Keshia Chanté Harper (born June 16, 1988) is a Canadian singer, television host, actress, songwriter and philanthropist. As a teenager, Chanté gained recognition with the release of her singles "Unpredictable", "Bad Boy" and "Does He Love Me" "Been Gone" "2U" and "Fallen" featuring Drake and has since released four albums. In 2013, she rose to international prominence as co-host of BET's ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rate ...

'' with Bow Wow which launched her career as a TV Host & Television Personality. Chante is also known as Drake's musical muse who he refers to as "KIKI" in his song

In My Feelings "In My Feelings" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his fifth studio album ''Scorpion'' (2018). It was released to rhythmic and contemporary hit radio on July 10, 2018, as the album's fifth single. The song features additional vocals by th ...

. Chanté made history as the youngest

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...

winner and is a 7-time nominee, and has won five

Canadian Urban Music Awards The Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC) is a Canadian non-profit organization focused on showcasing and expanding Canadian urban music established in 1996. UMAC offers a variety of service such as workshops, tours and also hosts the ''Canadi ...

and two

Canadian Radio Music Awards The Canadian Radio Music Awards were an annual series of awards presented by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters that was part of Canadian Music Week. The award show ran from 2016 to 2018. There has been no information on the future of the e ...

. Chanté was given a star on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame for her achievements in Canadian Music & Film. Chanté has had many #1 singles on radio in both Canada & Japan, as well as eight Top 10 singles on the radio music charts. She has earned multiple SOCAN No. 1 Awards for her songwriting efforts. Her single " Table Dancer" hit #1 on the Billboard Japan Digital Chart and #9 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...

. Chanté won a Canadian Screen Award for Best TV Host. She rose to international prominence having hosted ''

'' with Bow Wow for two years. She has conducted interviews with many high-profile celebrities, including

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the develop ...

Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums. After winning se ...

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...

Larry King Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys, an Emmy and 10 Cable ACE Awards. Over his career, he hosted over 50,000 interviews. ...

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...

Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), former stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, businessman, and former rapper. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mark Wahlberg, multiple accolades, including a B ...

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received n ...

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

, and

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

. Chante has served as an international music judge on ''

The World's Best ''The World's Best'' is an American reality talent competition television series. Produced by Mark Burnett and Mike Darnell, it features international performers being evaluated by three judges—Drew Barrymore, RuPaul and Faith Hill, and a pane ...

'', and currently hosts ''

Entertainment Tonight Canada ''ET Canada'' (previously referred to as ''Entertainment Tonight Canada'') is a Canadian entertainment news television series, using the same format as the American entertainment newsmagazine '' Entertainment Tonight''. ''ET Canada'' is a broadc ...

'' and ETC Live in California. Chanté has hosted, judged and appeared on numerous shows including the BET Awards, Peak of the Week on

Paramount+ Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...

, Let's KIKI, Big Brother's Aftershow, Battle of the Blades,

The Next Star ''The Next Star'' was a Canadian reality competition television series that was broadcast on YTV. It was hosted by Adamo Ruggiero (seasons 1–5) and Carlos Bustamante (season 6–7). The series involved a competition to find the most talented ...

, Top Chef Canada,

Chopped Canada ''Chopped Canada'' is a Canadian reality cooking television series based on the US series ''Chopped''. The program pits four chefs against each other as they compete to win $10,000 and the title of Chopped Canada Champion. It first aired on Janu ...

and

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

As a philanthropist and humanitarian, Chanté has donated and raised millions of dollars with multiple organizations and causes, including

WE Charity WE Charity (french: Organisme UNIS), formerly known as Free the Children (French: ''Enfants Entraide''), is an international development charity and youth empowerment movement founded in 1995 by human rights advocates Marc and Craig Kielburge ...

, Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, Joyful Heart Foundation and

World Vision International World Vision International is an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization. It prefers to present itself as interdenominational and also employs staff from non-evangelical Christian denominations. It was ...

. Chanté also hosted We Day and is a motivational speaker advocating for Mental Health awareness. As an actress, Chanté is a recurring guest star on TV series' '' Jann'' and '' Private Eyes''.

Early life

Keshia Chanté Harper was born and raised in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and spent summers with her grandparents in

Hinesville, Georgia Hinesville is a city in Liberty County, Georgia, United States, located on the Atlantic coastal plain. The population was 33,437 at the 2010 census and an estimated 33,273 in 2019. The city is the county seat of Liberty County. It is the princ ...

. At age 12 Chanté moved to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. Her father is Afro-Trinidadian and her mother is Puerto Rican and Portuguese Chanté is an only child. She was 6 years old when she first performed, receiving a standing ovation for her rendition of Dear Mama by

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

. Through talent shows, she got the attention of a local DJ who, in 2002, sent a video of her performance to SonyMusic Canada. After performing for music executives, she was signed to the label to release her music exclusively in Canada. She went to middle school at St. Peter Catholic High School before moving to

, Ontario at the age of 12. Chanté was

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA) ...

and graduated with honors.

Career

2003–2012: Singer and actor

In 2002, at the age of 13, SonyMusic Canada signed Chanté to a long term record contract to release her music in Canada. In early 2003, she released "Shook (The Answer)", a response track to

Shawn Desman Shawn Bosco Fernandes (born January 12, 1982), better known by his stage name Shawn Desman, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer, and television personality. He was signed to Universal Music Canada. He is known for his energetic stage presenc ...

's song Shook, which won an Urban Music Award for "Best Pop/R&B Single". The follow-up, "Unpredictable" went No. 3 on radio charts, and her first video hit number one on YTV and the top ten on

MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31, ...

. In November 2003, the CD single of "Unpredictable" was certified gold and later went on to win Chanté the Canadian Radio Music Award for "Best New Solo Artist". In early February 2004, Chanté's third single, "Bad Boy", was released. It was also successful, breaking the Top 10 on radio and sitting at No. 3 on

for 4 weeks before later earning the No. 1 position on the chart. The video was directed by

Director X Julien Christian Lutz (born October 31, 1975), known professionally as Director X, is a Canadian filmmaker, commercial director, music video director, and television director. Having directed more than 100 music videos, he is widely known as a pr ...

. Later, in June 2004, Chanté's fourth single "Does He Love Me?" ft. Foxy Brown reached top 5 at radio. The video was also directed by

and became No. 1 on

for 3 weeks. The video also garnered her an Urban Music Video Award for "Video of the Year". On June 22, 2004, Chanté released her self-titled debut album. On December 3, 2004 it was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

. In October 2004, at the

Chanté swept all three of her nominations, winning awards for "Best New Artist", "Video of the Year" (for Bad Boy), "Fans' Choice Award" and by surprise taking home the "Rising Star of the Year" award. This brought the attention of the President of

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

, Stephen Hill, who became Chanté's mentor and putting the video for "Bad Boy" into heavy rotation. In that same month, she sang the national anthem at the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup championship game.Keshia Chante to Sing National Anthem at Grey Cup
OttawaStart, October 23, 2004 She was also selected to represent Canada at

Expo 2005 Expo 2005 was a World Expo held for 185 days between Friday, March 25 and Sunday, September 25, 2005, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of the city of Nagoya. Japan has also hosted Expo '70 Osaka (World Expo), Expo '75 Okinawa (Specialised Expo) ...

held in Japan. In July 2005, Chanté went on a cross-Canada tour and later opened up for

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

during the Canadian leg of their Destiny Fulfilled ... And Lovin' It tour, and is also included on the Destiny's Child Live in Atlanta Tour DVD. In October 2005, Chanté received four nominations at the Urban Music Awards. In 2006, Chanté toured with

Teen People ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the l ...

Magazine and Seventeen Magazine across select cities in the U.S. In July 2006, Chanté released her new single "Been Gone" with a video shot by Director X (marking her third collaboration with him). Her second single, "2U" was released in early November. Also in 2006, Chanté made a featured cameo appearance in Bow Wow and

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...

