“At its best, Cole’s debut recalls the raw emotion, gritty realism and street beats of [Mary J] Blige’s landmark album, 1992’s What’s The 411. Cole excels at singing pain over pleasure…she shows that she is more than just another pretender on the thrown.”

*** stars People Magazine

“Not since Mary J. Blige’s My Life has an R&B songstress been able to evoke a woman’s pain while bringing to mind a man’s guilt with the soul power of such an earnest voice.

“While the beats deliver club-friendly hip-hop and the twenty-one-year –old Cole serves up grit beyond her years, the arrangements feature angular strings, woodwinds and horns that punctuate, heighten and dance around the vocal drama without overwhelming it.”

***1/2 stars from Rolling Stone

“The first cd by this 22-year-old strikes a perfect balance between R&B’s tunefulness and hip hop grit. The Way It Is goes a long way toward advancing R&B’s recovery.”

New York Daily News

“The Oakland, California based homegirl’s full-bodied, self assured vocals weave urban life narratives in a potent combination…Keyshia Cole proves she’s the real thing on this attention-commanding debut.”

Billboard

“It is on the emotion drenched Love that Cole separates herself from the average R&B/pop diva, as she makes you feel her heartbreak without the histrionics.”

*** USA Today

“Cole’s street-savvy Oakland, Calif., upbringing gives her vocal depth and her songs a genuine, lived in feel.”

Entertainment Weekly

10/4/2005 House of Blues - Anaheim Anaheim, CA , United States  Opening for Musiq 
10/5/2005 House of Blues - Los Angeles W. Hollywood, CA , United States  Opening for Musiq 
10/7/2005 House of Blues - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV , United States  Opening for Musiq 
10/11/2005 Convocation Center-Univ. of Miami Miami, FL , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/12/2005 Sundome Tampa, FL , United States  Opening for Kanye
10/13/2005 University of Florida Performing Arts Gainesville, FL , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/15/2005 Reliant Park Houston, TX , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/16/2005 Frank Erwin Center Austin, TX , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/17/2005 House of Blues- Chicago Chicago, IL , United States  Opening for Musiq 
10/18/2005 TBD-Columbia et al, MO MO , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/19/2005 Assembly Hall Champaign, IL , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/19/2005 Nokia Theatre Time Square New York, NY , United States  Opening for Musiq 
10/20/2005 House of Blues Atlantic City, NJ , United States  Opening for Musiq 
10/21/2005 Fox Theatre Detroit, MI , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/22/2005 Fox Theatre Detroit, MI , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/23/2005 Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON , Canada  Opening For Kanye
10/25/2005 TBD- -- Not listed -- -- Not listed --  Opening For Kanye
10/29/2005 Cleveland State Univ. Convocation Center Cleveland, OH , United States  Opening For Kanye
10/30/2005 Patriot Center Fairfax, VA , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/2/2005 Madison Square Garden Arena New York, NY , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/3/2005 Madison Square Garden Arena New York, NY , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/4/2005 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/5/2005 Hampton Coliseum Hampton, VA , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/6/2005 The Liacouras Center Philadelphia, PA , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/8/2005 Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON , Canada  Opening For Kanye
11/9/2005 Fox Theatre Detroit, MI , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/11/2005 Schottenstein Center Columbus, OH , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/13/2005 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/14/2005 UIC Pavilion Chicago, IL , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/16/2005 Bi-Lo Center Greenville, SC , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/17/2005 Gwinnett Arena Duluth, GA , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/18/2005 Cricket Arena Charlotte, NC , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/19/2005 TBD-Atlanta, GA GA , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/20/2005 BJCC Arena Birmingham, AL , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/22/2005 Ford Center Oklahoma City, OK , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/23/2005 NOKIA live at Grand Prairie Grand Prairie, TX , United States  Opening For Kanye
11/26/2005 TBD-Kansas City, KS-MO KS , United States  Opening For Kanye
12/4/2005 Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA , United States  Opening For Kanye
12/6/2005 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium San Francisco, CA , United States  Opening For Kanye
12/9/2005 Memorial Coliseum Portland, OR , United States  Opening For Kanye
12/11/2005 General Motors Place Vancouver, BC , Canada  Opening For Kanye