Kris Stephens | |
---|---|
Born |
Temple Hills, Maryland, United States |
January 21, 1987
Genres | R&B, pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 2009–2015 |
Labels | Primary Wave, RoccAge, Grand Hustle Records |
Associated acts | RoccStar, T.I., Tank |
Kristina Marie "Kris" Stephens (born January 21, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. Kris is from Temple Hills, Maryland. She has penned songs for artists such as Shakira, Pitbull, Chris Brown, Jennifer Lopez, LeToya Luckett and Keyshia Cole. As an artist, her vocals have been featured on tracks alongside T.I., Kendrick Lamar, B.o.B, Iggy Azalea, Young Dro and more. She is currently working on her debut album.
Stephens began writing poetry when she was nine, singing solos in church and school. She attended Tompkins University, where she studied business management until she realized she'd been writing songs in class instead of paying attention, leading her to drop out so she could focus on music.
Stephens moved to Atlanta and joined a girl group, and although her time with the group was limited, R&B singer Tank took notice and the two formed a long-term writing partnership and eventually moved in together for a brief period of time. Tank featured her on his song "Compliments" along with rapper T.I., and on set for the music video, Stephens built a rapport with T.I.; he heard her music and decided to go into business with Tank on her behalf.
In 2013, Stephens was featured on T.I.'s single "Memories Back Then", which also featured B.o.B and Kendrick Lamar, as well as "Chasing Me," alongside Iggy Azalea and Young Dro. That same year, she released a cover of Aaliyah's "One in a Million" and signed a major publishing deal with Primary Wave Music through super producer RoccStar.