's music video " Shortie Like Mine". Her second album, which Chanté executive produced, was released on December 5, 2006 in Canada and Japan through SonyMusic Canada. MTV's "The Diary of Keshia Chanté" aired in Canada December 6, 2006, showing footage following Chanté as she travelled to Miami and LA working on her album. In 2007, during her last year of high school, Chanté took a departure from music to study to learn more about the music business and be mentored by respected entertainment lawyers in LA and Toronto. She later made the decision to move to Atlanta and West Hollywood, where she worked closely the camps of Ne-Yo, Missy Elliott and OutKast. She began honing her skill as a songwriter and her acting chops, starring as the lead actress in the TV series "Soul". In 2010, Chanté released her third album " Night & Day" in Canada through

Universal Music Canada Universal Music Group owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here. According to UMG official site, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Bravado, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammopho ...

. Chanté released "Table Dancer" and "Test Drive" which were both nominated for Juno Awards; R&B Recording of the Year for "Test Drive" and Dance Recording of the Year for "Table Dancer". Both songs entered Top 10 at radio. On February 14, 2011, Chanté released the Taio Cruz penned song "Set U Free". On December 31, 2011, Chanté performed on ET Canada's New Year's Eve Bash in Niagara Falls, which later set a record becoming Canada's No. 1 Year End Countdown Show with 4.8 million viewers. In April 2012, Chanté was announced as the new music judge for a music competition show on YTV called

. On the week of November 28, 2012, Chante's first single release "Table Dancer" went No. 1 on the Billboard Charts in Japan and No. 6 on Hot 100, No. 3 on Digital & Airplay & No. 11 on regular charts Chanté guest starred & judged on TV shows Top Chef Canada and Canada's Best Beauty Talent with supermodel Coco Rocha & Flare Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Lisa Tant

2013–2015: TV personality ''BET's 106 and Park''

On June 14, 2012, Chanté made her US television debut on

's ''

'' as a co-host on two separate occasions co-hosting with

Terrence J Terrence Jenkins (born April 21, 1982) is an American actor, television presenter, model and entertainment reporter best known as the host of BET's popular music video countdown show ''106 & Park'' from 2006 until 2012.MacCash, Doug. "Back in ...

. On June 30, 2013, Chanté attended the 2013 BET Awards as a correspondent for the event & began co-hosting select episodes of ''106 & Park''. On September 26, 2013, BET President Stephen Hill announced on the ''Rickey Smiley Morning Show'' that Chanté will be a new co host for ''106 & Park'' alongside rapper Bow Wow starting on October 1. Childhood friend and fellow Canadian

publicly announced and congratulated Chanté for becoming the first ever Canadian to host the iconic show. Chanté went on to make history having the

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

on the show, as well as filming with the likes of

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in '' Camp Nowhere'' and '' The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 ...

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show '' Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 2 ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing Hip hop music, hip hop in Middle America (United Sta ...

, The Rock, Floyd Mayweather,

Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his f ...

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

Kerry Washington Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) SidebarCertificate of Live Birth: Isabelle Amarachi Asomugha(County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health). Gives Kerry Washington birth dateArchivedfrom the original on May 2, 2016.Note: Fi ...

Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...

, Melissa McCarthy,

Emma Stone Emily Jean Stone (born November 6, 1988), known professionally as Emma Stone, is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2017, she ...

Joe Manganiello Joseph Michael Manganiello ( ; , ; born December 28, 1976) is an American actor. His professional film career began when he played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man''. His breakout role was as werewolf Alcide Herveaux in five seasons of ...

, and many more. On December 18, 2013, Chanté was invited by United States President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

& the first lady

to their

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

holiday party in DC. In December 2014, received a star on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame. In January 2015, after two years hosting ''106 & Park'', the show announced it was going digital. In June 2014, 2015 and 2016, Chanté hosted the BET Awards ''106 & Park'' Pre-Show in LA.

