Hollywood has a revolving door of talent where fame's clock ticks louder than applause; not for our Keke Palmer though.
Our triple-threat (singer, dancer, actress), multi-hyphenated, talented queen's first on-screen role was in Barbershop 2: Back in Business at only nine years old, and then she stole hearts all over the world with her debut leading role of Akeelah on Akeelah and the Bee. After the movie came out, subscriptions for spelling competitions must have sky-rocketed as she really made spelling bees an It girl aesthetic.
Almost 20 years later and Keke's career has taken off like a Virgin Galactic rocket. She's also a proud mum of one and has spent the past few years speaking candidly about how real life as a mum can get, but how beautiful it is. She’s shared with the world her journey on loving her body and has not shied away from sharing unfiltered shots of her skin, as well as her struggles with Westernised beauty standards. In a celeb-saturated market she has established herself as somewhat of a beauty icon.
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She's a great story teller and that is an art many can't master. Not many people have the cadence and flair to turn a story into a great and timelessly memeable piece of content. Keke does it all without even trying; so much so that my friends and I have adopted many of her sayings into our everyday vocabulary. You'd be surprised how often “Sorry to this man” comes into the conversation.
However, we don't just know Keke from her memes. Including but not exclusive to:
“But the gag is”
“I know, it ain't, I know it ain't the stallion”
“I'm Steve Wonder to the bullshit”
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Yes, she has gifted the internet with unforgettable catchphrases, but we also recognise her for having one of the sexiest CVs in Hollywood. Name someone as booked and busy as Miss Keke “stays on job” Palmer? Having had movie role, after movie role, with a stint as being a Disney golden girl as ‘True Jackson’s VP' and then swiftly transitioning to more grown up roles in big budget blockbusters like Nope, and Hustlers.
But our girl is not just a comedic genius and an actress; Miss Keke got pipes, and people don't talk about it enough in my opinion. “Bottoms Up” big tune, “Hands Free”, big tune and she's just release a new song, “Waiting”. Plus she can sing a mean version of the USA national anthem – she hits those high notes as if rent was due, faultless.
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Despite her astronomical success and longevity, Keke is still everyone's favourite cousin, she's relatable, real and rooted. Intelligent and savvy, Keke navigates through challenges with grace and decorum in a very Keke way. “I'm Steve Wonder blind to the bullshit.”
That's the energy she radiates, so no wonder everyone is always rooting for Keke. Even when controversy strikes “namely baby-daddy-traditional-values-gate” her unproblematic nature takes over and she always get us laughing our way out of the drama. When possible she also finds a way of navigating through “scandal” by monetising it, all this without losing sight of her morals and integrity. We love a financially-savvy queen after all.
Our unproblematic fav oozes Black Girl Magic and is truly an inspiration for Black girls everywhere. It's 26th August and our fav internet cousin's birthday, so Happy 30th Birthday Keke, now can we be besties?
For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona
