Biography
Who is Chrisette Michele?
Early life and education
Chrisette Michele was born in Central Islip, New York. She spent her childhood growing up in Patchogue. Her father worked as a sociologist while her mother practiced as a psychologist. During her high school years, she spent time leading various gospel choirs.
She pursued her musical studies at Five Towns College located in Dix Hills, New York. She eventually graduated after earning a degree focused on vocal performance. Her family includes soul singer Raheem DeVaughn, who is her first cousin.
Music career and albums
The recording career of Chrisette Michele includes several well-known studio albums. Her debut project, I Am, arrived in June 2007. This album featured the single If I Have My Way, which reached number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She also released the single Love Is You in 2008, which hit number 90 on that same chart.
In 2009, her second album Epiphany reached number 1 on the Billboard 200. The title track became her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 89. She later released Let Freedom Reign in 2010, which reached number 7 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Her fourth album, Better, was published by Motown Records in 2013 and received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album.
Collaborations and television
Chrisette has appeared on various hip hop tracks throughout her career. She performed on The Game's album LAX and appeared on Jay-Z's Kingdom Come. She also contributed to Nas's Hip Hop Is Dead with three different tracks. Also, she worked on a song for the album Teflon Don by Rick Ross alongside Drake.
In terms of television, she appeared as herself in an episode of the CW series Girlfriends in 2008. She also joined the cast of R&B Divas LA for its second season, though she left the show in 2015. She once wrote the song I've Gotta Love Jones for the series House of Payne.
Personal life and recent news
In 2017, she was dropped from her record labels following a performance at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. She responded to the social media backlash by writing an open letter to explain her intentions. Following this period, she announced she would release music independently through her own label, Rich Hipster.
In September 2023, she became an honorary member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority. In 2025, Chrisette disclosed that she had received a diagnosis of autism. She also released a poetry album titled No Political Genius after the 2017 controversy.
Birthday and age
Chrisette Michele was born on December 8, 1982, which makes Chrisette 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Chrisette shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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