2016–present: California

On November 11, 2016, BET premiered Chante's song "The Valley" off her upcoming album. On January 11, 2017, Radio Host Ebro Darden debuted Chanté's single "Fuck It Tho" on his

Beats 1 Apple Music 1, previously branded as Beats 1, is a 24/7 music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc. It is accessible through iTunes or the Apple Music app on a computer, smartphone or tablet, smart speaker (such as the Apple HomePod) ...

radio show on

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Appl ...

. On March 22, Ebro Darden announced Keshia Chante's track listing for ''Unbound 01'' and premiered "Bryson Tiller" exclusively with

on the

radio show. On March 23, Noisey premiered "RedLight", citing the track as "the sonic equivalent of a cool, still night: beautiful but there is something eerie in its midst, hidden in the dark" and AUX TV premiered "Harmless" citing that Chanté is "re-igniting her signature R&B sound" and that "Chanté’s soaring vocals lend the track a distinctly modern edge". On March 24, 2017 Chanté released ''Unbound 01'', an EP and in February 2018 it was nominated for a Juno Award for Best R&B Recording. ''Unbound 02'' was released March 23, 2018. In 2017, Chanté moved to West Hollywood, California and began acting school. In August 2018, it was announced Chanté would be a Celebrity Hollywood Correspondent for

and she has since conducted interviews with

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, she was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 2 ...

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, includin ...

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...

, Trevor Noah,

Charlie Hunnam Charles Matthew Hunnam (; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Dunham in '' Green Street Hooligans'' (2005) and as Jax Teller in the FX series ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014). For the latter, he w ...

Rami Malek Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...

and many more. In November 2018, Chanté hosted We Day in Washington, Baltimore, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa for

. Chanté gave a motivational speech in front of 17,000 youths at WE Day in Vancouver advocating for mental health and sharing her personal experience with depression and anxiety. She also interviewed

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

. In January 2019, Chanté served as an international judge on

as an expert in the field of music. On July 22, 2019, it was announced that Chanté would return to acting by joining the cast of Private Eyes. On October 1, 2019, it was announced that Chanté would guest star in JANN. On August 7, 2020, Big Brother announced Chanté as host of their Official

Big Brother (American TV series) ''Big Brother'' is an American television Reality television#Reality competition/game shows, reality competition show based on the Big Brother (Dutch TV series), original Dutch reality show of the same name created by producer John de Mol in 199 ...

Aftershow, BB Rewind On October 1, 2020, DeSean Jackson released a single titled "Girlfriend" featuring Chanté. On October 16, it was announced that Keshia would host Battle of the Blades with Ron MacLean.

Artistry

Musical style

Tara Henley of ''

The Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...

'' noted that Chanté had "an arresting voice, magnetic charisma, and driving ambition." ''Denise Sheppard'' from Amazon.ca also noted, " hanté isa teen-targeted pop phenom" whose "music has the one-two punch of melodic hooks and the voice to back them up; a combination that can and will appeal to dance/pop music fans of any age.

Influences

Chanté cited

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...

and

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

as her childhood influences, as well as

, with whom she shares the same birth day.

Public image

Chanté has been cited for having an eerily striking resemblance to late singer

, often cited as her doppelganger. Both noted by Missy Elliot and Timbaland who mentioned the resemblance on 106 & Park. Chanté was set to play Aaliyah in the biopic film but Chante declined after speaking with Aaliyah's mother who was against the film being made. In Canada, Chanté is considered a

Fashionista Fashionista or fashionistas may also refer to: *Fashionista, an avid leader and follower of fashion * Fashionista (website), a website about fashion Entertainment * ''Fashionista'' (TV series), an Australian TV series * "Fashionista", a song by ...

by fashion's high rankings, performing at

Marchesa A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

's first runway show in Toronto, as well as

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chane ...

event for

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

. Her style has been described as "glamorous" meets "sexy elegance" by

Holt Renfrew Holt, Renfrew & Co., Limited (doing business as Holt Renfrew and known colloquially as Holt's) is a Canadian luxury department store chain founded in 1837 by William S. Henderson. It has been owned by the Weston family since 1986, and was previo ...

executives. Chanté is an avid supporter of Canadian Fashion Designers and labels. ''Flare Magazine'' has named her a "true style chameleon" In January 2012, Fashion Television labeled Keshia a Fashion Iconhttp://watch.fashiontelevision.com/fashion-icons/celebrities/keshia-chant/clip585202#clip585202 In 2012, Chanté served as a Judge on Canada's Best Beauty Talent with

Coco Rocha Mikhaila "Coco" Rocha (born September 10, 1988) is a Canadian fashion model. She is known as one of the first "digital" supermodels, and is known for her advocacy for younger models. As an author, she collaborated on the 2014 book ''Study of Pos ...

and Editor-in-Chief of FLARE Magazine Lisa Tant.

Personal life

Drake

Chanté is rapper Drake's first girlfriend and first love often cited as his "muse". They dated in Toronto during their teen years, have collaborated musically and continue to date off and on. Drake has written multiple songs about Chanté, most famously "

" where he confirmed her as "KIKI" and including songs like Wu-Tang Forever, "U With Me?" off his 2016 album Views, "Madonna" from his 2015 mixtape '' If You're Reading This It's Too Late"'' and "

Wait for U "Wait for U" is a song by American rapper Future, featuring vocals from Canadian rapper and singer Drake and Nigerian singer Tems. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio as the second single from Future's ninth studio album, '' I Never Like ...

". Many speculated on the identity of Kiki, however Drake's artist, Preme confirmed it on Instagram. Drake discussed their relationship while featured on Chanté's song titled "Fallen", rapping "Keshia, Keshia, do you remember the old us?/You just hold it down for your boy until the plaques arrive that's why I love you". Drake also speaks of Chanté in the second verse of his song "Deceiving" referencing Chante's mother, Tessa "What up Tessa, I love you like my own mama/And your daughter's getting grown, mama/And me, I'm just here working, waiting/patient for her to be ready to love and leave alone drama." In 2009,

was asked by MuchMusic's VJ Sarah Taylor on his past relationship with Chanté to which Drake stated he is "proud to call hantéan ex-girlfriend". On October 1, 2013, Drake told Chanté on an episode of ''

'', "You were one of my first crushes, and a lot of people might not know this, but I actually rapped about you before." He later was a part of a commercial announcing Chanté as the new official TV Host of ''106 & Park''. On July 26, 2022 Drake announced a live concert with Chante as a performer for OVO World Weekend Festival in Toronto called "All Canadian North Stars", highlighting Chante as one of the artists who "paved the way for all of us" On July 28, 2022 at OVO Fest in Toronto, Drake introduced Chante to the world, saying "This next person coming to the stage, I used to get into my mom's car. I used to drive all the way to the west for this donna right here, you feel me? So, I have to personally introduce her. This is my first girlfriend I ever had in my life coming to the stage. A real legend. Somebody I love with all my heart. Make some noise for Keshia Chanté" Chante called it the "most heartfelt & meaningful introduction"

Ray Emery

In June 2010, Chanté began dating NHL netminder Ray Emery, announcing their relationship when Emery starred as the love interest in Chanté's Test Drive music video. Their relationship was featured in the series '' Hockey Wives''. On June 16, 2016, Emery proposed to Chanté on her birthday with friends in

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...

, Bahamas. Emery and Chanté were set to wed June 2017, however, simultaneously with the release of her cover on ''Today's Bride'', Chanté announced via her

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that she called off the wedding. On September 18, 2017, TMZ reported Emery was arrested for uttering threats and assault with a weapon towards Chanté, after she went to the police seeking a restraining order. Chanté required Emery to attend anger management in exchange for charges being absolved, in which Emery agreed and successfully completed. On July 16, 2018, two days after his accidental drowning, Chanté penned an emotional tribute to Emery stating that she was "heartbroken" and that he was "a Superhero" who was "loving, affectionate, intelligent, hilarious, giving". She also stated that they "may have had differences" but they "forgave each other and continued to love each other right to the very end." On December 18, 2013, Chanté was invited by United States President

and the first lady

to their

holiday party in DC. Chanté resides in both

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

, California and

, Ontario, Canada.

