Background and career
Kelis Rogers (; born August 21, 1979) is an American singer. She attended Manhattan's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she played saxophone and was selected for the Girls Choir of Harlem. Upon graduation, Rogers 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. The following year, she appeared on Ol' Dirty Bastard's Neptunes-produced single "Got Your Money", which became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Rogers's debut studio album, Kaleidoscope (1999), inspired by jazz and disco music from the 1970s, sold poorly in the United States but drew critical acclaim and found moderate success on international charts. Led by her first Billboard Hot 100 entry as a lead artist, "Caught Out There", the album peaked at number 43 on the UK Albums Chart and earned gold certification by the country's British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
She parted ways with Virgin Records after the poor sales of her second album, Wanderland (2001), and signed with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment. Her third studio album, Tasty (2003), drew more critical praise and became her commercial breakthrough. Its lead single, "Milkshake", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK singles chart; its follow-up, "Trick Me", also reached No. 2 in the UK. Her fourth album, Kelis Was Here (2006), was supported by the US top-20 single "Bossy" (featuring Too Short), and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. After its release, she took a hiatus from recording and ventured into culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu. She signed with will.i.am Music Group to release her fifth album, Flesh Tone (2010), which explored electronic music. Two of its singles, "Acapella" and "4th of July (Fireworks)" found success on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart and the UK Dance Singles Chart.
Tying in with her culinary career, she released her sixth studio album Food (2014), which became her second top-20 album in the UK and spawned three singles: "Jerk Ribs", "Rumble" and "Friday Fish Fry". The album explored a neo soul recording style. Rogers has been recognized at the Brit Awards, Q Awards, NME Awards, and Grammy Awards. Her musical output as a lead and featured artist encompasses various genres. She has collaborated with R&B and hip hop acts including Nas (whom she married in 2003), Busta Rhymes, Outkast, and Puff Daddy; electronic and dance producers such as Calvin Harris, Disclosure, Giorgio Moroder, Timo Maas, and Richard X; pop and rock acts Enrique Iglesias, Duran Duran, 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.
Rogers was born and raised in the Frederick Douglass Houses in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Her first name is a portmanteau of her father's name, Kenneth (1944–2000), and her mother's name, Eveliss. Her father Kenneth was an African-American jazz musician and Pentecostal minister, as well as a former professor at Wesleyan University. Her mother Eveliss is a Chinese-Puerto Rican fashion designer who inspired her to pursue her singing career. She has three siblings (two older sisters and one younger sister). As a child, Rogers sang in church choirs and played violin, piano, and saxophone while attending Manhattan Country School, a private school. At 13, she shaved off all of her hair. In an interview, Rogers says she was kicked out of her parents' house at age 16 for bad behavior, and that although she would sometimes clash with her mother, she nevertheless continued her education at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she formed the R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United).
How Kelis makes money
She parted ways with Virgin Records after the poor sales of her second album, Wanderland (2001), and signed with the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment. She signed with will.i.am Music Group to release her fifth album, Flesh Tone (2010), which explored electronic music.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
