Kori Finesse

For roleplay purposes only. All connections are open.

Kori Finesse in 2020

Korinne Yamaris Soto (born July 3rd 1997), known professionally as Kori Finesse, is a Dominican-American spoken word poet, published author, and songwriter. Soto gained popularity in February 2018 upon the release of her debut novel, We’re Almost Home, which is described as a “soulful collection of prose, self-affirmations, spoken word poems, and short stories exploring questions of faith and self.” Her debut spoken word album, I Love My Love, was released in April 2019 to critical acclaim. Her sophomore novel and album, Sol y Luna, garnered critical success and was awarded a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album in 2020. As a songwriter, Soto’s songs have reached platinum status, having written for Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Jhene Aiko, SZA, Kehlani and Ariana Grande. As of 2022, Soto has been on a songwriting hiatus. She is working on her third novel entitled From Our Lips to God’s Ears which is scheduled to be released late fall.

Biography

On July 3rd 1997, Korinne Yamaris Soto was born in Newark, New Jersey to Edwin Soto and Cheri Reynolds. Her mother is of African-American descent while her father is of Afro-Dominican descent. Her parents’ turbulent marriage and less-than-honest career choices resulted in a traumatic childhood for Korinne. She was a witness to Cheri’s physical and mental abuse at the hands of Edwin.

In 2002, the murder of her father and subsequent imprisonment of her mother led to Korinne being relocated to the Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. With the physical loss of both parents, Korinne’s paternal aunt Nilsa Garcia welcomed the young girl into her home with open arms and began to raise her along with her three biological children. Korinne was an extreme introvert by this time, preferring mutism over speaking and maladaptive daydreaming as opposed to living in reality. It was during this time that her love for written expression was discovered; she spent the majority of her time in isolation, writing poems and stories. An older cousin introduced her to the music production software Garageband at the age of 10 and she easily picked up a penchant for the art as another form of expression.

During her adolescence, she attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, her primary studies focusing on the music and performance vocal department. She was also very active in sports, prevailing in cheerleading and gymnastics. After graduating from high school in 2015, Soto was awarded a scholarship to Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University where she practiced her production skills. It was there that she met her current manager, Chris McCray, who introduced her to various acts within the industry and propelled her career.

Career

After being chosen to recite original poetry for Kehlani's debut album SweetSexySavage, Korinne gained the courage to share her art and self-released her debut novel in 2018. We’re Almost Home is described as a “soulful collection of prose, self-affirmations, spoken word poems, and short stories exploring questions of faith and self.” Her debut spoken word album, I Love My Love, was released in April 2019 to critical acclaim. Her sophomore album, Sol y Luna, garnered critical success and was awarded a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album in 2020. Her writings explore subjects such as self love, community, healing, faith, and black femininity.

Korinne was encouraged to begin her professional songwriting career in 2017 after a successful collaboration with Kehlani. Under the psuedonym Kori Finesse, she began to write songs for artists such as Beyoncé (“NILE” featuring Kendrick Lamar); Summer Walker featuring Usher (“Come Thru”); Chris Brown featuring Drake (“No Guidance”); Ariana Grande (“Needy”, “NASA”); and Kehlani (“Serial Lover”, “Can I”, “Hate the Club”). As a songwriter, Korinne's songs have reached platinum status, having written for various artists throughout the R&B and pop genre. As of 2021, she has been nominated for 7 Grammys for her songwriting abilities. She is currently signed to Universal Music Publishing Group.

Personal Life

Physical Attributes
Height and Weight: Five feet and six inches (5’6”) | 156 pounds.
Skin, Hair and Eye Color: Kori’s complexion can be described as a warm golden brown. Her hair is naturally black, although she frequently changes the color; it is currently dyed blonde. Her eyes are dark brown.
Tattoos, Piercings, and Distinguishing Markings: Kori has three (3) tattoos; a portrait of her aunt on her right forearm, a triangular prism and her favorite Bible scripture on her right arm. She currently has both earlobes pierced.

