Early in her life, Kehlani aspired to train as a dancer at the Juilliard School, but she suffered a knee injury in junior high, which led her to turn her attention towards singing. While living with her aunt, Kehlani was exposed almost exclusively to R&B and neo soul artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, whom today she describes as some of her early musical influences.
Erykah Badu
Jill Scott