It’s only been two years since Kehlani released her first mixtape, Cloud 19, but it feels like much longer. Since then, we’ve watched Kehlani become a huge success story. Her smash, GRAMMY-NOMINATED mixtape You Should Be Here was ranked 16th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 20 Best Albums of 2015. YSBH really established the 21-year-old Oakland native as an artist who’s here to stay. Since its release, we’ve seen this girl everywhere. She signed to Atlantic Records and sold out every single date of her first North American tour. She’s had features on huge records from Zayn, Pusha T, G-Eazy and Marc E. Bassy. Kehlani could also be called a festival pro: she performed at SXSW 2015 and 2016, Austin City Limits Music Festival last year, JMBLYA, and Roots Picnic just to name a few. She’s also recently been given the opportunity to open for her Lauryn Hill, for whom Kehlani has so much admiration that she tattooed Ms. Hill’s face on her arm.
Since YSBH, Kehlani has released some new music, including her hit “Gangsta” from the Suicide Squad soundtrack. Right now, you probably can’t get “CRZY” out of your head, and neither can plenty of other music lovers; it’s currently sitting on the Billboard Top 100.
The line “If I gotta be a bitch, I’ma be a bad one” from “CRZY” is pretty indicative of Kehlani’s writing style. She’s confident, and she tells it like it is without any sugar coating. As for her singing style, Kehlani can mix half-rapping, half-singing like on “Did I” or “Runnin” or go full-on powerhouse. Her breathy, sultry R&B vocals can blend with trap beats and piano melodies alike and make anything she touches turn to gold.
If you’ve never seen Kehlani’s live performances or videos, you may be surprised to learn that she’s a talented dancer. She started out as a ballerina, but her hip-hop choreography on stage is extremely impressive and more complex than that of most other performers out right now. Besides the dancing, what really brings the energy to her live performances is her extremely loyal fan base, known as the Tsunami Mob. The commitment and passion of the Tsunami Mob really says a lot about Kehlani as an artist. They have a relatable artist whom they respect and admire, and they know they’re going to get a good show. Here’s the formula: Noodles, Kehlani’s DJ, hypes up the already anxious crowd and Kehlani and her dancers come out and bring their A-game; and they kill it every time.
Get your tickets to see Kehlani and the rest of the line up here.
