Kehlani Ashley Parrish was born on April 24, 1995, inOakland, California.[10][11] She was adopted and raised by her aunt when her mother, who had a drug addiction, served time in jail.[12] Kehlani's father, who also had a drug addiction, died when she was a toddler.[12] During her teenage years, she attended theOakland School for the Arts, where she initially practiced dance, particularly ballet andmodern dance.[13][11]
Early in their life, Kehlani aspired to train as a dancer at theJuilliard School, but they had a knee injury in junior high, which led them to turn their attention towards singing.[14] While living with their aunt, Kehlani was exposed almost exclusively toR&B andneo soul artists, such asLauryn Hill,Erykah Badu andJill Scott, whom today they describe as some of their early musical influences.[14] When they were 14, Kehlani was recruited to join a localpop cover band, PopLyfe.[13]
Career
2009–2013: Beginnings with PopLyfe
Kehlani's singing career effectively began when they started out as a member and lead vocalist for the group called PopLyfe. The band's music was produced by formerTony! Toni! Tone! memberD'Wayne Wiggins.[14][15] Within two years, the group performed throughout theBay Area and other cities. In 2011, they auditioned for thesixth season ofAmerica's Got Talent, and eventually finished in fourth place. During their final appearance, judgePiers Morgan told Kehlani, "You've got real talent, but I don't think you need the group."[13][16][17]
After the end ofAmerica's Got Talent, Kehlani left PopLyfe, because of several managerial and contractual disputes.[18] Over six months, they avoided doing anything music related to avoid being sued by the group's management.[15] In 2012 and 2013, Kehlani was effectively homeless, moving from house to house and often sleeping on couches.[14] During their senior year of high school, they moved to Los Angeles, California, with no legal guardian. In 2013,Nick Cannon, who had been the host ofAmerica's Got Talent during PopLyfe's run, called Kehlani to ask about being in a rap group. They agreed at first and went to Los Angeles, but, ultimately didn't like the direction of the group and moved back to Oakland. To help with money and food, they decided to begin stealing iPhones to sell, and items from grocery stores for a short time.[13] Months later, Kehlani released their first solo track onSoundCloud, called "ANTISUMMERLUV". Cannon called back after hearing the song and he bought them an apartment inLA, along with studio time.[13][14][15]
2014–2017:SweetSexySavage
Kehlani performing in 2015
In 2014, the studio time culminated in the release of their first mixtape, calledCloud 19. The mixtape featuresguest appearances from Kyle Dion. Cannon also sent them to New York City to work with record producer Jahaan Sweet.[13] The mixtape ranked at twenty-eighth onComplex's list of the "50 Best Albums of 2014,"[19] and was also listed amongPitchfork's "Overlooked Mixtapes 2014."[20] A song they released in late 2014, "Till the Morning" was placed byBillboard as one of the "Emerging Picks of the Week" on November 7, 2014.[21] In 2015, Kehlani opened for American rapperG-Eazy on the second leg of his From the Bay to the Universe tour.[22]
On April 28, 2015, they released their second mixtapeYou Should Be Here.Billboard called it the "year's first great R&B album",[23] when it debuted at number five onBillboard'sTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[24] The project features guest appearances from fellow American rapperChance the Rapper and American singerBJ the Chicago Kid.[25] A week after the release, they announced that they had signed a deal to Atlantic Records.[26] In support of the mixtape, they embarked on the You Should Be Here tour, which sold out every North American date and select European dates.[27] Throughout 2015, they also received individual plaudits:Complex called their one of the "15 Artists to Watch Out for in 2015"[28] andRolling Stone named them one of the "10 New Artists You Need to Know".[29]You Should Be Here also earned aGrammy Award nomination forBest Urban Contemporary Album.[30] In March 2016, Kehlani guest featured on English singerZayn's single "Wrong" from his debut solo studio albumMind of Mine.[31] Their song "Gangsta" was featured on the soundtrack for the August 2016 hit movieSuicide Squad, which gave them and their music some beneficial recognition, as it reached number 41 on the Hot 100.[32]
On November 26, 2016, Kehlani revealed the title of their debut studio albumSweetSexySavage,[33] which was released on Atlantic Records on January 27, 2017.[8][34] In December 2017, Kehlani guest featured on American rapperEminem's single "Nowhere Fast" from his ninth studio albumRevival.[35] Kehlani's third annual Tsunami Christmas tour concluded in Santa Ana, California on December 18, 2017.[36][37]
2018–2023:It Was Good Until It Wasn't andBlue Water Road
On September 27, 2019, Kehlani and Russian-German DJZedd released the collaborative single "Good Thing."[46] Kehlani and American singerTeyana Taylor's then released the single "Morning" in November of that year.[47]
