Elle Varner

Gabrielle Serene Varner, known professionally as Elle Varner, was born on February 12, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York, to a musical family. Her parents, Mikelyn Roderick and Jimmy Varner, were songwriters and publishers; Roderick was a backup vocalist for Barry White, and Jimmy Varner was a multi-instrumentalist who collaborated with artists like Kool & the Gang. Growing up surrounded by music, Varner began playing instruments at age six, starting with the flute, and later learning piano and guitar. She attended various music programs, including Wendy Raquel Robinson’s Amazing Grace Conservatory and Alexander Hamilton High School’s Academy of Music’s Vocal Jazz Group. Varner furthered her education at New York University’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, graduating in 2008.

Varner’s career began to take shape shortly after her graduation. In October 2009, she secured a record deal with RCA Records and a co-publishing agreement with Sony Music. She gained early recognition as one of the artists featured in BET’s Music Matters campaign for 2010. Her debut single, “Only Wanna Give It to You,” featuring J. Cole, was released in August 2011 and peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. This led to her debut studio album, “Perfectly Imperfect,” released in August 2012, which debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart and number two on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 33,000 copies in its first week.

Following the success of her debut, Varner continued to evolve her artistry. In January 2012, she released the mixtape “Conversational Lush.” Her second single from “Perfectly Imperfect,” “Refill,” was released in January 2012 and was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 2013. Varner also co-wrote “Use Me” for Miguel’s 2012 album, “Kaleidoscope Dream.” Although her second album, “Four Letter Word,” was shelved, she later independently released her EP “Ellevation” in 2019 under her own label, 212 Enterprises, demonstrating her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to her music.