Other ventures

Philanthropy

Chanté served as

youth ambassador A youth ambassador is a young agent, representative and/or steward for the charity for which they work.Anaphylaxis CampaignYouth Ambassadors/ref> Youth ambassadors have been introduced in order to promote participation, or spread goodwill or knowle ...

for CANFAR ( Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research) traveling to Kenya, Africa to build schools and visited schools across Canada to raise awareness. She has visited Dominican Republic to work with World Vision and has worked with

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

to throw a fundraising concert for the

Stephen Lewis Foundation The Stephen Lewis Foundation is a non-governmental organization that assists mostly AIDS- and HIV-related grassroots projects in Africa. History The foundation was started by Stephen Lewis, a veteran Canadian politician and former Canadian ambass ...

. In 2014, Chanté starred in NBC's PSA for

Mariska Hargitay Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Peopl ...

's Joyful Heart foundation alongside

Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son ...

, Hilary Swank and more to raise awareness on domestic violence. Chanté hosted We Day Calgary and Ottawa, as well as spoke in front of 16,000 youth for Vancouver on her passion to raise awareness on mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Endorsements

Chanté has been endorsed by brands such as CANON, Pepsi,

Bacardi Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 a ...

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...

, Bell, Rogers, Stila Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics, Ecko Red and Sony. In November 2010, Chanté became the face of Pepsi and their

Pepsi Refresh Project The Pepsi Refresh Project (PRP) was a 2010 initiative by PepsiCo to award $20 million in grants to individuals, businesses and non-profits that promote a new idea that has a positive impact on their community, state, or the nation. The project is co ...

campaign. In 2007, Chanté served as the face of Ontario Tourism and sang the theme song in their commercials.

Discography

Studio albums *'' Keshia Chanté (album), Keshia Chanté'' (2004) *'' 2U'' (2006) *'' ''Night & Day'''' (2011) *''Unbound 02'' (2018) EP *'' Unbound 01'' (2017)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

2003 *Canadian Urban Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single for "Shook (The Answer)" – Won *Canadian Radio Music Award for "Best New Solo Artist" (Dance Urban Rhythmic) – Won
*Canadian Radio Music Award for "Best New Solo Artist" (CHR) – Won- 2004 *Canadian Urban Music Award for Best New Artist – Won *Canadian Urban Music Award for Video of the Year for "Bad Boy" – Won *Canadian Urban Music Award for Fans Choice – Won *Rising Star Award for Rising Star of the Year – Won *MuchMusic Video Award for "Best R&B Video" for "Does He Love Me?" – Won 2005 *Juno Award for "R&B/Soul Recording of the Year" – Won *Juno Award for "New Artist of the Year" – Nominee *Canadian Urban Music Award for "Video of the Year" for "Does He Love Me?" – Won *MuchMusic Video Award for "People's Choice: Favorite Canadian Artist" – Won *MuchMusic Video Award for "Best Pop Video" for "Does He Love Me?" – Won 2007 *Juno Award for "R&B/SOUL Recording Of The Year" for "Been Gone" – Nominee 2008 *Juno Award for "R&B/SOUL Recording of the Year" for "2U" – Nominee 2011 *Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" for "Table Dancer" – Nominee *Juno Award for "R&B/SOUL Recording of the Year" for "Test Drive" – Nominee 2018 * Juno Award for "R&B/SOUL Recording of the Year" for "Unbound 01" (EP) – Nominee 2022 * Canadian Screen Award for Best TV Show Host for "ET Canada" - Winner

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chanté, Keshia 1988 births Living people 21st-century Black Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian actresses Actresses from Ottawa Actresses from Toronto Black Canadian actresses Black Canadian dancers Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian contemporary R&B singers Canadian female dancers Canadian female models Canadian film actresses Canadian philanthropists Canadian people of Portuguese descent Canadian people of Puerto Rican descent Canadian people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Canadian television actresses Canadian television hosts Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian women television hosts Female models from Ontario Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year winners Musicians from Ottawa Musicians from Toronto