On January 28, 2020, Kehlani guest-featured on singerJustin Bieber's promotional single "Get Me" from his fifth studio album,Changes.[48] They were also set to be a supporting act alongside American rapper and singerJaden Smith for Bieber's Changes Tour, which was pushed back due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The tour was pushed back to 2022 and renamed theJustice World Tour to support bothChanges and its successor, Bieber's sixth studio album,Justice (2021), although Kehlani was dropped as an opening act.[49] Kehlani released their second studio album,It Was Good Until It Wasn't on May 8, 2020.[50] It debuted at number two on the USBillboard 200, based on 83,000album-equivalent units earned (including 25,000 copies of pure album sales).[51]
In September 2020, Kehlani recorded songs for the deluxe version ofIt Was Good Until It Wasn't. However, after the session they decided that the songs would fit better on a separate project, and began working on their third studio album,Blue Water Road.[52] On September 14, 2021, Kehlani revealed the teaser forBlue Water Road, and announced that the album will be released later that year.[53][54] The album's lead single "Altar" was released on September 15.[55][56] The second single, "Little Story", was released on February 24, 2022.[57] On March 30, Kehlani released "Up at Night", featuring Justin Bieber, as the third single from the album, while the album was confirmed for an April 29 release.[58]
To support the album, Kehlani embarked on the Blue Water Road Trip tour in the US and Europe from July to December 2022.[59] The tour had opening actsRico Nasty and Destin Conrad.[60] In 2023, Kehlani was the headliner for concert performances at the2023 WNBA All-Star Game and the2023 MLS All-Star Game.[61][62]
2024–present:Crash andWhile We Wait 2
On April 4, 2024, Kehlani released the lead single "After Hours" ahead of their next album.[63] Kehlani affirmed theirsupport for Palestine, expressing their stance in their music video "Next 2 U".[64] The video, which premiered on May 31, 2024, began with a poem by Palestinian-American writerHala Alyan and the demonstration chant "Long Live the Intifada", an allusion tothe 1987 uprising againstIsraeli occupation of theWest Bank andGaza Strip.[65] In the music video's outro, Kehlani vocalized a personally penned message dedicated to thePalestinian children who were killed in theGaza war.[66] Kehlani's fourth album,Crash, was released on June 21, 2024,[67] and featured collaborations withJill Scott,Omah Lay andYoung Miko.[68][69][70] Their fourth mixtape,While We Wait 2, was released on August 28, 2024. It included 14 songs with features fromLucky Daye,kwn,Vince Staples,FLO, Destin Conrad,Lil' Mo, andDIXSON. Kehlani states that the album only took two weeks to record and was done all at home. The cover art nods to the originalWhile We Wait album cover, featuring them staring at themself in the mirror with a floral wallpaper in the background. They also collaborated withGloRilla on a Christmas-themed trap song, which was released on December 13, 2024.[71][72]
In January 2016, it was confirmed that Kehlani was in a relationship with star NBA point guardKyrie Irving. In March 2016, Canadian singerPartyNextDoor posted a picture of Kehlani's hand on Instagram, insinuating that they were in bed together. This caused a media controversy across Twitter, in which abuse was tweeted against Kehlani in hundreds of thousands of posts. Kehlani attemptedsuicide shortly thereafter. Irving later stated on Twitter that the pair had broken up before the incident.[80] Kehlani took to social media to explain that they did not cheat on Irving in a public statement to acknowledge their attempted suicide in the wake of the media attention.[81] In 2018, Irving penned an apology to Kehlani via an Instagram post, expressing appreciation towards the singer, and they responded wishing him well.[82]
On September 6, 2019, it was confirmed that Kehlani was dating American rapperYG,[83] but after three months of dating, Kehlani and YG broke up. However, the two released a collaborative single forValentine's Day, "Konclusions", on February 14, 2020. In May 2020, during an interview withThe Breakfast Club, Kehlani said that they discovered that YG was cheating on them after seeing his phone. YG apologized by filling their lawn with roses. Kehlani added that they do not speak, but remain cordial.[84]
Kehlani announced that they were pregnant with their first child, a girl, on Instagram on October 12, 2018,[85] with the father being Javaughn Young-White, who plays guitar for Kehlani.[86] They opened up in December 2018 aboutprenatal depression[87] and how their pregnancy is harder than it might look.[88] In 2019, Kehlani gave birth to a daughter at home.[89]
Between their second and third studio albums,It Was Good Until It Wasn’t andBlue Water Road, they stated they went through a spiritual detox in order to get out of a toxic cycle with themself.[90] After their breakup with YG and near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they stripped themself down emotionally and began writingBlue Water Road to process this change. In the summer of 2020, Kehlani bought a small farm inSimi Valley, California, where they live with their daughter.[91] They were in a relationship with the 070 collective member, Danielle Balbuena, better known as070 Shake.[92][93] In 2020, Kehlani started practicing the African diasporic religionLa Regla de Ocha.[94]
In 2024, Kehlani was briefly married to A&R and music executiveMariel Gomerez, before Gomerez filed for a marriage annulment three months later citing fraud and infidelity.[95]
