 2016.[153]
Cole negatively tweeted about Michelle Williams' Super Bowl XLVII halftime show performance on February 4, 2013, when she performed onstage alongside fellow Destiny's Child members, Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé.[154] Because of this, Cole faced online criticism from supporters.[154] Cole said that Williams' accusation that Cole had utilized an auto-tune microphone at a prior Soul Train Music Awards performance was the reason behind it.[155][156] In a March 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Kelly Rowland responded to a query on the circumstances by saying, "We matter to a lot more people, with all due respect, than her. So, I really don't care what she said".[157] Williams addressed the matter in a September 2013 interview with Hot 107.9's morning show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, stating: "I don't even do twitter beef [...] Can't wait to see [Keyshia Cole] in person so we can talk and say, 'Hey, what happened?'".[158] Later that month, both Williams and Cole publicly made amends over the situation.[159]
On December 7, 2019, O.T. Genasis released "Never Knew," a parody of Cole's 2005 song "Love".[160] Cole voiced her disapproval of the song during a One on One with Keyshia Cole episode; the video was then taken down from YouTube.[161][162] This resulted in social media exchanges and insults between Cole and Genasis.[163][162] Presumably, their feud was resolved when Genasis sung "Love" with Cole during her Verzuz battle in January 2021.[164] During her Love Hard Tour concert in Los Angeles, California on March 30, 2024, Cole invited Genasis to the stage, where he performed two songs and then publicly apologized to Cole in front of the crowd.[162][165]
In December 2021, Cole publicly criticized Muni Long for taking a song she had written for Cole and giving it to another musician without getting Cole's permission.[166] In response, Long revealed that she had done this because of Cole declaring that she would soon be retiring from music and possibly scrapping her album.[166]
Beyoncé tweets
In March 2013, Cole posted a rant on her Twitter page, in which she criticized Beyoncé for her audio track "Bow Down (I Been On)".[167] As a result, Cole received backlash from urban media outlets and fans of Beyoncé.[168] American singer-songwriter and record producer The-Dream announced in an interview on April 3, 2013, that he would no longer be working with Cole because of the situation.[169] Previously, The-Dream wrote Cole's song "Hey Sexy" from her Woman to Woman album.[170] Cole responded to this by tweeting that it was fine for him to not work with her again.[170] In an interview on March 20, 2014, Cole explained why she tweeted a rant about the song, saying: "I was not hating on Beyoncé. It was not directed at all as hate. I love Beyoncé. I've seen Beyoncé a few times. She’s always a very sweet girl. To me, that just wasn’t her thing. Like dude said, she switched it up or something. But that's just not what I know of her, so it kinda hurt my feelings."[171] In an October 2018 interview, Cole stated that she loves Beyonce and looks up to her, clarifying that her intentions were not to ignite a feud.[172]
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