Kelis

Harlem-bred vocalist Kelis left her parents' home at 16 and landed a deal with Virgin four years later. In mid-1999, Kelis was singing alongside rap troublemaker Ol' Dirty Bastard on his cut "Got Your Money," and her signature Technicolor-spiraled Afro sparked critics' interest. Kelis captured feminist desires on her debut, Kaleidoscope, released in December 1999. Two years later, she teamed up with the Neptunes once again for Wanderland. The sophomore effort was issued in Europe only (political reworkings within the U.S. wing of Virgin prevented a stateside release), which compelled Kelis to leave for Arista. Released in 2003, Tasty followed and yielded the Top Ten hit "Milkshake," another Neptunes production. After Kelis married Nas (a relationship that would last roughly four years), Kelis Was Here was released in 2006 through Jive and was led by the duly assertive "Bossy." The album spawned no other hits, and it would be her last studio work for the label. Jive subsequently packaged The Hits, a mix of singles and album cuts that also featured some of the singer's most popular collaborations ("Get Your Money," N.E.R.D.'s "Truth or Dare," Richard X's "Finest Dreams"). Signed to Interscope through the will.i.am music group, Kelis released Fleshtone (2010), a dance-flavored set featuring productions from David Guetta, Benny Benassi, Boys Noize, Diplo, and Jean Baptiste. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi