How Much is the ‘Milkshake’ Singer Worth?

Kelis net worth is estimated to be around $2 million as of 2024. Kelis Rogers is an American singer, songwriter, and chef born on August 21, 1979. She went to the famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in New York, where she played the saxophone and sang in the Girls Choir of Harlem. After school, she worked as a backup singer for the hip-hop group “Gravediggaz.”

In 1998, Kelis started working with music producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, known as “the Neptunes.” They helped her sign a record deal with Virgin Records. Her first album, Kaleidoscope, came out in 1999 and mixed jazz and disco sounds from the 1970s. Although it was well-received by critics, it did not do well in the U.S. but was popular in other countries. The song “Caught Out There” was her first hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached number 43 on the UK Albums Chart and went gold in the UK.

Kelis released a second album called “Wanderland” in 2001, but it did not sell well and was not released in the U.S. until 2019. After that, she joined the Neptunes’ label, Star Trak Entertainment. Her third album, Tasty, came out in 2003 and was a big success. The single “Milkshake” hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and the song “Trick Me” also did well in the UK.

In 2006, Kelis released her fourth album, Kelis Was Here, with the hit single “Bossy,” which made it into the US Top 20. She then took a break from music to study cooking at Le Cordon Bleu.

Kelis later signed with will.i.am Music Group and released her fifth album, Flesh Tone, in 2010, which focused on electronic music. The songs “Acapella” and “4th of July (Fireworks)” did well on the dance charts. She tied her love for food to her sixth album, Food, in 2014, which featured songs like “Jerk Ribs” and “Friday Fish Fry.”

Kelis has been nominated for many awards, including the Brit Awards and Grammys. She has worked with artists like Nas, Busta Rhymes, and No Doubt. Kelis has sold over 6 million records worldwide and has had ten singles reach the top ten in the UK. Her unique style mixes different music genres, making her a talented and versatile artist.

What is Kelis Net Worth in 2024?

Kelis is an American singer, songwriter, and chef with a net worth of $2 Million as of 2024. The main source of Kelis’s net worth comes mostly from her music career and business ventures.

She gained fame with hit songs like “Milkshake” and “Bossy,” which helped her earn money through album sales, tours, and royalties.

Besides music, Kelis is a trained chef and owns a line of sauces called “Bounty & Full.” She also earns from TV appearances and endorsements. Kelis’s diverse skills in both the music and food industries are the main reasons behind her financial success.

Kelis Early life

Rogers grew up in the Frederick Douglass Houses in Harlem, Manhattan. Her name comes from her parents’ names: Kenneth, her father, and Eveliss, her mother. Kenneth was a jazz musician, a Pentecostal minister, and a professor. Eveliss is a Chinese-Puerto Rican fashion designer who encouraged Rogers to follow her dream of becoming a singer. Rogers has three sisters—two older and one younger.

As a child, she sang in church and played violin, piano, and saxophone. She went to a private school called Manhattan Country School. At 13, she shaved her head. By 16, she was kicked out of her home for bad behavior and sometimes fought with her mom. Despite this, she kept going to school at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, where she formed an R&B group called BLU (Black Ladies United). Before finishing high school, Rogers also worked as a bartender and in a clothing store.

Kelis Career

Early Career

Kelis is an American singer known for her unique style and hit songs. Her journey in music began when she sang background vocals on “Fairytalez” by Gravediggaz in 1997. After that, she met Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are known as The Neptunes.

They helped her get a record deal with Virgin Records. Sadly, Kelis didn’t earn any money from her first two albums, even though they were supposed to share profits equally.

Kelis released her first album, “Kaleidoscope,” in 1999. It didn’t do very well in the U.S., reaching only number 144 on the Billboard 200 chart. However, the single “Caught Out There” became popular, especially in the UK, where it peaked at number four. The album was certified gold in the UK after selling over 100,000 copies.

Wanderland

In 2001, Kelis released her second album, “Wanderland,” but it was not released in the U.S. until 2019. It didn’t perform well commercially, peaking at number 78 in the UK. The only single, “Young, Fresh n’ New,” reached the top 40 but didn’t achieve much success overall.

Kelis found greater fame with her third album, “Tasty,” released in 2003. It included the hit single “Milkshake,” which became a top-three hit in the U.S. The album sold over 500,000 copies and earned her a Grammy nomination. Other singles like “Trick Me” and “Millionaire” also did well in Europe.

In 2006, she released “Kelis Was Here,” which debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200. Despite its success, it sold only 157,000 copies in the U.S. The lead single “Bossy” reached number 16 on the Billboard chart.

