KI TOY BIOGRAPHY

 
Ki Toy Johnson was born in Peoria, Illinois, the largest city on the Illinois River. She quickly developed a passion for the arts, regularly entertaining friends and family, first in her own living room and later as a student at Washington Middle School of the Performing Arts.

After graduating from high school early, Ki enrolled at Georgia's Clayton State College, where she majored in accounting. She soon decided that her interests rested elsewhere and transferred to Atlanta's Bauder College to pursue a degree in fashion merchandising and design. When not attending classes, the voluptuous beauty gained on-air experience as a commentator on WAEC, Atlanta's longest-running Christian talk radio station. She also put her faith on display as an editor for Kids Under Construction, a popular gospel newsletter.

Those interests led to her first business enterprise, Destiny's Child, which she established in 1997 with Clementine Burch and welterweight boxing champion Vernon Forrest. The Atlanta-based business was formed to provide a supportive environment for individuals with developmental disabilities, such as mental retardation, autism and schizophrenia. Although the group's origins were modest, by 2001, Ki and her colleagues were caring for over 16 clients. The success of Destiny's Child also prompted Ki and Forrest to set up First Class Enterprises, a local construction company.

Despite her success in starting two small businesses, Ki's own destiny was in showbiz. After enrolling in several acting classes, the Peoria native kicked off her second career in 2003 by starring in OutKast's video for "The Way You Move." The catchy single became an instant hit, topping the charts in the U.S. Its seemingly endless airplay also made Ki one of hip hop's most in-demand models, resulting in revealing photo shoots for King, XXL and Black Men.

Ki capitalized on her newfound celebrity in 2003 by making her big-screen debut in The Naked Truth, a gritty drama about Atlanta's most notorious strip club. Additional roles followed in the drama Steppin' Back (2004) and the hit comedy Beauty Shop (2005), starring Queen Latifah and Alicia Silverstone. Ki has also worked on a new sitcom with rap star Trina entitled With Friends Like These.

Unfortunately, Ki's busy schedule means that she's still looking for the right man. "I would love to be in a relationship because I think I have a lot to give somebody," she says. There's just one little thing getting in the way. "I have a low tolerance for ‘kah kah'" she warns. "A very low tolerance."