Personality
Korinne can be described with the following character traits:

Imaginative • Sensitive • Cynical • Articulate • Disciplined
Pessimistic • Humble • Spiritual • Resentful • Passive
Creative • Intelligent • Standoffish • Neat
Ambitious • Loyal • Distrustful

Miscellaneous Details

✗ LIKES: 70's soul music, vinyl records, marijuana, fresh nails, extra dry wine, studying God's word, Do Not Disturb feature, cooking, creating art pieces, Instacart.	✗ DISLIKES: Unnecessary conversation, repeating oneself, the color green (money is the only exception), clutter, constant texting, traffic, crowded environments, alcohol, french toast, public transportation.
✗ Follows a mostly plant-based lifestyle but eats meat products intermittently.	✗ Is a dual citizen of the United States and Dominican Republic due to her mother and father’s respective birth places.
✗ Is a lover of art in all of its forms; spending time at museums, creating art pieces, and admiring conceptual architecture is how she spends her spare time.	✗ Being raised in a devout Baptist household meant that every Sunday between the ages of 7 and 17 was spent at church, which helped cement the young woman’s faith that she holds onto til this day.
✗ Her debut spoken word album was written, recorded and produced by the young woman in her makeshift bedroom studio.	✗ Is an avid collector of vinyl records and a self-proclaimed 2000’s R&B music aficionado.
✗ Identifies as non-monogamous and is known as a serial dater, which is a fancy way of saying she's in her h*e phase and is in therapy to deal with her commitment issues.	✗ Has chromesthesia — the perceptive phenomenon of seeing a specific color when a musical note or key is played, or “hearing colors” — and has perfect pitch.
✗ Is an advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana and a habitual user of the herb.	✗ Dreams of retiring to an off-grid farm where she can grow her own produce and raise animals by the time she's 40.

Important Relationships

• Janika A. Sisson (maternal cousin) — Connection description coming soon.
• Brent Wood (ex-boyfriend) — Connection description coming soon.

Credits

Works

• We're Almost Home (2018)
• Sol y Luna (2019)
• From Our Lips to God's Ears (TBA)

Albums

• I Love My Love (2018)
• Sol y Luna (2019)

Songwriting Discography

Year	Artist(s)	Song	Album
2017	Kendrick Lamar	"Loyalty (featuring Rihanna)"	DAMN.
2018		"All the Stars (featuring SZA)"	Black Panther: The Album
	Cardi B	"Ring (featuring Kehlani)"	Invasion of Privacy
	Ariana Grande	"NASA"	thank u, next
		"Needy"
2019
	Beyoncé
	"NILE (featuring Kendrick Lamar)"	The Lion King: The Gift
	Chris Brown	"No Guidance (featuring Drake)"	Indigo
	Summer Walker	"Come Thru (featuring Usher)"	Over It
		"Potential"
		"Like It (featuring 6lack)"
2020	Kehlani	"Hate the Club (featuring Masego)"	It Was Good Until It Wasn't
		"Serial Lover"
		"Water"
		"Grieving (featuring James Blake)"
	Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande	"Rain on Me"	Chromatica
	Teyana Taylor	"Bare Wit Me"	The Album
	Chloe x Halle	"Forgive Me"	Ungodly Hour
	Ariana Grande	"Motive (featuring Doja Cat)"	Positions
		"Positions"
		"Just Like Magic"
		"Off the Table (featuring The Weeknd)"
		"Test Drive"
		"Six Thirty"
		"Safety Net (featuring Ty Dolla $ign)"
	Ty Dolla $ign	"Universe (featuring Kehlani)"	Featuring Ty Dolla $ign
		"By Yourself (featuring Jhené Aiko)"
	Jhené Aiko	"Tryna Smoke"	Chilombo
2021	Kiana Ledé	"Ur Best Friend (featuring Kehlani)"	TBA
	Kehlani	"Altar"	TBA