Kelis was born and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, New York. Her first name, pronounced /kəˈlis/ (she can be heard singing her own name in the song Blindfold me), is a combination of her father's name, Kenneth, and her mother's name, Eveliss. Kenneth is a Jamaican jazz musician, Pentecostal minister, and professor at Wesleyan University. Eveliss is a Chinese-Puerto Rican fashion designer, who inspired Kelis to pursue her singing career.

As a child, she sang in church choirs and played violin, piano, and saxophone while attending Manhattan Country School, a private school. Kelis left home at age sixteen, but continued her education at age sixteen when she went to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she formed the R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United). After graduation, she formed a band with The Neptunes and, with their support, landed herself a record deal.

Kelis has since worked with a variety of m