Keyshia Myeshia Cole is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television producer. She was born in Oakland, California. Her career began when she met MC Hammer at the age of 12, and later met rapper Tupac Shakur. At the age of 15, she moved to Los Angeles and was later introduced to A&M Records. She released her debut album, The Way It Is, which spawned five singles: "Never", "I Changed My Mind", " To Be Over", "I Should Have Cheated", and "Love". It was certified gold within 17 weeks, and then platinum just eight weeks later. The album stayed on the charts for over a year, selling over 1.6 million copies.After A&M folded, Cole released her second album Just Like You under Geffen Records, and the album debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. The album has been certified platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold 1.7 million copies in the US.A Different Me is Cole's third album, released in 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 322,000, the highest of Cole's career.