Kimberly Michelle Pate (born March 4, 1984), better known by her stage name K. Michelle, is an American R&B recording artist, pianist, guitarist and songwriter. She was noted in 2009 when she was signed to Jive Records and released the R&B charting single "Fakin' It" (featuring Missy Elliott). She later went on to release three follow-up R&B charting singles: "Fallin'", "I Just Can't Do This", and "How Many Times" before leaving Jive Records. In the summer of 2012, K. Michelle garnered further attention by appearing in the VH1 reality series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. Following her appearance on the show, she landed a contract deal with Atlantic Records. She released her long-delayed debut album Rebellious Soul on August 13, 2013. The album saw commercial success, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. K. Michelle's "The Rebellious Soul Musical" directed by Golden Globe winner Idris Elba debuted on "Vh1" on August 19, 2014.