Sooo lets have a little Kelis trendsetting 101. All the fresh, young, hot and new chicks that are drippin wit swag in the industry right now for their weird looks (outside of beyonce) have all taken a lil somethin from Kelis.

Example 1) Teyana Taylor. I love Teyana for her style and her looks alone make ppl stare (which is why she is still relevant on blogs yet no music). However, Kelis was the ORIGINATOR of the huge giant curly fro joint (which has now become teyana’s trademark) which was debuted over 10 years ago in 1999 wit her first album. Not to mention, Kelis is from Harlem. Back then niggas didnt know her name but def knew who she was via the hair (just watch Milkshake).

Example 2) Rihanna. When she was still trying to figure out who she wanted to be (b4 her “rockstar epiphany”) and was battling between being dancehall or a pop princess as she swung her long locks on the screen in SOS (not to mention, this was also when the world was hell bent on jackin Beyonce’s swag by throwing every industry chick in office high heels and a ruffled skirt), Kelis came thru wit the whole super high fashion threads, louboutin heels, the ill short asymmetrical haircut, rockstar attitude and funky shades that practically now defines the new rihanna (Peep the entire package design, promo, and videos from the “Kelis Was Here” joint. In which that album did exactly what the titled said. She left her mark… and that mark is RiRi. Sidebar: That Halle/Toni Braxton throwback cut riri rocked came after and were merely styles derived from the original cut rirhanna debuted with… that was the cut Kelis had.

Example 3) Cassie. This chick used to be the girl next door on her first album. Now she is this “daring” individual who wears supper short skirts and doesn’t give a f*ck. She made the net go bonkers when she cut all her hair off on one side and ppl started to think she lost it. However, Kelis back in 06/07 did the same cooky sh&t when during her later live performances for “Kelis Was Here”, ppl started noticing she was shedding the rihanna cut and was goin in a very bizarre direction as she started shavin her head and dang near makin herself look like a crazed cancer patient in a dress. And although it was some shit girls wouldnt dare do to their heads, it was still lookin right on Kelis.

Example 4) GaGa. I wont even go too heavy into this one simply because I just find the comparisons hilarious, From jump Kelis’s whole motto was fuck the world and what the industry thinks. She was all about the art (which is why she kept getting the door shut on her concerning becoming a household name). She had been rockin the alexander Mcqueen shit b4 the industry was even ready for him and was still concerned with Gucci and Prada. She been doing weird ass vids that make niggas scratch their heads and press rewind (Take a look at 1999’s “Get Along With You” vid) and the left field makeup choices (take a look at Angie Martinez’s vid “Take You Home” or any other vid kelis has done or was featured in.

Example 5) Amber Rose. This girl is all about shades, legging and shoe game. Just take a quick browse at some of the photo shoots Kelis did back in 06.

LONG STORY SHORT, KELIS IS AHEAD OF HER TIME AND THAT IS WHY SHE NEVER SEEMS TO GET HER BIG BREAK BECAUSE SHE DOES THINGS WHEN THE WORLD ISN’T READY. WATCH WHAT THIS FLESHTONE ALBUM DOES… 3 years from now everybody gone be saying “fuck rnb/pop” and gon b makin dance albums… and no not shit wit hints of techno, the whole 9.