Bio||
Full Name:Keri Lynn Hilson
Birthday : October 27, 1982
Hometown : Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Label : Interscope
The Pussycat Dolls, Usher, Diddy, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg,
Mary J. Blige, and Lloyd Banks are just a few of the musical superstars who
have collaborated with 23 yr-old singer/songwriter Keri Hilson to create spine-tingling
music. Her talent is undeniable, and after catching the eye of acclaimed producer
Timbaland, then with Polow's orchestration, she signed to Interscope Records
in early 2005. She will release her debut album on Timbaland's joint-venture
label, Mosley Music Group (MMG/Interscope).
Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Keri Hilson began writing her own music
before the age of 12. Then, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, and
Michael Jackson were her musical inspirations. Later, Lauryn Hill and Robin
Thicke were added to her ever-growing assortment of influences. As a writer,
she was mentored under producer Anthony Dent. It was he who produced Keri's
first writing debut "Jump" for a female artist on Sony Japan. Since
then, Keri has been establishing her signature as an R&B, hip-hop writer
and artist, gaining respect and spreading a buzz throughout the music community.
Keri is credited for writing such familiar tracks as "Take Me As I Am"
for Mary J. Blige, "4 Minutes" for Avant, "Icebox" for Omarion,
and numerous others for artists including Ciara, Toni Braxton, LeToya Luckett,
Usher, Ruben Studdard, Chris Brown, Kelly Rowland, and Ludacris.Before she could
utilize her talents for her own solo endeavors, RB singer, vocal arranger, and
songwriter Keri Lynn Hilson wrote a slew of songs, many of them charttoppers,
for several popular artists in the mid2000s as part of the fiveperson production/songwriting
team known as the Clutch. The dynamic songwriter was born in Decatur, GA, only
a few miles outside of Atlanta. Addicted to TV talent shows like Star Search
and Showtime at the Apollo, she was already plotting out her career in music
at age 12. Even though her mother hired a piano teacher to encourage those talents,
she mainly wanted to sing; therefore, Hilson converted those sessions into vocal
lessons, accompanying the teacher on piano. In her mid to late teens, her career
jumped off as a songwriter and background vocalist, working under producer Anthony
Dent (Destiny's Child, Diddy). Borne out of that relationship were two failed
girl groups (named Pretty Toni and D'Sign), and, more importantly, a host of
connections within the industry for whom she wrote or did backup vocals, including
Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Ciara, and upandcoming Southern rap producer
Polow da Don.After Hilson graduated from high school, she managed to continue
juggling all these tasks when she enrolled into Emory University in Atlanta.
She eventually moved on from Dent and began working more with Polow da Don.
Attending school while actively advancing her music career put a great demand
on her, especially from being a member of the extremely versatile Clutch team.
But as luck would have it, Polow introduced her to superproducer Timbaland,
who wasted no time in signing the multitalented songbird to his growing Mosley
Music imprint in 2006. Over the next couple years, Hilson's songwriting was
practically ubiquitous, responsible for numerous hit singles, including Mary
J. Blige's "Take Me as I Am," Omarion's "Ice Box," the Pussycat
Dolls' "Wait a Minute," and Ciara's "Like a Boy." With Timbaland
and the Clutch in her corner, Hilson relied on the vast pool of recording artists
and producers who needed (and wanted) to return the favor for her Mosley Music/Interscope
debut.
- Cyril Cordor, All Music Guide
Keri has been featured on the single "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)" on Xzibit's
album, Weapons of Mass Destruction. The song led to her performance debut with
Xzibit at the 2004 MTV Europe Awards. Two years later, she made a cameo in Nelly
Furtado's music video, "Promiscuous." Keri"s most recent work
can be seen with The Pussycat Dolls latest single "Wait a Minute."
Also, "After Love," one of the tracks on Diddy's 2007 album, Press
Play. She is also featured on Lloyd Banks' second single, "Help" from
the album, Rotten Apple.
Keri, the self-proclaimed "musical flowerchild," gives birth to a
fresh and unique style of R&B, and will be mixing her talents with some
of the most notable entertainers to create her highly anticipated debut album.
She joined with Snoop for her track "Happy Juice" and is expected
to co-write with Justin Timberlake on some additional tracks. To compliment
this star-studded roster, the album will be produced by Timbaland, Danja, Polow,
tha Cornaboyz, Tony Dixon, Eric Dawkins, and Tank, to name a few. Don't miss
this amazing talent when she makes her solo debut in 2007.