Kehlani Says Nick Cannon “Changed My Life Forever” When She Was Homeless

Kehlani is opening up about the moment Nick Cannon changed the course of her life. The Grammy-winning singer recently reflected on her early career and how Cannon, whom she first met when her band PopLyfe competed on America’s Got Talent, helped her escape homelessness in 2013.

At the time, Kehlani was a teenager, effectively homeless and moving from couch to couch after leaving the group PopLyfe. Cannon, who was hosting America’s Got Talent, reached out to her. “Nick Cannon called and was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know what you got going on, but come to LA and make some music, and I’ll give you some studio time,'” Kehlani recalled in an interview with Complex. “I’d never even had my own room before.” 

Cannon didn’t just offer studio time, he provided Kehlani with a fully furnished apartment in Los Angeles. She told Complex she still passes by that apartment today on her way to boxing classes. He also helped her connect with her manager, David Ali, and laid the groundwork for her debut mixtape, Cloud 19.

“He changed my life forever. That’s family to me,” Kehlani said in a previous interview, noting that Cannon has similarly helped other artists. “He silently has changed the lives of so many people. He asked for nothing in return.”  She also told the outlet that other artists have reached out to her with their own “secret ‘Nick Cannon saved my life’ stories”.