THE KELLIEKEL SHOW

Artist | Author | Educator | Cultural Voice | Independent Powerhouse

KellieKel is not a trend, a moment, or a manufactured image, she is a lived experience translated into music, words, and influence. An independent artist, author, and educator, KellieKel has built her career on authenticity, ownership, and the refusal to be boxed into anyone else’s expectations.

Born Kellie Yancy on June 29, 1988, and raised primarily by her grandmother, Kellie grew up grounded in faith, church, and self-expression. Music and writing weren’t hobbies, they were survival tools. By the age of eight, Kellie was already writing poetry and songs, competing against poets of all ages across the country and consistently winning. Long before social media or streaming platforms existed, she was fearless enough to cold-call major record labels like Interscope Records and Bad Boy Entertainment, singing to whoever answered the phone, because she believed her voice deserved to be heard.

That belief never left her.

At 17, Kellie moved to Missouri to continue her education and attend Barbizon School of Modeling, developing the confidence and stage presence that would later become part of her signature. Around the same time, her uncle, who was a DJ, introduced her to rap. As the only woman in many male-dominated creative spaces, Kellie leaned into her tomboy mentality, sharp wit, and lyrical aggression. Rapping wasn’t a pivot, it was a natural evolution. She recorded her first song, “40 Cal,” at 17, immediately standing out for her savage pen, commanding presence, and emotional honesty.

In 2007, life interrupted the momentum. After losing someone close to her, Kellie did what she had always done—she wrote. But this time, she placed her own music on pause and poured herself fully into poetry. For years, she stopped writing lyrics for herself, though she continued to write for other artists behind the scenes. The art never left, she simply redirected it.

In 2008, Kellie relocated to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue modeling, and in early 2009, she gave birth to boy/girl twins. Motherhood became her full focus. For the first five years of her children’s lives, Kellie chose presence over spotlight, stability over speed. But creativity doesn’t disappear, it waits.

When her twins reached school age, Kellie returned to music with clarity, discipline, and purpose.

Her comeback officially began in 2013. By the end of 2014, Kellie independently booked her own tour to promote her single “On Fleek.” Throughout 2015, she toured extensively, with the record receiving rotation in 14 U.S. states and the United Kingdom. With the support of DJ Bioncman (who later passed), the song transcended borders and introduced KellieKel to an international audience, all without a major label machine behind her.

Rather than chasing one sound, Kellie expanded creatively. In 2016, she crossed genre lines, incorporating EDM and techno elements into her music while collaborating with Detroit artists including Felix the Don and Brielle Lesley, and Ypsilanti native Neisha Neshae on an enhanced version of “I Got It.” That same year, Kellie made one of the most defining decisions of her career: she turned down a deal. Recognizing that no one else could see, or protect her vision the way she could, she chose independence over industry validation.

Public attention intensified after a widely discussed dispute with recording artist Dej Loaf and live videos that amassed millions of views. Instead of leaning into controversy, Kellie pivoted. She rejected genre confinement, image politics, and industry pressure, committing fully to making music that reflected her truth, not what algorithms or executives expected.

KellieKel is a storyteller first. She writes all of her own music and believes she does not make art for people who are unwilling to hear it. Her work is rooted in lived experience, emotional accountability, and growth. To her, authenticity is not a branding tool, it’s a responsibility.

In December 2017, she released her debut album Psychotic Therapy, a raw, introspective project that explored identity, trauma, and self-examination. The lead single, “Who Am I,” answered the question audiences continued to ask while challenging listeners to ask it of themselves. In October 2019, she followed with Emancipated, an album centered on liberation, healing, and reclaiming personal power.

Her musical influences Mýa, Case, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Tupac Shakur, and Lexii Alijai all reflect her range: vulnerability, lyricism, soul, and truth. Kellie writes and produces across genres, allowing the story to determine the sound rather than the other way around.

Outside of music, KellieKel has built a massive and credible platform as an author and educator. In 2023, she published four books focused on relationships, emotional intelligence, and personal growth. Her motivational and relationship-based content resonated deeply, growing her audience to over 1 million followers combined across platforms. Unlike many influencers, Kellie backed her voice with credentials, earning two business degrees, completing her Master’s degree in Psychology, and obtaining life and relationship coaching certifications to ensure her impact was informed, ethical, and intentional.

Now, KellieKel enters her most refined era yet.

On February 19th, she released her new single “Again and Again,” a record that captures breaking cycles, accountability, bossing up, choose growth and finding a win in every lesson. The song serves as a statement, bridging her past with her present and setting the tone for what’s next.

“Again and Again” leads into KellieKel’s third studio album, scheduled for release on April 11, 2026. The project represents maturity without apology, independence without isolation, and storytelling without compromise. Fully self-directed and creatively in control, KellieKel continues to build her legacy on her own terms.

This is not a comeback.
This is not reinvention.
This is a woman who never left, only evolved.

KellieKel is proof that ownership, authenticity, and patience still matter.
And she’s not done telling the story! This is only the beginning.