Kehlani tells it like it is. Whether in conversation or on stage, the Oakland-born R&B singer and songwriter gives the straight truth about her life, pain, passion, love, triumph, and everything in between with collected calm and confidence. It’s that type of honesty that makes her music resonate with the depth of classic Motown and a vividly confessional lyricism reminiscent of Neo Soul. At the same time, her 2015 mixtape, You Should Be Here, tells a story that distinctly belongs to her. It all starts on the East Bay… Born a unique blend of ethnicities including African American, Caucasian, Native American, Spanish, and Filipino Native American Kehlani will casually tell you, “You’re lucky if you make it out of Oakland.” However, in her case, talent usurped luck. Months after her birth, Kehlani lost her father, never properly meeting him. Mired in drug addiction, her mom shuffled her to an aunt. She initially found solace in dance—ballet in particular—but a knee injury sidelined her what might’ve been a budding career as ballerina. “That’s when I started singing,” she recalls. “When I was living with my aunt, she played me all of these powerful women and love songs. It was that Neo Soul-R&B, and I couldn’t get enough of it. It felt right to sing from the moment I began.”
In eighth grade, she became a member of the group Poplyfe produced by D’wayne Wiggins ofTony! Toni! Toné! fame. WithKehlani front and center, Poplyfe ended up becoming a finalist on America’s Got Talent—even performing with her idol Stevie Wonder during the final round. They didn’t win the competition, but she made an invaluable ally in Nick Cannon. A few industry pitfalls and detours derailed her musical momentum for six months until she decided to pick up the mic again. Without a home, she moved from couch to couch until Cannon got back in touch wanting to help however he could. Kehlani wanted one thing: studio time.
Kehlani: Advice
Kehlani: Advice Lyrics:
You have a way with words
Your silence is a curse
You always seem to break me down, down, down
My swollen heart you curve
Your comfort makes it worse
I don’t want you around round, round, round
Cause how is the man of my dreams not a man of his word?
And how is the man for me just a man that makes me hurt?
It’s time to take my own
Take my own advice, take my own advice
Need me to take my own
Take my own advice
I almost lost my mind
I left myself behind
I almost crashed and fell right from the sky
I took a chance on this
I took too big a risk
And now I’m left with pain to get me high
Cause how is the man of my dreams not a man of his word?
And how is the man for me just a man that makes me hurt?
It’s time to take my own
Take my own advice, take my own advice
Need me to take my own
Take my own advice
You had to break me, take me
To make me better
But I had to save me, baby
Now or never
Cause how is the man of my dreams not a man of his word?
And how is the man for me just a man that makes me hurt?
It’s time to take my own
Take my own advice, take my own advice
Need me to take my own
Take my own advice
Take, own, ooh, ooh, Take, own, ooh, ooh
