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The amiable and talented actress-plus-singer Keke Palmer was only 14 when she released her debut album in 2007. Born and raised just outside of Chicago, Palmer had known she wanted to perform since the age of five. Her big break came in 2004 when she played Queen Latifah's niece in the film Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Two years later, playing the main role in Akeelah and the Bee put her in the spotlight and also on the film's soundtrack with her first single, "All My Girlz." The beginning of 2007 saw her appearing in the Disney film Jump In! and the soundtrack with her track "It's My Turn Now." Later in the year her work in Akeelah was honored with an NAACP Image Award while her debut full-length, So Uncool, arrived courtesy of the Atlantic label. The Clutch, Rodney Jerkins, Anthony Dent, and J.R. Rotem were some of the high-profile songwriters and producers who contributed to the album. ~ David Jeffries