Kelis (born Kelis Rogers on August 21, 1979), is known simply by her first … Read Full Bio ↴Kelis (born Kelis Rogers on August 21, 1979), is known simply by her first name Kelis (pronounced Kuh-lees). Her name is an amalgamation of her parents' first names, her black father Kenneth and Chinese-Puerto Rican mother Eveliss. Growing up in Middle Class Harlem, New York Kelis' childhood was not a deprived one. But she was not without problems, after her parents realised they could not cope with her unruly behavior (Kelis shaved all her hair off at age 13, soon afterwards dyeing the regrowth the colors of the rainbow), Kelis moved out of the family home, continuing her private education.

After a short spell working as a model, 5'10" Kelis began appearing on songs by Neptunes produced rappers such as 'Got Your Money' by the late rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard. Soon afterwards, she released her debut album, Kaleidoscope in 1999 of which the first single was 'Caught Out There,' a song based on the time she caught her boyfriend cheating on her, and she beat him. The video feautures Kelis leading a pack of angry women down the street screaming 'I hate you so much right now!'. The album was released in USA, Europe and Asia, but did not find much audience in the USA. Not a great success, it only sold 249,000 copies to date.

After finding her largest audience in Europe, Kelis released her second album titled Wanderland (2001) in Europe only, which like her first album did not fare well. It only sold 80,000 copies and was entirely produced by The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) again, similarly to her debut. Only one single was released 'Young Fresh N New'.

In 2003 Kelis finally found fame in her country with the single 'Milkshake,' which was a massive success in Europe, Asia and USA, and she began dating rapper Nas (born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones). The single was from the album 'Tasty' which did not feature the Neptunes as heavily as her previous albums. Singles included the popular Dallas Austin produced 'Trick Me' and 'Millionaire', a collaboration with OutKast's Andre 3000. 'In Public's duet with Nas was the fourth single from the album, becoming a top twenty hit in the U.K. without a video.

In 2006, Kelis presented a new album to her fans, entitled Kelis Was Here, which was originally to be called 'The Puppeteer' which was released on 22 August but was due Fall 2005. No Neptunes tracks appeared on this album, but Kelis used other producers such as Max Martin, Will.I.Am (Black Eyed Peas) and Raphael Saadiq. Singles are the huge 'Bossy', 'Blindfold Me', and 'Lil Star'. Kelis wrote more of the material on this album than she did for Tasty, and carries off the sci-fi, electronica sounds so often considered Neptunes material without them. This is most evident on the brilliant 'Trilogy'. Kelis has said she wants to make her mark with this album, as it will be the last 'album like this' she will make.

In October 2007, Kelis was dumped by Jive Records, for poor sales of Kelis Was Here but a new album is in the pipeline. The Hits - a greatest hits collection - was released in March 2008, including tracks where she was a featured artist, eg, Got Your Money by Ol' Dirty Bastard , N.E.R.D's Truth or Dare, and Richard X's Finest Dreams.

Kelis then signed to Interscope Records, and released her fifth studio album entitled Flesh Tone in May 2010. The David Guetta-produced Acapella preceded the LP in February of that year. Other singles released from the album include '4th of July (Fireworks)', 'Scream' and 'Brave'. The following year, Kelis appeared on Calvin Harris' 'Bounce'.

In the beginning of 2010, Kelis received a letter by animal rights organization PETA, in which she was informed about the cruelty that comes along with the production of fur coats. She pointed out that the organization seems to have little concern about the treatment of people of color and that she will continue wearing fur and eating meat.

Songfacts reported that 'Distance', the planned first single from Kelis’ sixth studio album received its first play during the June 30, 2012 show of The Beatnik Mix on London's Reprezent 107.3FM. At the time, the album was set to be house/dance-inspired, but sessions with TV on The Radio's Dave Sitek led to it taking a soul-like direction.

Kelis completed her sixth album in April 2013, and her new label Ninja Tune confirmed details regarding the album in January the following year, 'Jerk Ribs' served as the lead single for the album; the track had however been previously released as a free download the previous year.
Food was released in April 2014 to critical acclaim. Kelis also appeared for the first time at the annual South by Southwest festival, both performing and serving meals to attendees from her food truck.

