Keyshia Cole & Monica: "Trust" Music Video

Here is the latest video from East Oakland native and ex-pat Keyshia Cole. She teams up with Monica in an epic duet of shoulder-tatted divas who are attempting to navigate trust issues in relationships. Cue the cliché ATL suburban mini-mansion and the bougie melodramatics please.

Pardon my snarkyness, I'm just still bitter than Keyshia doesn't rep The Town harder. I know she felt neglected by the local music scene growing up, but she is only contributing to that lack of fertile soil by keeping her distance now. Own us Ms Cole. Rebuild with us like you did with your mother.

R&Bay: Keyshia Cole Covers & Interview

VIBE's first ever style issue features two Keyshia Cole covers. The first is the above over exposed close up of her face, and the second features her mother Frankie as well. Yall know I'm not a huge Keyshia fan, but I will always support her. Shout out to VIBE's Editor in Chief, and Oakland girl, Danyel Smith for the hometown love!

Keyshia speaks to Billboard.com below, but first here's a recent Keyshia Cole song that I do like. "I Love You" featuring Lil Weezy, a remake of Mary J Blige's classic.

R&Bay: "You Complete Me"- Keyshia Cole

So. . . I am officially giving up trying to like Keyshia Cole. I don't dislike her, but I feel like I have tried to enjoy her music solely because she is from Oakland. There are a couple of her tracks that I can appreciate, but for the most part I feel like her songs sound wishy washy and uninspired. I know some of yall watch her reality show and appreciate her "authenticity" and all that jazz, but I don't have a TV, so all that is lost on me. I'm sure this may be an unpopular perspective, but I'm just being real. Am I missing something? Why do you like or dislike Keyshia? I'm open

R&Bay: New Keyshia Cole featuring NaS

A new Keyshia Cole song, "Oh Oh- Yeah Yeah," featuring Nas just surfaced. It's not a bad song, it just isn't charting any new territory. I feel that hip-hop and R&B are in flux and are becomingly increasingly more creative lately- Keyshia needs to push herself to do the same.

This joint is just too wishy washy to be Keyshia. She has such a powerful voice, but has gone all Ashanti on this track. Even the title conjures up the spineless voice of Murder Inc's sideburned diva. A Nas feature will always help a Oakland girl out, but my humble opinion is that Ms. Cole needs to make her sound as varied as her physical appearance. Any thoughts?

"Oh Oh- Yeah Yeah"- Keyshia Cole feat. NaS

Keyshia Cole's Fight Night National Anthem

So tonight Oakland's Keyshia Cole sang the National Anthem at the hugely hyped Vegas showdown between Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. Pacman took the fight pretty easily, but not before Ms. Cole came out lookin a little too sepia. I wasn't impressed by her singing, but that was the least of her problems. Yall see her outfit? She looked like a blaxploitation Macy Gray in a bad Warrior Girl outfit. I'm just sayin . . .

R&Bay: Some New Goapele To Swoon To

Although Keyshia Cole may be the best known singer from Oakland at present, I feel that most of my folks tend to identify more with Goapele. A part of Keyshia is very Town, in its more hood incarnations, but I wouldn't say that her music really reflects Oakland. Her music is not bad by any stretch, its just that it's fairly standard commercial R&B. Goapele better captures the Bay's progressivism, unique flavor and subteranean soul. She also seems really down to earth and genuine. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for her, but when I'm cruising through the Town on the late night over the Holidays, Ima have her in the rotation for sure.

This joint "Don't Be Shy" is my one right now. I've fallen asleep to it for the last four nights and swayed to it religiously on the train. It's just so smooth and captivating. It seems so Bay too. Maybe it just seems like home. The idea of running into old crushes at little functions and enjoying the evening on some throwback ish. Apparently it was recorded during the Change It All sessions but didn't make the album. I truly don't know why.

"Don't Be Shy"- Goapele

This song "Chocolate" was commisioned by LG for their Chocolate phone. It is produced by AmpLive of Zion I and features a more up beat synth sound as a result. I likes it, but I'm feeling a little more melancholy and lowkey these days, so I'm goin with the sultry Shy joint. You can't go wrong with chocolate tho . . .

"Chocolate"- Goapele (prod by AmpLive)

Keyshia Cole: A Different Me album cover

Como se dice fea? Oh yeah, ugly. This indeed looks like a different Keyshia, a sort of 1920s synchronized swimming flapper. Her ashy to classy aspirations are all well and good, but wtf is this? Has anyone else noticed what a chamilion Keyshia is? I feel like every time I see her she looks like a different person. All hating aside, this is her new album cover and yall should buy it because we should support Oakland fam and cuz she can sing a bit.

Keyshia Cole/ Mary Bay Blige covers Billboard

Keyshia Cole graces the cover of the latest issue of Billboard magazine.The singer will be dropping an album called A Different Me on December 16th. Cole talked to Billboard about her upcoming projects.

“The first two albums were more … painful.” “It’s a different me this time: a young woman who’s still growing and finding myself, exploring life through different routes musically and in other areas. I wrote more about other people’s situations than my own. I’m moving forward.”

“A Different Me” features contributors such as Polow Da Don, the Runners, Neffu, Kwame, Orthodox and Ransom,the Trackmasters, and a duet with Monica and a reprise of R. Kelly’s “Honey Love.” Keyshia Cole added:

"When I hear something, I hear it. It doesn't take me three, four or five times to hear a song and say, 'Okay, let's write it.' If I don't write to it right off the bat, it's not working."

Keyshia is supposedly also dropping a biopic in 09

Props to RnB

Keyshia Cole feat. 2Pac "Play Ya Cards Right"

Keyshia serves up a Pac tribute featuring another posthumous dose of thug love. In my opinion, Pac's verse and adlibs are the only things that make this track a must listen. I mean, Keyshia's an Oakland girl and I have love for her, but this track is just a bit unfocused. It can't make up its mind whether its a relationship song or a tribute to Pac.

Pac knows what he's doing though, even from the grave. Towards the end of the track Mac Aveli serves up a little game for the overzealous gentlemen in search of some loving. "If your patient, take your time and finesse it, 9 times out of 10 you'll wake up with your breakfast in bed."

Previously: MP3 of "Play Your Cards Right" & Making the video

Keyshia is also featured in the latest Newsweek Mag, so pick that up!

Sneak Peak: New Keyshia Cole & 2pac video

Keyshia's video for "Play ya Cards Right" featuring some posthumous thug love from Pac is on the way. Its Keyshia's first single off her forthcoming album, A Different Me, that is scheduled to drop next month. If you haven't downloaded the audio, get on your J-O-B. Pac comes with it, and Keyshia holds it together. All around some of that good good Town for yall to vibe to.

PS- I know that Keyshia's journey from the projects to the penthouse is very Mary J and what not, but homegirl is lookin a bit like Missy at the end of this video. Im just sayin.

Keyshia Cole feat. 2Pac "Play Ya Cards Right"

So I think some new Pac is definitely post-worthy. The song is koo, but I find Pac's posthumous contribution better than Keyshia's signature wailing. I don't think I've heard this verse before, which begs the question, where is dude hiding? Anyway, make sure you get this one for archival purposes.

"Play Ya Cards Right"-Keyshia Cole feat. 2Pac