Kelis Rogers (/kəˈliːs/; born August 21, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and chef. At age 14, Kelis 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 in 1997, Kelis took on a variety of jobs before landing a backup vocal slot on a single 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 while also 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" and "In Public". The album earned the singer commercial prominence. Kelis Was Here (2006), her fourth album, was the subject of further label disputes and she took a hiatus from music after its release, during which she trained at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. She later signed with will.i.am and began recording her fifth album. Her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone was released on May 14, 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's neo soul-inspired sixth studio album Food (2014) became her fourth top-ten album in the UK, and her second top-ten entry on the US Billboard 200, where it charted at number 6. Produced entirely by Kelis and David Andrew Sitek, it was praised for its cohesive sound and introspective lyrical content. The album 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 six 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.