Kelis

Kelis Rogers (; born August 21, 1979), known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She attended 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. Upon graduation, Rogers soon landed a role as a backing vocalist for the hip hop group Gravediggaz. She then began working with music producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, collectively known as the Neptunes, who led her to sign with Virgin Records in 1998.Rogers released her debut studio album, Kaleidoscope through the label in December 1999. Inspired by jazz and disco music from the 1970s, the album was met with critical acclaim despite domestic commercial failure; it instead found moderate success on international charts. Spawning three singles: "Caught Out There", "Good Stuff" (featuring Pusha T), and "Get Along with You", the album reached number 43 in the United Kingdom and earned gold certification by the country's British Phonographic Industry (BPI). She parted ways with Virgin Records after her second album, Wanderland (2001) received poor sales—not seeing a domestic release until 2019. After signing with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment, Rogers released her third studio album, Tasty (2003) to a commercial breakthrough while earning continued critical praise. The album was led by the singles "Milkshake", "Trick Me", "Millionaire" (featuring André 3000), and "In Public" (featuring Nas). Her fourth album, Kelis Was Here (2006)—preceded by the single "Bossy" (featuring Too Short)—reached number ten on the Billboard 200. Rogers took a hiatus from music after its release, venturing into culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu.