Kelis Rogers

About Kelis Rogers

Kelis Rogers, known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She was admitted to New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she learned to play the saxophone and won a spot in the Girls Choir of Harlem. After she graduated from high school, Kelis took on a variety of jobs before landing a backup vocal slot on an album track called "Fairytalez", released by the American hip hop group Gravediggaz. She then began working with music producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, known as The Neptunes, which ultimately resulted in her being signed to Virgin Records in 1998.

Kelis released her debut studio album Kaleidoscope with Virgin Records on December 7, 1999. Inspired by jazz and disco music from the 1970s, the album was a critical and international success. It spawned three singles: "Caught Out There", "Good Stuff", and "Get Along with You". The album reached number 43 in the United Kingdom, becoming her first album to be certified gold. She left her label Virgin Records after its follow-up Wanderland (2001) received little sales attention and no U.S. release until 2019. In 2003, Kelis released her third studio album Tasty. The album produced the singles "Milkshake", "Trick Me", "Millionaire" (featuring André 3000), and "In Public" (featuring Nas). The album earned the singer commercial prominence. Her fourth album, Kelis Was Here (2006), was preceded by the lead single "Bossy" (featuring Too Short) and reached number 10 on the Billboard 200. Kelis took a hiatus from music after its release, venturing into culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. She later signed with will.i.am and began recording her fifth album, Flesh Tone, which was released in 2010. The album spawned four singles, including "Acapella" and "4th of July (Fireworks)", which were successful on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart and the UK Dance Singles Chart. Kelis' neo soul-inspired sixth studio album Food (2014) became her second top-20 album in the UK and spawned three singles: "Jerk Ribs", "Rumble" and "Friday Fish Fry".

Kelis has been recognized at the Brit Awards, Q Awards, NME Awards, and Grammy Awards ceremonies. Her musical output, both as a lead and featured artist, encompasses various genres. She has collaborated with R&B and hip hop acts including Busta Rhymes and Clipse; electronic and dance producers such as Calvin Harris, Timo Maas, and Richard X; pop and rock acts Enrique Iglesias and No Doubt; and indie and alternative musicians including Björk and Dave Sitek. She has sold 6 million records worldwide and has had particular success in the United Kingdom, where ten of her singles have peaked within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart.

Kelis was married to hip-hop artist Nas from 2005 to 2013. As of August 2023, she is in a relationship with actor and comedian Bill Murray.

Kelis is of African, Chinese, and Puerto Rican decent.