Keyshia Cole

One of the more genuine urban songstresses out there in the mid-2000s, Keyshia Cole worked her way up the industry ladder diligently yet quickly, making her major-label debut in 2004 at age 21.

Born on the other side of the California Bay — the often tough and troubled streets of Oakland — Cole aspired from an early age to make music her life, so much so that she started working the angles while still a preteen.