Millionaire feat Andre 3000
KELIS Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I said, her from the city
So her got to be witty, witty
She said, him from the country
So him got to be funky, funky

Mama, I'm a millionaire, but I feel like a bum
Mama, I'm a millionaire, but I feel like the only one
I, I, I, I woke up early this morning

I don't think y'all heard me
I woke up early this morning
I don't think y'all heard me
I woke up early this morning
I don't think, think y'all heard me
I woke up early this morning, but I still ain't see the sun

Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh

Papa, I'm a millionaire, but Saks Fifth Ave. don't sell affection
Saks Fifth Ave. don't sell affection
Papa, I'm a millionaire, but I ain't moving in the right direction
Something ain't right, I know
I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich oh
I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich
I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich
I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich, mmmm

Where there is cheese there are rats
Where ever there are rats there are cats
Where ever there are cats there are dogs
If you got the dogs, you got bitches
Bitches always out to put their paws on your riches
If you got riches, you got glitches
If you got glitches in your life computer, turn it off
And then reboot it, now you back on
Can't just put the cap on the old bottle
Once you pop it, that will spoil it
Go on and drink it and enjoy it, uh
Mama, I'm a millionaire

What's a girl to do when she just has dimes
No time, just pay-ay-ay-ay
What's a girl to do instead of me
It's you, be true-ue-ue-ue
What's a girl to do in a world of greed
But kneel and pray-ay-ay-ay
What's a girl to do when she's lost her long time friends
That's li-i-i-i-ife

I, I'm feeling sad like a million bucks
I, I, I, I, I, I'm feeling sad like a million
I, I, I'm feeling sad like a million

Sad like a million
I, I, I, I, I, I'm feeling sad

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song "Millionaire" by Kelis highlights the different perspectives and expectations that the two lovers have coming from different backgrounds. The woman is from the city and expects her partner to be witty, while the man is from the country and expects his lover to be funky. This reflects the common cultural stereotypes and assumptions that people have about others from different places. However, the song is not necessarily about these differences but rather about the struggle of being a millionaire and still feeling like something is missing.

In the chorus, Kelis sings about feeling like a bum despite her wealth, which indicates that money alone cannot bring happiness. She wakes up early but still does not see the sun, which symbolizes the darkness in her life despite her material success. Kelis acknowledges that material possessions cannot replace affection and love ("Saks Fifth Ave. don't sell affection"), and she feels like she is not moving in the right direction. The lyrics about becoming rich together emphasize the importance of community and sharing one's success with others.

The second verse of the song talks about the harsh realities of wealth and success. Kelis uses the metaphor of rats and cats to describe how bitches (or gold-diggers) will try to take advantage of rich people, and glitches in one's life might come with material success. However, Kelis advises not to bottle up life's joys but to drink them and enjoy them instead. The last parts of the song talk about feeling sad despite having material success and facing the challenges of greed and losing long-time friends.

Line by Line Meaning

I said, her from the city So her got to be witty, witty She said, him from the country So him got to be funky, funky
People from different places have their own traits; city people are witty and country people are funky.

Mama, I'm a millionaire, but I feel like a bum Mama, I'm a millionaire, but I feel like the only one I, I, I, I woke up early this morning I don't think y'all heard me I woke up early this morning I don't think y'all heard me I woke up early this morning I don't think, think y'all heard me I woke up early this morning, but I still ain't see the sun
Being wealthy doesn't mean happiness; the singer feels lonely and unappreciated despite being a millionaire.

Papa, I'm a millionaire, but Saks Fifth Ave. don't sell affection Saks Fifth Ave. don't sell affection Papa, I'm a millionaire, but I ain't moving in the right direction Something ain't right, I know I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich oh I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich I ain't rich, til he is rich, and she is rich, then we is rich, mmmm
Money can't buy love or happiness; the singer realizes that she's not content and won't be unless everyone around her is wealthy too.

Where there is cheese there are rats Where ever there are rats there are cats Where ever there are cats there are dogs If you got the dogs, you got bitches Bitches always out to put their paws on your riches If you got riches, you got glitches If you got glitches in your life computer, turn it off And then reboot it, now you back on Can't just put the cap on the old bottle Once you pop it, that will spoil it Go on and drink it and enjoy it, uh Mama, I'm a millionaire
People will be attracted to wealth, but it often comes with complications; the artist advises refreshing and enjoying life when it gets complicated, just like fixing a computer.

What's a girl to do when she just has dimes No time, just pay-ay-ay-ay What's a girl to do instead of me It's you, be true-ue-ue-ue What's a girl to do in a world of greed But kneel and pray-ay-ay-ay What's a girl to do when she's lost her long time friends That's li-i-i-i-ife
Being a young woman can be tough, but one should stay true to oneself and find strength in prayer; losing friends is just a part of life.

I, I'm feeling sad like a million bucks I, I, I, I, I, I'm feeling sad like a million I, I, I'm feeling sad like a million Sad like a million I, I, I, I, I, I'm feeling sad
Despite being rich, the singer is feeling down and feels this way often.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Douglas Davis, Ricky Walters, Kelis Rogers, Andre Benjamin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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