Keshia Chanté facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keshia Chanté
Chanté in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Keshia Chanté Harper
Born	(1988-06-16) June 16, 1988 (age 37) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	R&B hip hop soul
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter actress television personality businesswoman
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Sony Music Canada Universal Music Canada Sony Urban Music
Associated acts	Drake, Bow Wow, Foxy Brown, DeSean Jackson Preme, Belly

Keshia Chanté Harper (born June 16, 1988) is a talented Canadian singer-songwriter, actress, and TV host. She is also known for her work as a humanitarian and businesswoman.

Chanté has achieved many awards in her career. She is the youngest person to win a Juno Award and has been nominated seven times. She has also won five Canadian Urban Music Awards and two Canadian Radio Music Awards. For her success in music and film, Chanté received a star on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame. Her songs have been very popular on radio in Canada and Japan. She has had eight songs reach the Top 10 on music charts. Her song "Table Dancer" even reached #9 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart.

Chanté has been a judge on international music shows like The World's Best. She also hosted Entertainment Tonight Canada. Currently, Chanté is an International Voter for the Golden Globe Awards.

She has hosted and appeared on many TV shows. These include the BET Awards, Peak of the Week, and Big Brother's after show. She has also been on Battle of the Blades, The Next Star, Top Chef Canada, Chopped Canada, and Match Game.

Chanté cares about helping others. She has donated and raised money for groups like WE Charity and World Vision International. She also hosted WE Day events. She is a speaker who talks about the importance of mental health.

As an actress, Chanté has appeared in TV series like Law & Order: Toronto, Blood & Treasure, Jann, and Private Eyes. She also starred with Keri Hilson in the film FAME: A Temptations Story. In 2022, Chanté started her own luxury hair care brand called KHAIR. Chanté comes from a diverse background.

Early Life and Beginnings

Keshia Chanté Harper was born and grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. She spent her summers with her grandparents in Hinesville, Georgia. Her father is from Trinidad, and her mother is Puerto Rican and Portuguese. Chanté is an only child.

She first performed when she was six years old. She received a standing ovation for singing "Dear Mama" by Tupac Shakur. Her performances at talent shows caught the eye of a local DJ. In 2002, the DJ sent a video of her singing to Sony Music Canada. After performing for music executives, she signed a contract with the label. She moved to Toronto, Ontario, when she was 14. Chanté was the top student in her class and graduated with honors.

Music and Acting Career

Early Music Success (2003–2012)

Keshia Chanté in 2010

In 2002, at age 13, Sony Music Canada signed Chanté to a record deal. In early 2003, she released "Shook (The Answer)." This song won an Urban Music Award for "Best Pop/R&B Single." Her next song, "Unpredictable," reached No. 3 on radio charts. Its music video was No. 1 on YTV and in the top ten on MuchMusic. In November 2003, "Unpredictable" was certified gold. Chanté later won the Canadian Radio Music Award for "Best New Solo Artist."

In February 2004, Chanté's third single, "Bad Boy," was released. It also did very well, reaching the Top 10 on radio. It was No. 3 on MuchMusic for four weeks before hitting No. 1. The video was directed by Director X. In June 2004, her song "Does He Love Me?" featuring Foxy Brown reached the top 5 on radio. This video, also directed by Director X, became No. 1 on MuchMusic for three weeks. It also won an Urban Music Video Award for "Video of the Year."

On June 22, 2004, Chanté released her first album, Keshia Chanté. It was certified gold in December 2004. In October 2004, she won all three of her nominations at the Canadian Urban Music Awards. She won "Best New Artist," "Video of the Year" (for "Bad Boy"), and "Fans' Choice Award." She also received the "Rising Star of the Year" award. This success caught the attention of Stephen Hill, President of BET. He became her mentor and played her "Bad Boy" video often. That same month, she sang the national anthem at the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup championship game. She also represented Canada at Expo 2005 in Japan.

In July 2005, Chanté went on a tour across Canada. She later opened for Destiny's Child during their tour in Canada. She is also featured on the Destiny's Child Live in Atlanta Tour DVD. In October 2005, she received four nominations at the Urban Music Awards. In 2006, Chanté toured with Teen People and Seventeen magazines in the U.S. In July 2006, she released "Been Gone" with a video by Director X. Her second song, "2U," came out in November. She also appeared in Bow Wow and Chris Brown's music video "Shortie Like Mine."

Chanté's second album, 2U, was released on December 5, 2006. MTV's "The Diary of Keshia Chanté" showed her working on her album in Miami and Los Angeles.

In 2007, Chanté took time to learn more about the music business. She was mentored by entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles and Toronto. She later moved to Atlanta and West Hollywood. There, she worked with artists like Ne-Yo and Missy Elliott. She also starred as the main actress in the TV series "Soul."

In 2010, Chanté released her third album, Night & Day. Her songs "Table Dancer" and "Test Drive" were both nominated for Juno Awards. Both songs reached the Top 10 on radio. In April 2012, Chanté became a music judge for the show The Next Star on YTV. In November 2012, "Table Dancer" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts in Japan. Chanté also appeared as a guest judge on Top Chef Canada and Canada's Best Beauty Talent.

TV Host and Beyond (2013–Present)

On June 14, 2012, Chanté made her U.S. TV debut on BET's 106 & Park as a co-host. In June 2013, she was a correspondent for the 2013 BET Awards. She then began co-hosting episodes of 106 & Park. On September 26, 2013, it was announced that Chanté would be a new co-host for 106 & Park with Bow Wow.

