Before the reality shows, Keyshia Cole was a successful urban singer with a distinct edge and a powerful voice. With endorsements from hip-hop legends such as MC Hammer and 2pac far before she became a household name, the Oakland-raised songstress released her debut album for A&M, "The Way it Is," to impressive commercial success, following her earlier victories with radio play of her singles. The album featured Jadakiss and Chink Santana, but Keyshia was already working with a large number of Hip-Hop artists, appearing on tracks with Kanye West, Shyne, and Ghostface Killah. She continued to release album, to varying degrees of commercial success, and she continued as well to work with memorable artists, such as P. Diddy and R. Kelly. She is currently working on her sixth studio album and a mixtape. The announced mixtape is purported to have features from French Montana, Wale, Sean Kingston, and Future.