Kelis faced many ups and downs in her career. After being dropped by Jive Records in 2007, she took a break from music. In 2008, Jive released her greatest hits album, “The Hits,” which featured her most popular songs.

In 2009, Kelis signed with Interscope Records to release her album “Flesh Tone.” This album marked a big change for her as she moved into dance music.

Kelis was unsure about joining another major label because of past experiences but wanted her music to reach a wide audience. The album featured famous producers like David Guetta and will.i.am.

Acapella

“Flesh Tone” received good reviews. The single “Acapella,” produced by David Guetta, did very well, reaching the top five in the UK and hitting number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs. The album also featured other singles like “4th of July (Fireworks)” and “Scream,” though they didn’t do as well.

In 2010, Kelis went on her first U.S. tour with Robyn and performed at various festivals. She worked with other artists, including Calvin Harris on the song “Bounce,” which became a hit in the UK.

From 2012 to 2017, Kelis released her sixth album, “Food,” in 2014 through the independent label Ninja Tune. The album was praised by critics and included singles like “Rumble.” Kelis also performed live in London and worked with other artists, including Giorgio Moroder.

In 2018, she celebrated the 20th anniversary of her first album, “Kaleidoscope,” with a tour. She continued to make music and collaborated with artists like Disclosure. In 2021, she released “Midnight Snacks” and “Feed Them,” which connected to her work as a chef.

In 2022, a new version of her hit song “Milkshake” was used in Beyoncé’s song “Energy.” However, Kelis later expressed that she wasn’t informed about this use, leading to a dispute over her rights to the song.

She has remained active, performing at events like the Super Bowl commercial in 2023 and the Glastonbury Festival. She continues to make music and explore new projects, including a remix of “Milkshake” in September 2023.

Kelis Personal life

Kelis is a singer who has had a tough life. She met rapper Nas at an MTV party in 2002. They quickly got engaged and married in 2003. Their wedding was grand in 2005. But things went wrong. In April 2009, while she was seven months pregnant, Kelis filed for divorce. She said her marriage was very abusive, both physically and mentally.

She was inspired to leave Nas after seeing the news about Rihanna and Chris Brown‘s fight. She felt ashamed because she had bruises too but didn’t talk about them. After their split, Nas accused Kelis of trying to ruin his name during their custody battle over their son. She claimed he was not a good father and hadn’t given her any money for child support until 2012. She felt he only wanted to be around when it was fun.

In March 2007, Kelis got into trouble with the law. She was arrested in Miami for disorderly conduct after yelling at police. She was later released on bail and won the case in 2008. She even planned to sue the police for violating her rights.

Later, in 2014, Kelis married photographer Mike Mora. They had two children together, a son born in 2015 and a daughter in 2020. In September 2021, Mike revealed he had cancer and sadly passed away in March 2022.

In June 2023, news came out that singer Kelis is dating actor Bill Murray.

Kelis Other ventures

Chef

Kelis is not just a talented musician, she is also a skilled chef and fashion designer. She trained part-time as a saucier from 2006 to 2010 and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. In 2013, she launched her sauce line called “Feast” at the Beverly Hills Food & Wine Festival. She sees sauce as essential to cooking, saying it is like the accessories that complete an outfit.

In 2015, her sauces became available for everyone under the new name “Bounty & Full.” That same year, she released her first cookbook, “My Life on a Plate,” which shares her experiences as a chef and her love for different foods and cultures.

Saucy and Sweet

In 2014, Kelis created a food truck for the SXSW music festival, where she cooked for festival-goers. She also shared recipes like apple farro and jerk ribs to promote her album “Food.” She starred in her cooking show, “Saucy and Sweet,” on the Cooking Channel. In 2016, she opened a pop-up restaurant in London that toured music festivals.

In 2017, she made a special milkshake recipe with Baileys, and in 2019, she worked with a street food vendor for the Jam on Rye Festival in London. Kelis even joined the Netflix show “Cooked with Cannabis” in 2020, showcasing her cooking skills.

Kelis also has a flair for fashion. In 2006, she designed her line of fashion accessories called “Cake.” She even considered hosting a show similar to “Project Runway” in 2007. In 2017, she was a judge on BBC One’s singing contest “Pitch Battle” alongside Gareth Malone. In 2020, she competed in the British version of “The Masked Singer” as the character “Daisy,” but she was eliminated in the fifth episode.

Kelis Real Estate

In July 2019, Kelis bought a 25-acre farm in Temecula, California, for $600,000. The farm has several buildings, mostly built in 2003. Kelis runs a farm there and wants to open a restaurant using the food she grows. This project shows her love for fresh food and her plans for the future.