R&B singer Keyshia Cole is just weeks away from welcoming her second child with boyfriend Niko “Khale” Hale. Although the “Heaven Sent” singer is quite famous and successful, Hale, on the other hand, is a bit under the radar. So for all those wondering who Cole’s mystery man is, here are five facts about the father-to-be.
- Niko Hale Is an Up-and-Coming Artist
Hale is apparently an independent artist and a songwriter. According to Last.FM, the “On My Way” rapper was featured on Nelly Furtado’s “The Spirit Indestructible” released in 2012 and is most known for his popular singles “Something Changed About You” and “Truth Is.”
After uploading a list of freestyles and covers to his Myspace page in 2005, three years later he garnered the attention of music producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and worked under his tutelage for a few years.
Hale dropped his first EP “On My Own” for his birthday last year. A few of his songs such as ‘War Ready,” “On My Own” and “Water Under the Bridge” are now available on Itunes, Spotify and Apple Music.
2. Hale Is a First-Time Father
Hale and Cole went public with their relationship in early 2018 and are now expecting their first child together. The singer is already a mother to 9-year-old Daniel Gibson Jr., whom she shares with her estranged husband, former NBA player Daniel Gibson. Hale doesn’t appear to have any children of his own.
The expectant dad couldn’t be more thrilled about his unborn son, who’s some three weeks away from arriving, and stated via Instagram with a photo of Cole sporting her baby bump, “Excited about our youngin on the way. I know he’ll always be in good hands. I love you.”
He also dedicated an entire video to their impending arrival and titled it` “Letter To My Unborn Child 👶🏾.”
Be sure to check it out below.
3. Niko Hale Is Only 23
Although Hale and the “You Complete Me” singer share the same birthday month, there’s also a huge age difference between them. The young hip hop artist was born Oct. 17, 1995, making him only 23 years old, 14 years younger than Cole, who’s 37.
The pair have received backlash on their relationship from social media users and fans, but Cole addressed critics in a now-deleted Instagram post from March, writing, “Now the reason I’m posting The pepper to my salt @nikokhale is because he’s been such a sweetheart to me, and I kno people have been very judgmental about our relationship but I gotta nurture what nurtures me.”
4. Hale Is from D.C.
The 23-year-old soon-to-be father was born in Washington, D.C., but later relocated to North Carolina with his family. Not much is known about Hale’s background and childhood, but he appears to be extremely close with his mother.
5. Niko Hale Is Formerly Known As ‘Ace Primo’
During Hale’s Myspace days he originally went by the moniker ACE PRIMO, but later went by his real name after working with producer Rodney Jerkins. When asked why he decided to change his stage name, he claimed he wanted to leave a legacy behind.
“I’m in a different place now,” he told Last.FM at the time. “Where things like accomplishments and leaving a legacy behind matter to me. I want all my accomplishments and contributions to hip hop and society in general to be tied to my name. I always will always be Primo in the streets but Niko Khalé is who I am…that’s my birth given. I want the world to know me for me not an alias.”
