Since Kehlani burst onto the music scene, she has cemented herself as a fierce songstress who is clearly here to stay.
Her first mixtape, Cloud 19, was released in 2014 and showed a lot of promise. To date, she has released two more mixtapes -- You Should Be Here and While We Wait -- and a debut album -- SweetSexySavage. The "You Know Wassup" singer announced she will be releasing her long-awaited second studio album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, three years after her first album. It comes out next month, and fans cannot wait.
Kehlani's rise to fame wasn't easy and fame was definitely not handed over to her. It took a few attempts to get there but it was totally worth the wait.
Here are 15 things you need to know about the star.
15 She Was A Contestant On America's Got Talent
Kehlani might be one of music's most bold solo artists but she started off in a group called PopLyfe. The band consisted of four members that made teen pop music.
They auditioned for the sixth season of America's Got Talent in 2011 and made it to the live shows. They finished in fourth place and ended up touring with Zendaya on her Swag It Out Tour. Kehlani ended up leaving the group soon after AGT because of managerial and contractual disputes.
14 Mixed Ethnicity
On April 24, 1995, the "Nights Like This" hitmaker was born Kehlani Ashley Parrish in Oakland, California. Her dad was African-American and her mom is a mix of White, Spanish, and Native American. In the past, Kehlani has described her ethnicity as a mix of "Black, White, Native American, Filipino, and Mexican."
13 She Was Raised By Her Aunt
It's safe to stay that Kehlani's upbringing wasn't easy for her. She didn't grow up with a dad because he suffered from a drug addiction which resulted in him passing away when she was very young. Her mom struggled with addiction too and served time in prison.
Instead, Kehlani was raised by her aunt.
12 She Was Homeless At One Point
After appearing on America's Got Talent, Kehlani ended up moving to house to house and was effectively homeless. The singer ended up sleeping on people's couches because she had nowhere else to stay.
With no legal guardian, she moved to Los Angeles, California, during her senior year of high school.
It's safe to say that everything worked out in the end.
11 She Identifies As Queer
Kehlani identifies as queer and set the record straight via her Twitter account.
"Cuz I keep geddin asked.. I’m queer," she said.
"Not bi, not straight. I’m attracted to women, men, REALLY attracted to queer men, non-binary people, intersex people, trans people. lil poly pansexual papi hello good morning. does that answer your questions?" she continued.
10 She Has A Daughter
On March 23, 2019, Kehlani gave birth to her first child, Adeya Nomi Parrish-White. She delivered her daughter at home and regularly kept fans up to date with her pregnancy.
According to Essence, the father of her baby is her guitarist, Javie Young-White, and said one of the reasons she and him are so well-matched is because of the similarities in their sexual orientations.
“I started dating women before I ever dated men. Then I was lucky to find a partner who was a bisexual male. And he really understands my queerness and my fluidity, and I really understand his. It’s very awesome to be understood,”
9 Turned Down An Opportunity Made By Nick Cannon
Kehlani and Nick Cannon both met on America's Got Talent. After she left PopLyfe, Nick asked if she would like to be part of a rap group instead.
She didn't like the direction of the group and didn't go ahead with the opportunity. Kehlani went with her heart and moved back to Oakland again.
8 Her First Grammy Nomination Was For A Mixtape
Some artists work their whole life to try to get recognized at the Grammy Awards. However, for Kehlani, it didn't take long.
In 2016, she earned herself a nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album for her second mixtape, You Should Be Here. She didn't win the award but it proved that you don't have to release albums in order to be up for prestigious awards. Real recognize real.
7 Being Pregnant Stopped Her From Being Vegan
In 2017, Kehlani revealed that she was Vegan via Instagram.
In an old post, she shared a clip of her on a dancefloor with the caption “5 months vegan, & fulfilling my purpose. MOOD. Espiritu Libre ♥.”
However, when she was pregnant, she admitted that she struggled to stay vegan and started craving meat again.
6 She Put Her First Song On Soundcloud In 2013
In 2013, Kehlani released her first solo song, "Antisummerluv," on Soundcloud. The track was an introduction to her soulful sound and got the R&B songstress off to a good start.
On the platform, the song has been streamed over 2.1 million times. Shortly after, Kehlani would keep on dropping new songs and her fanbase would continue to grow.
