It has been an amazing journey for rhythm and blues singer 26-year-old Keyshia Cole. Each of her first two albums have been certified platinum, for sales of one million units in the United States, and recently she has gotten critical acclaim with two nominations in the 2008 Grammy Awards.

The biracial songstress did her first recordings with US rapper MC Hammer at the age of 12. But it was almost seven years ago that she upped the stakes making appearances on records for the likes of Tony! Toni! Toné!'s Dwayne Wiggins and San Francisco rapper Messy Marv.

Cole was inspired by her ex-boyfriend's mother to pursue her musical aspirations, and moved to Los Angeles after severing her relationship with a cheating boyfriend. She attracted the attention of Interscope Records president Ron Fair, who in later recommended her to the Jimmy Iovine, Interscope chairman.

Cole was signed to the label in 2002. In 2003, she made her first solo appearance on the Biker Boyz soundtrack with the track Get Up. In 2004, Cole made another solo appearance on the track Never, taken from the Barbershop 2: Back in Business soundtrack with rapper Eve.

With hit singles including (I Just Want it) To Be Over, I Changed My Mind, I Should Have Cheated and Love, Cole's debut solo album The Way it Is (released in 2005) sold more than a million copies. Cole has an ASCAP award win for Best R&B/Hip-Hop Song for Love, the Vibe's Next Award (she tied with Young Jeezy) and a handful of other nominations includinga Vibe Award nomination for R&B Voice of the Year and Vibe Vixen. The NAACP Image Award nomination for Best New Artiste; BET Awards nomination for Best Female R&B Artiste and Viewer's Choice; the Soul Train Award nomination for Best Female R&B/Soul Single and Best Female R&B/Soul Album for The Way It Is; an American Music Award nomination for Favourite Female Artiste; and a Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Female R&B/Soul Single are some of her other accomplishments.

Just Like You arrived two years later in 2007 and sold over 281,000 copies in its first week of release to slam dunk its way to number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. To date, the set which features the hit singles Let it Go (featuring Lil Kim and Missy Elliott), I Remember and Shoulda Let You Go, has sold more than 1,002,614 copies in America alone.

To coincide with the release of Just Like You late last year, the second season Cole's BET reality show Keyshia Cole: The Way it Is began airing. The show attracted record-breaking ratings for BET as the top returning series premiere in BET history. It also ranked at the number one original series premiere of the year in 2007.

Keyshia Cole took time out of her busy schedule to talk about her recent Grammy nominations among other interesting things. Read on!

TEENage: How do you feel about your two recent Grammy nominations (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (Let It Go) and Best Contemporary R&B Album (Just Like You). What does this mean for you?

Keyshia Cole: I feel great about the Grammy nominations! It's an amazing feeling to get recognised for all the hard work and dedication.

TEENage: Your latest album, Just Like You, has been certified platinum. Were you surprised about the reaction from fans?
Keyshia Cole: I was surprised. worked really hard to make a beautiful album and the process is still very personal to me. It's amazing that so many people can connect and appreciate the little things that you deal with everyday.

TEENage: While working on the new album, did you have any tense moments in the studio? Did you ever feel you had to push the envelope this time around?
Keyshia Cole: Not really, I just wanted to do something that reflected me. I shut off the phones and the Blackberrys. I blocked all distractions and really tried to zone into my creative space.

TEENage: Your reality show Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is has been doing very well on BET. What do you think has contributed to the show's success?
Keyshia Cole: It's the truth, nothing is staged! This is me, this is my family and this is my life. We put all the cards on the table and what you see is what you get.

TEENage: Which artiste or artistes have influenced your soulful style?
Keyshia Cole: Brandy, Mary J Blige and 2Pac.

TEENage: You worked with Sean Paul on the hit single When You Gonna Give it Up to Me. Is there any other reggae artiste that you would love to work with?
Keyshia Cole: Not yet

TEENage: What did you learn from your association working with MC Hammer in the early days of your career?
Keyshia Cole: Pay the IRS! (laughs). I learned not to have my expenses exceed my income.

TEENage: If music hadn't worked out for you, what other career path would you have chosen?
Keyshia Cole: If I wasn't a singer I would definitely be a veterinarian. I love animals!

TEENage:You are looking really great, how important is it for you to maintain such a great image and to stay in shape?
Keyshia Cole: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is hard but extremely important to me. Drinking enough water, eating right and working out have to be a priority because I do so much touring and travelling that I really need the extra fuel and strength to perform.

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