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