Kim Hill (soul musician)

For other people, see Kim Hill.

Kim Hill
Birth name	Kimberly Allise Hill
Born	August 7, 1972 (1972-08-07)
Origin	Syracuse, New York
Genres	Soul, gospel, R&B, funk, hip hop
Associated acts	The Black Eyed Peas

Kim Hill (born August 7, 1972) is an American soul singer-songwriter, best known for her work with the hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas. She left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Fergie in 2002. Hill has since begun performing as a solo artist, with a 2000 release ("Summertime in Aspen") a 2002 release (Sugahill) a 2005 release ("Right Now") as well as a 2007 release, Okada Taxi.

Personal life

Born to Norman D. Hill (1940–2006) and Shirley A. Hill (b. 1940) in Syracuse, New York, Kim was the third child of their union.^{[citation needed]} She has siblings Brian K. Hill (born 1961) and Teretha M. Hill-Williams (born 1963).^{[citation needed]} Hill studied violin, piano, and gymnastics as a child before enrolling in the University of The Arts in Philadelphia as a dance major.^{[citation needed]} She moved to Los Angeles in 1993 after a year as a Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader, when she committed to music full time.^{[citation needed]}

Black Eyed Peas

Hill had a chance meeting with will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo in 1995 at a BMI Showcase. This encounter led to her co-writing several songs on their album, Behind the Front, including "The Way You Make Me Feel". She also co-wrote "Mama's Just a Little Girl" with the late Tupac Shakur for the album, Better Dayz. Hill became a vocalist for the Peas and contributed to numerous tracks on Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap. Hill wrote other songs including "On My Own", which featured Les Nubians and Mos Def, as well as "Hot". She has appeared with a the late Biggie Smalls, Outkast, The Pharcyde, Cody Chestnutt, Common, Slum Village, Raphael Saadiq, Jody Watley, De La Soul, No Doubt, A Tribe Called Quest and Aaliyah. During her tenure with the Black Eyed Peas, she signed a solo contract with Interscope Records in 1998. She was dropped in 1999, before releasing anything, because Interscope did not consider her music "black enough". Taboo described her position in the band in his autobiography, Fallin' Up: "Kim was never fully installed as a member of the Peas, even though there has been coverage in the past that she was the fourth member. It is more accurate to say that she featured with us, because she was still a singer-songwriter in her own right and still performed solo."

Solo career

Hill left the Black Eyed Peas in 2000 due to creative differences. Soon thereafter, she signed with Up Above Records and released her debut album, Surrender to Her Sunflower (2000); however, Hill left the label in 2001. That year, she signed with One bRave inDian, who released her second album, Suga Hill, in 2003. She parted with the label in 2005 and in 2006, she signed with Concrete Grooves Records and released her third album, Okada Taxi in 2007. She left that label in 2008. Hill continues to create independent music, deejay as "DJ Kill him", and has been featured on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and in Billboard and Vibe magazines.^{[citation needed]} Today, Hill resides in Los Angeles and has, most recently, become a blogger, and a mother to son, Cassius Etienne Harrison Hill.

Discography

• Surrender to Her Sunflower (2000, Up Above)^{[citation needed]}
• Suga Hill (2003, One bRave inDian)^{[citation needed]}
• Okada Taxi (2007, Concrete Grooves)^{[citation needed]}

External links

• Website