New artists usually hold their tongues and suppress personal vision of their artistry when they first enter the music industry. Well, singer K. Michelle is rocking out sans the proverbial record label placed muzzle—and seems to be doing just fine. The Memphis native has has already seen her fair share of ups and downs—Record deal. No record deal. Great relationships. Bad Relationships—all creating inspiration for her music.

The depth her voice, and the pain behind her lyrics mirror that of Mary J. Blige and Keyshia Cole, all conveying an honesty and vulnerability that seems rather cathartic. “I sing about what I’m going through at the moment,” she once shared.

While her string of singles in 2010—”Fallin’”, “Just Can’t Do This” (produced by her mentor, R. Kelly), and “How Many Times”—resonated with brokenhearted Black women, they didn’t make a huge splash on the charts, and didn’t lead to the release of Pain Medicine, which was to be her debut album.

After severing ties with Jive Records earlier this year, K. Michelle is back on her grind, and seemingly determined to make it to the top. She has new management, and is now one of the stars of the Vh1 reality show, “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.”

A college graduate (she holds a bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Florida A&M University) and mother (she has a son), Michelle has undoubtedly seen her fair share of troubles. But like all good artists before her, this is what makes the texture of her music so intriguing.

Take note: K. Michelle will be someone to watch this year.

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TAGS: BLACK MUSIC MONTH, Black Music Month Spotlight, Jive Records, K. Michelle, Keyshia Cole, Love & Hip Hop, Mary J. Blige, VH1