Keyshia Myeshia Cole (neé Johnson; born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television producer. She was born in Oakland, California. Her career began when she met MC Hammer at the age of 12, and later met rapper Tupac Shakur. At the age of 15, she moved to Los Angeles and was later introduced to A&M Records. She released her debut album, The Way It Is (2005), which spawned five singles: "Never", "I Changed My Mind", "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", "I Should Have Cheated", and "Love". It was certified gold within 17 weeks, and then platinum just eight weeks later. The album stayed on the charts for over a year, selling over 1.6 million copies.
After A&M folded, Cole released her second album Just Like You (2007) under Geffen Records, and the album debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. The album has been certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold 1.7 million copies in the US.
A Different Me is Cole's third album, released in 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 322,000, the highest of Cole's career. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Calling All Hearts is Cole's fourth album, released on December 21, 2010 in the United States. The album debuted and peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 129,000. The album has sold 400,000 copies in the US as of November 2012. Cole's fifth album Woman to Woman (2012) debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 96,000, lower than her last effort. The album has sold 329,000 copies in the US as of September 2013.
After Geffen folded, Cole's sixth album Point of No Return (2014) was released on October 7, 2014 through Interscope Records, and had unsuccessful sales, selling less than 45,000 copies in the US.
Along with her music, Cole has ventured into reality television. She signed to a reality/documentary series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is which aired on BET from 2006 until 2008, giving viewers a closer look into Cole's career and family life with her biological mother and sister. Her second reality show, Family First premiered on October 9, 2012. Her third reality show Keyshia Cole: All In premiered on February 24, 2015.