Meet Kelz: Battle Rap’s Newest Starmaker

Since its inception, Hip-Hop has been an industry dominated by men, where misogyny is rife, and women have to fight for equal footing.

None of that matters to Kelz, the petite yet powerhouse battle rap league owner, manager, talent scout, and all-around connoisseur of the culture.

Putting On For The DMV

Her DMV-based league OSBL (Our Society Battle League) has quickly established itself as the premier league in the region, while Kelz has made a name for herself as the no-nonsense honcho of a loyal roster of talented rappers, many of whom have been with her from the ground up.

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Armed with a plan and a vision to develop unique local wordsmiths, Kelz recently celebrated her third year as a league owner. In that short time, OSBL has thrown countless successful events, pitting her squad against some of the best lyricists in the genre. Her most recent card, Double Dragons, saw stars like Chilla Jones, Jaz The Rapper, Lu Castro, Drugz, and Jakkboy Maine square off against the top names and up-and-comers on her league.

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Scouting Talent For Ultimate Rap League

Not only is Kelz also a scout for URL (Ultimate Rap League), the NBA of battle rap, she’s one of the most successful ones from their talent-seeking The Crucible series. She has a keen eye for raw talent, and some of her picks have gone on to star in URL’s big money, big stage tournaments, the Ultimate Madness series battling for prizes of up to $100,000.

In addition to recruiting and developing many of the culture’s rising stars, Kelz also manages some of the most electrifying names in the scene, guiding their careers to success within the upper echelons of battle rap.

Kelz Murda Management

One of her earliest signings to KMM Kelz Murda Management was Maryland rapper Ace Amin. Once he stepped into the scene, his intricate wordplay and commanding stage presence caught the eye of URL. His captivating introductory battle against Fuse Da General impressed the league, and he would soon become a regular feature on URL cards and one of the rising stars of their “New Era” battlers.

Another of her clients, Sheed Happens, is one of the hottest new talents in the scene following a turn in URL’s UM5 tournament earlier this year. His win against fan favorite Nunn Nunn in a close rematch was labeled a robbery and made controversial due to some ambiguous judged decisions which had the culture in an uproar.

While the judges were impressed by his unorthodox style and unique delivery, it was his second-round win over Tru Foe (who had just knocked 3x Champion of the Year Geechi Gotti out of the competition), that swung the battle rap pendulum back in his favor ahead of his semi-finals clash with vet JC. He ultimately lost out to the Pontiac veteran, one of the best pens in the culture who would eventually win the tournament.

The Future For Kelz & OSBL

OSBL continues to be one of the most prolific local leagues throwing events most months, sometimes bi-monthly. Her next card, Active Duty, on September 9, sees the boss challenge her staff alongside her roster of battlers. Kelz and three staff members play team captains and pick three rookies to join their squad. The newbies must craft a universal round to spit at a random opponent. The team captains are responsible for helping develop and mold their team to ultimate victory.

At its core, OSBL is all about finding and building local talent at the grassroots level, grooming them for the biggest stages in the culture. It’s evident with Kelz and her loyal staff at the helm, OSBL will continue to make a substantial impact in the DMV and beyond.