5 Times Kelis Understood The Assignment

Kelis Rogers-Mora shot her way to fame following the success of her hit song “Milkshake.” And the “Bossy” singer recently made waves again after her spat with superstar Beyoncé went viral.

When word got out about the release of Beyonce’s latest album Renaissance, fans were thrilled. But when the album finally dropped, one person didn’t share in that excitement.

In a series of social media posts, Kelis argued that Beyoncé used part of her hit single “Get Along with You” without asking. Part of the 2013 bop can be heard in the track, “Energy.”

Beyoncé refrained from responding, but as to be expected, things still got a little messy on social media. Later, Beyonce quietly removed the sample from the Renaissance track. And as a result, Kelis shared that she was satisfied with the decision.

Kelis topped the charts with her distinct sound and even more distinct style. She inspired a generation of fans and entertainers by staying true to herself. Kelis was that girl. And in case anyone forgot, she still is. Here are five times she understood the assignment:

That time she kept it real

When it comes to confidence, Kelis has got it all. And, of course, she does; her style and swag are unmatched. And fortunately, her individuality is what led her to fame.

In an interview with Fader, Kelis talks about authenticity and the importance of remaining true to self. She says that the sentiment was taught to her and her siblings at a young age. Her mother would advise them to be true to themselves instead of trying to fit into a societal mold.

She talks about how following that advice impacted public perception of her at times, saying, “In my honesty, because of how my mind works, sometimes it came off as, Oh, that’s different. But my goal was never to be different. My goal was never to be bold or to stand out, ever, really. It was just to be honest.”

That time she pushed boundaries

To many, Kelis is a trendsetter. She was considered one of the first Black alternative women in the industry. Her distinct aesthetic pushed boundaries at that time. And Kelis undoubtedly influenced a generation of teenage girls.

In an interview with Guardian, she talks about the challenges she faced as one of the first to do it.

“The issue of race has been such a big part of my entire career,” she says. “It was never something that I struggled with personally. But it was other people’s confusions. Macy Gray and I were the first [Black women] to be considered alternative.”

She continued, “But people were like: ‘But you’re Black and alternative? What is that?’ Which already is a stupid-a** question, but it was put in our faces all the time.”

That time she showed us her chef skills

In 2008, Kelis trained at the renowned Cordon Bleu culinary school as a saucier. And soon after, she launched her first sauce line called “Bounty & Full” (formerly “Feast”) at the Food & Wine Festival in Beverly Hills.

Later, she opened a food truck, launched a pop-up restaurant turned food truck with famous chef Le Bun, and curated an exclusive milkshake recipe in partnership with Bailey’s.

Not to mention, her food has appeared on television. In 2014, Kelis starred in a Cooking Channel series called Saucy and Sweet. And later, she appeared in Cooked with Cannabis, a Netflix cooking competition.

She also wrote a book. Kelis calls her cookbook, My Life on a Plate, “an exploration of tastes and cultures.” And inside, she pays homage to her Puerto Rican heritage by including traditional Latin recipes such as Arroz con Gandules and Shrimp Alcapurias. Plus, readers will find recipes inspired by her personal travel experiences.

That time she influenced Pharrell

Kelis is a major player in the fashion world. Her style has influenced many people, one of which is renowned musician and producer Pharrell Williams.

In an interview with UK Vogue magazine, he talks about her influence on his style today.

“I’d just signed this girl called Kelis, and back then, all I wore was Ralph Lauren’s Polo, because that was the thing. And Kelis turned to me and said, ‘You’ve got to get out of this box.”

Instead, Kelis suggested he explore other options. He says, “She introduced me to Prada and Gucci. It was thanks to Kelis I discovered a life outside of monograms.”

That time she left the music world

In an interview with Fader, Kelis talks about how she pursued culinary arts to escape the music industry.

“When I went to culinary school, it was at a time in my career when I was super fed up,” she says. “I woke up one day and I was like, ‘Yo it’s been freaking 10 years that I’ve been doing [music] and I haven’t done anything else.'”

She reveals that she had been battling with her record label and was quickly becoming frustrated. Also, she says watching her father, a Jazz musician, work for little to no pay influenced her decision to leave the music industry, as well.

Even though she has since returned to music, she recalls feeling relieved when she initially left.

“So when I decided to go to culinary school, I was like, ‘This is my way out,'” she says. “I wanted to do something for me. Something where there’s no managers, there’s no agents, there’s no one depending on me or my time or scheduling my life, nothing. I went to school five days a week, seven hours a day and that became the most refreshing and renewing career for me.”