Kaliii

Kaliii floats her hushed, lush vocals over intimidating hip-hop production, a sonic juxtaposition that leads to consistent virality. Born Kaliya Ashley Ross in 2000, she was raised in Roswell, Georgia. Inspired early on by the softened allure of Aaliyah and the animated vibrancy of Missy Elliott, she began penning and recording rhymes as an adolescent, using a makeshift home studio built by her mother’s then-partner, a music producer. After juggling her passion for crafting bars with a love for soccer, Kaliii permanently pivoted to music at age 18. In late 2020, she teased her hypnotizing breakthrough single, “Do A Bitch,” online before officially releasing the song on her debut mixtape, This Why They Mad Now, in 2021. That same year, she dropped the ATL Jacob-produced “MMM MMM,” which quickly became a fan favorite, thanks to Kaliii’s understated, sultry delivery. In similar fashion, “Area Codes,” her cheeky 2022 ode to potential suitors, dominated social media with its thumping production and memorable lyrics.