Kristina Marie Stephens (born January 21, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her guest performance alongside Kendrick Lamar and B.o.B on rapper T.I.'s 2013 single "Memories Back Then", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. Shortly after, she signed with T.I.'s record label, Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Epic Records to begin work on her debut studio album for the label, which remains unreleased. Prior to this, she was credited with songwriting work for American singer Tank on his albums Now or Never (2010) and This Is How I Feel (2012).[1]
Kris Stephens | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kristina Marie Stephens |
| Born | January 21, 1987 Temple Hills, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, pop |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Primary Wave, RoccAge, Grand Hustle Records |
Life and career
editStephens began writing poetry when she was nine, singing solos in church and school.[2] She attended Towson 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.[1]
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.[1]
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.[3] 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.[4][5][6]
Discography
editAs a featured artist
edit| Year | Artist | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | T.I. and Hustle Gang feat. Iggy Azalea, Kris Stephens and Young Dro | "Chasing Me" | Grand Hustle Records |
| Hustle Gang feat. B.o.B, Kendrick Lamar and Kris Stephens | "Memories Back Then" | MTC Records | |
| 2012 | Tank feat. T.I. and Kris Stephens | "Compliments" | Atlantic Records |
Songwriting discography
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Ugwu, Reggie. "Kris Stephens Is the mother of one child, with producer Rockstar". BET.com. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
- ^ Green, Alexandria (June 15, 2013). "Grand Hustle's newest artist, Kris Stephens, talks new single". Rolling Out. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ Markman, Rob. "T.I.'s 'Memories Back Then' Is 'Just As Hot' Without Gotye Sample". MTV. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
- ^ "New Music: Kris Stephens – 'One in a Million' (Aaliyah cover)". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ "RoccStar Drops Hot New Video for "Confidence"". UrbanBridgez.com. April 3, 2014. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
- ^ "Producer RoccStar Unleashes Solo Debut Music Video "Confidence"". Blackrefer.com. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
External links
edit- Kris Stephens discography at Discogs
- Kris Stephens credits or Kristina Stephens credits at AllMusic