Keyshia Cole

A star-in-the-making straight out of Oakland, Calif. (where she worked with Hammer, Messy Marv and Dwayne Wiggins), Keyshia Cole is sure to impress listeners with her debut solo LP. The Way It Is showcases her strong vocals and struggle-filled lyricism, with deep songs about infidelity, heartbreak and true love. Kanye West produced the single "I Changed My Mind.

The striking thing about Keyshia Cole's debut album is its been-there-done-that bluntness.
As she begins to see another love go wrong, the Oakland-raised, Los Angeles-based singer
decides that "I Changed My Mind" on her Kanye West-produced jam of the same name, and
moves on. On another track, she declares "(I Just Want It) to Be Over" with an emotional
economy that speaks as forcefully as her words. While the beats deliver club-fri... More >

Bet she still hangs with her girlfriends ("I Should Have Cheated," "I Changed My Mind"). (Grade - **)