Description

Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson made herself a name as a songwriter as part of a collective of writers and producers known as The Clutch in the mid 2000s, penning tracks for other artists such as Britney Spears, Ciara, Ludacris, and Usher . Hilson's debut studio album, In a Perfect World… was released in March 2009, and debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States, where it was certified gold selling more than 500,000 copies. The album included the worldwide hit, "Knock You Down" which featured Kanye West and Ne-Yo and earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2010. A reissue of the album, included the German number-one hit "I Like" which gained a platinum accreditation, selling more than 200,000 copies. As a prominent guest vocalist in both the contemporary R&B and hip hop genres, Hilson has been featured on over a dozen singles by other artists, beginning with Xzibit's "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)," on which she received her first official credit in 2004. Other successful collaborations include the number-one single "The Way I Are" and "Scream" with Timbaland, also featuring D.O.E. and Nicole Scherzinger respectively. Keri cites Tionne Watkins as her biggest influence and inspiration. Hilson was born December 5, 1982, in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia. During her adolescence, Hilson studied piano and singing, and she joined the girl group by the name D'Signe when she was 17. She became a songwriter and backing vocalist while in high school, and she attended Oxford College of Emory University, where she majored in theater. 2001–07: Songwriting with The Clutch and solo ventures Hilson began songwriting in 2001 and would go on to write tracks for Britney Spears, Ciara, Usher and Ludacris. In 2004 she was featured on Xzibit's single, "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)" on which she received her first official credit as a guest vocalist.[8] In 2006 Hilson signed as an artist with Timbaland's label, Mosley Music Group. She featured on the single "Help" from Lloyd Banks' which peaked at number seventy seven on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. While Hilson was working with Polow da Don in a studio, he asked her, "What producer do you think could take you where you want to go as an artist?" She replied with Timbaland, who was in search of a black female solo R&B artist. After singing for Timbaland over the phone, they began recording at The Hit Factory the following weekend. In 2007, Hilson made several appearances on Timbaland's solo effort Shock Value, including on the singles "Scream" and "The Way I Are" which reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Furthermore, she was featured on the track "Lost Girls" on Zone 4-labelmate Rich Boy's debut album and its second single "Good Things" and was credited as a writer and backing vocalist on Britney Spears's album Blackout. Hilson also made appearances music videos including Usher's hit single "Love in This Club", and Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent." In October 2008 Hilson collaborated with singer Chris Brown on a song titled "Superhuman", which reached the top twenty in Ireland and New Zealand. After several pushbacks, Hilson's debut album In a Perfect World… was released in March 2009. It debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 and at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with first week sales of approximately 94,000 copies, and earned generally favorable reviews from music critics who noted it a "seductive debut CD full of slick, radio-friendly cuts." Eventually certified gold by the RIAA, the album spawned five singles, including the lead single "Energy", "Turnin Me On" and also "Knock You Down", a collaboration with Kanye West and Ne-Yo that entered the top ten of the majority of all charts it appeared on. A reissue of the album, including previoulsy unreleased songs such as the platinum German number-one hit "I Like", recorded for the film Zweiohrküken. Meanwhile Hilson continued appearing on single releases by several artists throughout 2009, including Plies' single "Medicine", Fabolous' "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere," Nas' "Hero" and Sean Paul's "Hold My Hand". In January 2010, she collaborated with fellow singer Akon on the charity single "Oh Africa", and was also part of the extended A-list of musical artists during the recording session of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". She also became the new face of Avon, replacing singer Jennifer Hudson. At the 52nd Grammy Awards, held on January 31, 2010, Hilson received two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her worldwide smash hit "Knock You Down". During the first half of 2010, Hilson guest featured on other singles including, American female rapper Trina's single "Million Dollar Girl" and also on "Got Your Back" by T.I. 2010–present: No Boys Allowed In late 2009, Hilson began working on her second studio album No Boys Allowed, which is currently still being recorded. Two singles have preceed the album including the Timbaland-produced lead single "Breaking Point" released in the United States in September 2010. A second single, the Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony-produced "Pretty Girl Rock"[18] was released digitally on October 12, 2010. The album will be released on December 21, 2010.

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http://www.kideso.co.uk/kvp/video/1972/Keri-Hilson-Ft-Kanye-West-Ne-Yo--Knock-You-Down


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