Killa Kyleon

One of the most underappreciated Southern rappers, Killa Kyleon became active in the Houston underground during the early 2000s. He evolved into a major force as a prolific solo artist and long-term member of Slim Thug's Boss Hogg Outlawz, and remains a sought-after collaborator. Born Kyle Jeroderrick Riley, Kyleon was among his region's most adept MCs within a matter of a few years, as heard on early mixtape releases such as 2004's Having Thangs (with Slim Thug) and 2007's Purple Punch. By the time Boss Hogg Outlawz released their third Serve & Collect set in 2011, Kyleon was out the group, but he continued to issue mixtapes and provide guest verses at a steady rate. Among his most notable tapes during the next several years were the Mouse collaboration Welcome to the Fish Fry and the C-Fyre collaboration H-Town Heroes, both of which arrived in 2012. During 2017 alone, Kyleon's output included Mr. & Mrs. Smith (an EP-length release with Nessacary), Lorraine Motel, and a new edition of Having Thangs (titled Havin Thangs 2K17). The following year, Kyleon released an unnumbered volume of the Candy Paint N Texas Plates series. Houston giants Scarface, Willie D, Devin the Dude, and Z-Ro contributed verses to its "Money All the Time," an affirmation of Kyleon's hard-won stature. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi