PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. — At 11 years old, Keone “K-Quick” Reed was already schooling high schoolers in rap battles by the lockers. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised on the countryside of Prince George’s County, Reed grew up in the culture of the DMV — go-go music, snickerdoodle cookies and a sound all its own. Today, at 33, that local energy fuels a career that has carried him from freestyle circles to record deals, major collaborations and the big screen.
“I pride myself on doing things my own way,” Reed said. “Outside of reality, my style is extremely hard to duplicate.” That originality has carried him far. His first spark came after watching “8 Mile.” Inspired by Eminem’s freestyling, Reed taught himself the craft and never looked back. Battle rap sharpened his skills, and he credits those early days with shaping the artist he is now.
“My generation is the last of the pure generation of battle rap,” he explained. “Before it became an industry in itself, rappers with different styles and approaches showed a different hunger. Back then, battle rap was another gateway into the music industry.”
One of his most surreal moments came when Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony discovered him on social media. A comment of fire emojis turned into his first big opportunity, and the two have stayed in touch ever since. Not long after, Reed entered a contest thrown by Flesh-N-Bone — the group’s eldest member — and won, leading to multiple collaborations. Flesh-N-Bone has since taken Reed under his wing as a mentor…