Keyshia Cole

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Keyshia Myeshia Cole or better known Keyshia Cole was born October 15, 1981 in Oakland, California . Keyshia Cole is an American recording artist. She released her platinum selling debut album The Way It Is in June 2005, and her sophomore platinum album Just Like You in September 2007. Cole's third studio album, A Different Me was released on December 16, 2008, and is also certified platinum. She is also known for her reality/documentary series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is which aired on BET from 2006 to 2008, which depicted Cole navigating both her career and strained relationships with her biological mother and sister. Cole cites Mary J Blige and Brandy as her biggest influences and inspirations.

Cole's debut single, "Never", featuring Eve, was released on March 23, 2004 to promote the soundtrack to the film, Barbershop 2: Back in Business. The single failed to chart, and Cole proceeded to record her debut album for the rest of 2004 and into early 2005. "Never" eventually became the final song on The Way It Is.

On November 9, 2004, Cole released her first single, "I Changed My Mind", featuring Kanye West. The single reached #71 in the US, and was not a huge hit for Cole. The second single from the album, "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", was released on April 5, 2005, and reached #1 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 (#101).

Cole completed her debut album in early 2005. The Way It Is was released on June 21, 2005. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 copies in the first week of release. It has since sold 1.4 million copies in the US, receiving a Platinum certification from the RIAA.

The third single from the album, "I Should Have Cheated" was released on August 3, 2005, and reached #30 on the Hot 100. The fourth and final single, "Love" was released on January 6, 2006 and reached #19 on the Hot 100. It has been regarded as Cole's "breakthrough single" by many.

Cole began work on her second album in early 2006, shortly after the release of her debut album. She was featured on the single "Last Night" by Diddy, which was the third single from his fourth studio album, Press Play. The recording of her second album was documented on her reality TV show, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is in late 2006 and early 2007.

Cole's sophomore album, Just like You, was due for a release on July 8, 2007, but wasn't released until September 25, 2007. It featured the singles "Let It Go" featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim, "Shoulda Let You Go" featuring Amina, "I Remember", and "Heaven Sent". Other guest artists included Too $hort, Anthony Hamilton, Young Dro, and T.I.

Just like You debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 281,000 copies in its first week, and has proceeded to sell 1.6 million copies in the US, earning a Platinum certification from the RIAA, like her debut. The album was nominated for four Grammys, Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2008 Grammy Awards and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2009 Grammy Awards, however Cole failed to win any of them.

The lead single from the album, "Let It Go", featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim, was released on June 19, 2007. The single is Cole's most successful single to date, as it reached #7 in the US. The second single, "Shoulda Let You Go", featuring and introducing Cole's best friend Amina, was released on October 19, 2007, and was mildly successful, by reaching #41 in the US.

The third single from the album, "I Remember" was released on December 5, 2007. The single was highly successful, by reaching #24 in the US. The fourth and final single was the critically acclaimed "Heaven Sent", was released on March 7, 2008. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for nine weeks, and #28 in the US.

Cole was featured on Jaheim's third single, "I've Changed", off his fourth album, The Makings of a Man.

In 2008, Cole made guest appearances on songs such as "I Got a Thang for You" with rapper Trina on her album Still Da Baddest and "Boyfriend/Girlfriend" with hip-hop band C-Side on their album Class In Session. She also made a guest appearance in the music video for "She Got Her Own", by singers Ne-Yo Jamie Foxx and Destiny McMorris-McCall and in the song "Game's Pain" by Compton-based rapper The Game.

Keyshia Cole is also featured on the charity song "Just Stand Up", which was released in August 2008 and raises money for cancer research along with various pop, hip-hop, and R&B artists that year. As a result of SU2C fund raising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research was able to award 73.6 million dollars towards novel, groundbreaking cancer research. Cole embarked on the I Am Music Tour with Keri Hilson, Lil' Wayne, and T-Pain from December 2008 to February 2009.

Keyshia Cole released her third studio album, A Different Me, on December 16, 2008. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 322,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone on to sell over 850,000 copies in the US, receiving a gold certification from the RIAA. The album is Keyshia's least successful album to date.
The album was preceded by lead single "Playa Cardz Right", featuring the late rapper 2Pac, which was released on October 28, 2008, and reached #63 on the Hot 100. The second single from the album, "You Complete Me", was released on January 20, 2009, and reached #62 on the Hot 100, making the first and second singles mild hits.
Keyshia Cole released the third and final single from the album, "Trust", a duet with Monica, on May 5, 2009, and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and #70 on the US Hot 100. The fourth single from A Different Me was confirmed as "This is Us", and was due for a release in September 2009, but it was never released, due to Cole's pregnancy.
Cole was on the cover of the March 2009 issue of Vibe, and was on the cover of the Summer 2009 final double-cover issue of King. Keyshia and Yvonne Cole appeared on the June issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine.
In 2009, Keyshia Cole also made a guest appearance on Keri Hilson's "Get Your Money Up" from her debut album In a Perfect World…. Keyshia began work on her fourth studio album in early 2009 also with Jasmyne.
She also toured with Keri Hilson, The-Dream and Bobby Valentino on the A Different Me Tour.
In August 2009, Keyshia Cole announced that she was beginning work on her fourth studio album Calling All Hearts which will be released by Winter of 2010. The new album is said to contain production from KrucialKeyz, The Runners, Kanye West, and Missy Elliott. Keyshia Cole was featured on the remix of R. Kelly's single "Number One" along with T-Pain. She is also currently listed as one of the inspirations for Pepsi: We Inspire. Keyshia Cole also worked with Gucci Mane on the song "Bad, Bad, Bad" from The State vs Radric Davis. On June 27, 2010 she returned to the spotlight for her first televised appearance since the birth of her son, filling in for Hayley Williams to sing the chorus to B.o.B.'s "Airplanes (Part II)", featuring Eminem during the 2010 BET Awards. Cole featured on Faith Evans album Something About Faith. In September 2010 Cole stated that her fourth studio album will be released on December 21, 2010. The album's first single entitled, I Ain't Thru, features Nicki Minaj and was released by Keyshia Cole herself via Twitter on October 15, 2010. The album's second single entitled, "Long Way Down" was released November 19, 2010.