During adolescence Ke’Shay Love broke off into dance, putting her sincere passion on pause. Fortunately, when you’re absolutely born to do something, you can never stay on pause for too long. On her own as a woman, Ke’Shay Love began hanging around vocalist who really encouraged her to share her gifts. She started doing background vocals for local bands around the city and people would often ask , “Why aren’t you doing your own stuff?” She attributes her stint in background singing to a lack of confidence in her talent. With persistence and the support of her circle however, Ke’Shay Love got in the studio and recorded; eventually leaving the background game for good and breaking out as a star. In 2008 she released an Ep entitled Finally, which included the single of the same name and tracks like “Living My Life” and “I’m Not Feeling You”.
Ke’Shay Love is an Oakland girl who just plain ol’ loves to sing. Bigger than her love for singing is her love of performing and a full blown entertainer she is. Her foundation, like many of the greats, is rooted in the church. As a girl she would kick, scream and stomp her feet until they let her sing in the choir, stirring up the spirit with her booming voice. She was that kid at the family function who just had to sing you a song or show you a dance. When it came time for the neighborhood talent shows she was the number one sign up and Whitney Houston was her cover of choice.
The Ke’Shay Love sound is a combination of the soul of R&B with the energy of Pop. For her it’s less about the song and more about the show and just one taste of her showmanship affirms her title as an entertainer. She’s also a self proclaimed promoter, who promotes the hell out of herself. She credits her networking with the success of her career, affording her opportunities like opening up for John B and Dwele. She puts together her own showcases, inviting other local talent to come out, creating the opportunity to give back the support she’s received. Speaking of support, Ke’Shay Love just received the TRS Radio Top Ten Indie Artist Countdown Award for her new single “Breathless” which is available on I Tunes and Google Play.
Her new album My Story is set to be released at the end of the year. It’s entitled My Story because it’s literally a culmination of her life experiences, but don’t expect to find any sad male bashing songs. The majority of her records are about how to love on a man rather than reject him. “Every experience I’ve been through good or bad has made me who I am,” she says and the goal is to use the experiences to empower herself and other women. It’s important for her to find the lesson is everything and she wants her fans to find that same sense of inspiration.
These days you’ll find Ke’Shay Love performing not just her own material but paying homage to one of her faves, Jill Scott. The goal is to continue to perform as much as she can, while building her brand on a national level. It’s about acting out a song, rather than just singing it, which is why she’s so keen on her stage presence. Her unique style, inspired by the likes of Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin, is what will continue to carry her on her musical journey. In speaking of her journey one thing is for sure and two things are for certain. No matter what Ke’Shay Love goes through she will learn, she will grow and eventually she will write a song!
