Kehlani

Kehlani Ashley Parrish, born on April 24, 1995, in Oakland, California, first came to public attention as a member of the Bay Area teen group PopLyfe, which finished fourth on America’s Got Talent in 2011. After leaving the group, they moved into a solo career with the mixtapes Cloud 19 in 2014 and You Should Be Here in 2015; the latter reached number 36 on the Billboard 200, climbed to number 5 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and earned Kehlani a Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. A bigger mainstream breakthrough followed with "Gangsta" from the Suicide Squad soundtrack, which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, and then with the debut album SweetSexySavage in 2017, which opened at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and Number 1 on Top R&B Albums. Kehlani kept that run going with the mixtape While We Wait in 2019, which debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200, and with It Was Good Until It Wasn’t in 2020, which became their highest-charting album to that point at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and Number 1 on Top R&B Albums. In 2022 they released Blue Water Road, which reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and number 8 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Kehlani opened their next chapter in 2024 with the fourth studio album Crash, led by "After Hours" and "Next 2 U" and featuring Jill Scott, Young Miko, and Omah Lay; the album debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200, while "After Hours" earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song and Crash was nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album. Two months later they released While We Wait 2, then took both projects on the Crash World Tour across North America before adding U.K. and European dates in early 2025. Their biggest commercial breakthrough arrived with 2025’s "Folded," which rose to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, became their first Number 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs, and gave them their first Number 1 as a lead artist on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. Later that year they followed it with "Out the Window." At the 2026 Grammys, "Folded" won Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, giving Kehlani their first Grammy wins, and Billboard named them its 2026 Women in Music Impact honoree. In April 2026 they released their fifth studio album, Kehlani, preceded by "Back and Forth" featuring Missy Elliott and built around guests including Cardi B, Clipse, Usher, Brandy, Lil Wayne, and Missy Elliott.

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