HOMETOWN Harlem
LATEST ALBUM Kaleidoscope (due Dec. 7)
WHY YOU'VE NOTICED HER The Hype Williams-directed, MTV buzz-worthy video for ''Caught out There,'' an outrageous, rage-filled anthem featuring repeated screams of ''I hate you! So much! Right now!''
HOW SHE WOULD DESCRIBE HER SOUND IF SHE WERE A MUSIC CRITIC ''It's a blend of new and old,'' says Kelis, 20. ''It's got a lot of jazz feel to it, a little blues, but the beats are very hip-hop influenced. They sound like something from the year 2010.''
HOW WE DESCRIBE HER SOUND Lauryn Hill sings the Courtney Love songbook
TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC Women who hate men and the men who love them
FASHION SENSE Funky, slinky threads and punky pink hair
TRIUMPHANT TALE OF HOW SHE BEAT THE ODDS A classically trained musician (she attended the New York City performing arts high school upon which Fame was based), Kelis started out singing ''miscellaneous background things'' on other people's records. After recording a demo with hip-hop production team the Neptunes (Mase, ODB), she landed a deal with Virgin. ''I just stayed real and stuck with my gut,'' she says.
IF SHE WERE BREAKFAST CEREAL SHE WOULD BE Angry-Os
STOCK QUOTE ON THE PITFALLS OF FAME ''I get tired of always answering the same questions,'' she says. ''Interviewers usually ask me the same s--- over and over again. People ask stupid questions about my hair all the time.''
INSTANT CHARISMA RATING (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 5) 5
FUNKY FACT Her name is pronounced kuh-LEASE. It's a combination of her parents' first names: Kenny and Eveliss. (Her last name is Rogers.)
ARTISTS WHO NEVER LEAVE HER TAPE PLAYER Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Notorious B.I.G., Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Korn
WHAT'S NEXT Kaleidoscope's release, a promotional tour, and eventually a second single, the decidedly less loco ''Get Along With You.''
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