In October 2025, Kehlani confirmed that they were in a relationship with British singer and rapperKwn.[96][97]
Kehlani is avegan.[98] They have spoken about their past experiences being a survivor of sexual assault and rape.[99]
In politics
Kehlani expressed solidarity with Palestine during theGaza war. InInstagram posts, they voiced disapproval for celebrities who have chosen to remain silent on the matter, implying that they prioritize their personal business endeavors over addressinga pressing humanitarian crisis.[100][101] They were a principal signer of the October 2023 open letter,Artists AgainstApartheid.[102][103] In November 2023, Kehlani signed an open lettercalling for a ceasefire and an end to theIsraeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.[104] On May 27, 2024, Kehlani voiced their criticism on Instagram, this time directed specifically at fellow musicians for remaining silent about theGaza–Israel conflict in Palestine.[105] They further demonstrated their support for Gaza in the “Next 2 U” music video, which opens up with a poem by a Palestinian American writer and has a Palestinian flag in the background of the entire video.[71]
In April 2025, Kehlani's scheduled performance atCornell University's annualSlope Day was canceled by university presidentMichael Kotlikoff over their support for Palestine. Kotlikoff claimed that Kehlani had "espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media." In response, they responded on Instagram saying, "I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti anextermination of an entire people, I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women—that’s what I’m anti."[106]
In May 2025, another scheduled Kehlani concert in New York was canceled after pressure from New York City mayorEric Adams citing "security concerns." The free concert had been scheduled to take place on June 26 atSummerStage as part of Pride events taking place in the city, but was canceled after first deputy mayorRandy Mastro sent a letter to event organizers threatening to revoke their license and refer the matter to police to investigate if the event was a "risk to public safety." The event was canceled in the midst of ongoing backlash against Kehlani's pro-Palestine views.[107]
Sexuality and gender identity
In April 2018, they spoke about their sexuality on Twitter, stating, "I'mqueer. Notbi, notstraight. I'm attracted to women, men, REALLY attracted to queer men,non-binary people,intersex people,trans people. lilpolypansexual".[108][109] After that, during alivestream in early 2021, Kehlani announced that they are alesbian,[110] after having publicly identified asqueer andpansexual in the past. They preferpolyamorous relationships.[111] They have stated that it is important for them to include female pronouns in their music.[112]
In an April 2019 interview withDiva, Kehlani stated they are "definitely on thenon-binary scale" despite preferring "she" pronouns.[113] In December 2020, Kehlani updated their pronouns onTwitter to "she/they".[114] In an interview withByrdie Magazine in 2021, they stated their preference for "they" over "she", because "something feels really affirming when people say they", and that "it feels like you really see me".[115]
In an interview withPower 106, Kehlani discusses their attempted suicide was due to the negative media response as well as their first major heartbreak. They state that their album was therapeutic through their difficult time. During their recovery, they got a tattoo that says "perdida y encontrada" which in English translates to "lost and found".[122]
On their travels to Australia during August 2017, Kehlani received a "Kirituhi", aMāori tattoo from a New Zealand artist, whom they flew from New Zealand to Sydney, Australia to complete. On Kehlani's Instagram post, they captioned the photo: "[T]he piece representing my whānau/family, 6 koru representing my 4 siblings here on earth and the 2 that have transferred into the next life. 2 mangopare/hammerhead sharks representing guidance and strength through adversity and tribulation."[123]
On January 5, 2018, Kehlani posted a photo to Instagram showing that their hand tattoo of the word "woke" had been covered up with a lotus flower; they stated that they felt that their "hand would speak for [them] before [they] even got a chance to open [their] mouth".[124]
Business ventures
Entrepreneurship in activism
In tandem with the release of their single "Next 2 U" in 2024, they unveiled merchandise created by Palestinian, Nöl Collective creative director and founder, Yasmeen Mjalli. The entirety of the proceeds from the sales of the merchandise went towards aiding Palestinian, Congolese and Sudanese families, in collaboration with Operation Olive Branch.[125][126]
^Daniels, Karu F. (May 6, 2025)."Kehlani's free SummerStage concert canceled amid pro-Palestine backlash".New York Daily News. RetrievedMay 9, 2025.Another high-profile concert headlined by Kehlani has been canceled amid ongoing backlash over her pro-Palestine views. The five-time Grammy-nominated singer's Central Park show on June 26 was called off by SummerStage organizers, who cited safety and security issues raised by city officials. The event was one of many LGBTQ+ Pride events scheduled around New York City.
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