In December 2013, Chanté was invited to the White House holiday party by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. In December 2014, she received a star on the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame. After two years of hosting 106 & Park, the show moved to a digital format in January 2015. Chanté hosted the BET Awards 106 & Park Pre-Show in Los Angeles in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

In November 2016, BET showed Chanté's song "The Valley." In January 2017, her song "... It Tho" was played on Beats 1 radio. In March 2017, Chanté released Unbound 01, an EP. It was nominated for a Juno Award for Best R&B Recording in February 2018. Unbound 02 was released in March 2018.

In 2017, Chanté moved to West Hollywood, California, and started acting school.

In August 2018, Chanté became a Hollywood correspondent for Entertainment Tonight Canada. She has interviewed many famous people, including Larry King, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway.

In November 2018, Chanté hosted WE Day events in several cities. She gave a speech to 17,000 young people in Vancouver. She talked about mental health and her own experiences with depression and anxiety. In January 2019, Chanté was an international judge on The World's Best. In July 2019, she joined the cast of Private Eyes. In October 2019, she guest-starred in JANN. In August 2020, Big Brother announced Chanté as the host of their official aftershow, BB Rewind. In October 2020, DeSean Jackson released a song called "Girlfriend" featuring Chanté. In October, Keshia also hosted Battle of the Blades.

In February 2023, Chanté announced her hair care brand, KHAIR. In April 2023, she became an International Voter for the Golden Globe Awards. In April 2025, Chanté acted in the Lifetime film Fame: A Temptations Story. In June 2025, Chanté helped kick off the 106 & Park Tribute at the BET Awards.

Musical Style and Influences

Tara Henley from The Georgia Straight said Chanté has "an arresting voice, magnetic charisma, and driving ambition." Denise Sheppard from Amazon.ca noted that Chanté's music has "melodic hooks and the voice to back them up."

Chanté has said that Beyoncé, Aaliyah, and Brandy were her influences when she was growing up. She also admired Tupac Shakur.

Chanté was noted for looking like the late singer Aaliyah. Missy Elliott and Timbaland mentioned this on 106 & Park. Chanté was asked to play Aaliyah in a movie about her life. However, Chanté decided not to do it after talking with Aaliyah's mother, who did not want the film to be made.

In Canada, Chanté is seen as a fashionista. She has performed at fashion shows for Marchesa and Chanel. Chanté supports Canadian fashion designers. She also judged Canada's Best Beauty Talent with supermodel Coco Rocha.

Personal Life

Chanté lives in West Hollywood, California, and Toronto, Ontario.

Relationship with Drake

Chanté was rapper Drake's first girlfriend and first love. They dated in Toronto when they were teenagers. Drake has written songs about Chanté, including "In My Feelings" where he called her "KIKI." He also mentioned her in "Wu-Tang Forever" and "U With Me?" from his album Views. Drake's artist, Preme, confirmed Kiki's identity on Instagram. Drake talked about their relationship on Chanté's song "Fallen."

When asked about his past with Chanté, Drake said he was "proud to call [Chanté] an ex-girlfriend."

On July 26, 2022, Drake announced a concert for the OVO World Weekend Festival in Toronto. He invited Chanté to perform, calling her a "real legend" who "paved the way for all of us." On July 28, 2022, at OVO Fest, Drake introduced Chanté as "somebody I love with all my heart." Chanté called it a "most heartfelt & meaningful introduction."

Relationship with Ray Emery

In June 2010, Chanté began dating NHL hockey player Ray Emery. Their relationship was shown on the TV series Hockey Wives. On June 16, 2016, Emery proposed to Chanté in Nassau, Bahamas. They planned to marry in June 2017. However, Chanté announced on Instagram that she called off the wedding.

On September 18, 2017, it was reported that Emery was arrested. Chanté sought a restraining order. Chanté asked that Emery attend anger management, which he completed, and the charges were dropped. On July 16, 2018, after Emery's accidental drowning, Chanté wrote a tribute to him. She said they "may have had differences" but they "forgave each other and continued to love each other right to the very end."

Other Activities

Helping Others

Chanté was a youth ambassador for CANFAR (Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research). She traveled to Kenya to help build schools. She also visited schools across Canada to raise awareness. She has worked with World Vision in the Dominican Republic. She also worked with Alicia Keys to raise money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. In 2014, Chanté appeared in a public service announcement for Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation. She spoke about domestic violence alongside Eli Manning and Hilary Swank. Chanté hosted WE Day in Calgary and Ottawa. She spoke to 16,000 young people about mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Brand Partnerships

Chanté has worked with many brands. These include CANON, Pepsi, Bacardi, Nestlé, Bell, Rogers, Stila Cosmetics, MAC Cosmetics, Ecko Red, and Sony. In November 2010, Chanté became the face of Pepsi's Refresh Project campaign. In 2007, Chanté was the face of Ontario Tourism and sang the theme song for their commercials.

Discography

Studio albums

• Keshia Chanté (2004)
• 2U (2006)
• Night & Day (2011)
• Unbound 02 (2018)

EP

• Unbound 01 (2017)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Keshia Chanté has won many awards throughout her career:

• In 2003, she won the Canadian Urban Music Award for "Best R&B/Soul Single" for "Shook (The Answer)." She also won two Canadian Radio Music Awards for "Best New Solo Artist."
• In 2004, she won several Canadian Urban Music Awards, including "Best New Artist" and "Video of the Year" for "Bad Boy." She also won a MuchMusic Video Award for "Best R&B Video."
• In 2005, she won a Juno Award for "R&B/Soul Recording of the Year." She also won a MuchMusic Video Award for "People's Choice: Favorite Canadian Artist."
• She was nominated for Juno Awards in 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2018 for her R&B/Soul and Dance recordings.
• In 2022 and 2023, she won Canadian Screen Awards for "Best TV Show Host" for her work on "ET Canada."
• In 2024, she was nominated for two more Canadian Screen Awards for "Best TV Show Host."

See also

In Spanish: Keshia Chanté para niños