Kehlani's parents didn't get to watch their daughter grow up. Her mom struggled with drug addiction and was kept behind bars, while her dad passed on when she was young.
Kehlani is now a loving and caring mother, but her childhood was different from that of her daughter. The singer had a troubled childhood, born prematurely in an apartment in South Berkeley to parents who were drug addicts.
Kehlani struggled with breathing after birth and was rushed to the hospital while her mother returned to jail. Unfortunately, her father died when she was a year old. Growing up without her parents, Kehlani got placed in foster care before her aunt adopted her.
Kehlani at Hollywood & Highland Center on November 30, 2017, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
But things got complicated when Kehlani's mother re-entered her life. At the time, she had added two more kids but still was a drug addict. Even though Kehlani was the eldest child, she wasn't allowed to be around her mother.
Kehlani's ethnicity is white, black, Spanish, and Native American, but according to her mother, she also has some Filipino genes. The singer, who believes that using her voice to show vulnerability is a show of power, opened up about specifics of her life in her album "You Should Be Here."
In the song "The Letter," she asks her mom why she brought her into the light if she wasn't going to guide her. The song, which got over five million views on YouTube, got some fans relating to her story.
Kehlani's Parents Were Not Present in Her Life
In an interview with "Nessa On Air," Kehlani opened up about her troubled childhood. She said that her parents were like "Bonnie and Clyde," with her dad passing on when she was a toddler and her mom struggling with drug addiction all her life.
Despite coming from an unstable family, Kehlani has made a name for herself and is among the most celebrated RnB singers.
Even though Kehlani didn't get a chance to grow up with her father, she has a tattoo of her father's portrait on her leg. The singer said she felt her father's presence when she became a parent.
Kehlani's Aunt Pushed Her into Music
Kehlani grew up in north Oakland with her aunt, who took her in as an infant. In an interview, the singer stated that her aunt sacrificed her career and dropped out of college to raise her. While living with her aunt, Kehlani would help take care of her aunt's two younger children.
The mom of one reflected on how they lived in a tiny duplex with things that weren't functioning; the heater wasn't working, and the sink had broken. Despite their circumstances, Kehlani learned to see good things in bad situations.
Kehlani stated that her aunt influenced her music career. Growing up, her aunt would play a lot of OG RnB and Neo-Soul music. When Kehlani's aunt passed on in 2015, the "Beautiful Lies" singer was devasted by her death.
She expressed her feelings in her single "Altar" and stated that the song reminded her of the memories she shared with her aunt, and it offered her comfort.
How Did Kehlani's Childhood Influence Her Approach to Motherhood?
Despite not being raised by her parents, Kehlani takes a different approach when raising her child. The 27-year-old said that her child having both's parental love is important. She said she hopes to be a present parent to her daughter and make good lifetime memories with her.
Kehlani said that she's raising her daughter in a loving environment with an open-minded family, and her identity will not be an issue. Responding to how her daughter will cope with the queer community, the RnB singer said:
"All my friends, all her aunties, uncles, her godparents, everybody is just loudly queer."
Kehlani said that since her generation was already members of the queer community, she didn't think that it was something her daughter would have to identify with and differentiate.
Despite coming from an unstable family, Kehlani has made a name for herself and is among the most celebrated RnB singers; others include Maria Carey, and Alicia Keys, among others. Kehlani hopes that through her music, she can make a difference.
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