Keysha Freshh (born June 28, 1993) born Keisha Fanfair, is a Canadian rapper and songwriter. Keysha is one-third of the hip-hop group The Sorority.

Early life

Keysha was born in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

to Guyanese parents. Keysha attended high school in Ajax, Ontario, attending J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate and

Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School (abbreviated DO'C) is a Roman Catholic high school located in Ajax, Ontario, Canada, within the Durham Catholic District School Board. It is named for Archbishop Denis T. O'Connor, a priest who was ...

. She completed college at

Seneca College Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a multiple-campus public college in the Greater Toronto Area, and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada regions. It offers full-time and part-time programs at the baccalaureate, diploma, certificate an ...

Career

Keysha had her first song published at age five, and began performing locally that same year. She started writing her own music and rapping at the age of 11. In 2010, Keysha was invited to New York City to shoot her debut music video, “Hollywood Fresh”, with

Doug E. Fresh Doug E. Fresh (born September 17, 1966) is a Barbados-born American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer, also known as the "Human Beat Box". The pioneer of 20th-century American beatboxing, Fresh is able to accurately imitate drum machines an ...

, who gave her the name “Freshh” as an add-on to Keysha. Keysha released her first project, entitled ''This is Keysha'', in 2009, which was a USA-only release. Since then, Keysha has released seven solo projects. Keysha was part of an all-female cypher involving three other female Toronto rappers that went viral on

International Women’s Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

in 2016. The four rappers formed a group, The Sorority, later that year, releasing music throughout 2016 and 2017. In 2018, The Sorority released their debut album, ''Pledge'', and embarked on their first headlining tour. Keysha was the first female rapper in Canada to have three songs in rotation on commercial radio at the same time in 2010. That same year, she also became the first musician to shoot a music video inside the Empire State Building since 9/11. In November 2016, Keysha released her sixth EP, ''In Samadhi'', which received critical acclaim. The EP was chosen for the Pigeon and Planes Best of 2016 Staff Picks. In June 2019, Keysha released her much-anticipated eighth solo project, ''Field Trip'', to positive reviews. In May 2019, Keysha teamed up with Canadian hip-hop artist

Saukrates Karl Amani Wailoo (born March 6, 1978), better known by his stage name Saukrates (; "Socrates"), is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of the hip-hop/ R&B group Big Black L ...

and DJ Nana to release an anti-gun violence anthem in the wake of the 400 shootings in Toronto in 2018.

Discography

Albums

Solo

*''This is Keysha'' (Demo, 2009, US only) *''Field Triip'' (2019)

The Sorority

*''Pledge'' (2018)

Pearls & Bones

*''All the wrong places'' (2017)

Extended plays

*''Mona Lisa'' (2012) *''Vanity'' (2014) *''In Samadhi'' (2016) *''shoulda ben done'' (2017)

Mixtapes

*''Family Affair: La Familia'' (2010) *''Ran$om'' (2011)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freshh, Keysha 1993 births Living people 21st-century Canadian rappers Canadian women rappers Black Canadian musicians Canadian songwriters Canadian people of Guyanese descent Seneca College alumni Rappers from Toronto Writers from Toronto 21st-century women rappers