By Nandee Mignon
columnist
Three years ago at 17, she left her aunt’s house to find herself, to find her center. Now she is the hope of Atlantic Records and the voice of millions.
Kehlani Parrish is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Oakland, California. Like most independent artists, who start out at a young age (14 to be exact), music ruled her life: or shall we say, it became the “hub” of things.
Before music, she found her solace in dance. However, her dreams of becoming a ballerina were halted by a knee injury. “That’s when I started singing,” she recalls in the bio on her website. Her aunt is responsible for exposing her to what Kehlani calls “powerful women and love songs.”
She went on to say, “It was that neo soul-R&B, and I couldn’t get enough of it. It felt right to sing from the moment I began.”
In eighth grade, the journey to her musical career began. She started out as part of the pop cover group Poplyfe. The group was started and produced by D’wayne Wiggins, known for being the founding member of 1990s soul/R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!
With Kehlani as the focus of the group, they ended up as finalists on America’s Got Talent. Despite not winning the competition, the connections she made would come in handy years later.
In the years to follow, Kehlani found herself homeless and jumping from couch to couch. However, once she graduated high school, she relocated to Los Angeles and got a call from her “America’s Got Talent” connection, Nick Cannon.
She asked for one thing, studio time. He sent her to New York where she met up with Jahaan Sweet, who she called, her “music soul mate.” The rest is history.
Shortly afterward, she released her mixtape “Cloud 19.” This release found its way into thousands of headphones, introducing this young talent’s voice. The following year, she signed with Atlantic Records.
Her second mixtape, “You Should Be Here,” showcased her vocals as well as a beautiful emotional story. The mixtape received as much attention as most albums would.
This mixtape tugged at the listeners heartstrings with songs like “The Letter,” an emotinal cry to a family member who left her when she was young.
Featured artists, such as Chicago native Chance The Rapper in her song, “The Way,” and BJ the Chicago Kid in her song, “Down for You,” also make an appearance on her mixtape.
Because of her second work, the now 20 year old found herself on her first headlining tour spanning over 25 cities. As a result, the rising R&B singer has gotten the attention of 50 Cent, The Game, Keyshia Cole, Sean Combs, Jay Z and many more.
Now working on her debut compilation under Atlantic Records, fans wonder if it will be self-titled or if it will be a dedication piece to her beloved Oakland. We won’t know until next year.
Until then it’s safe to say that after the late nights on an unfamiliar couch, Kehlani has found her center – or the hub of things.