Killa Kels is an open-format DJ, event curator, influencer, mentor, and mother from Toronto, Canada. Immersing herself in the industry through careful research and mentorship, she has been able to quickly rise to the top, spinning the hottest events and working with an established roster of clientele including Puma, Ciroc, American Express, Foot Locker, Smashbox, and Shea Moisture. Most notably, she was the official Jurassic Park DJ for the Toronto Raptors’ first NBA Championship in 2019 – a proud moment for her and her city.
Kels’ versatile sound and restless feet have brought her across the globe for concerts, festivals, brand activations and more. Since the start of her career, her name drop has echoed through venues across Canada and major international cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Nassau (The Bahamas), and Budapest (Hungary). Her confidence and personal style has led her, naturally, into the influencer/model role. She has landed several long-term brand ambassadorships, led various campaigns, and has been featured in fashion and culture editorials such as HYPEBEAST & Complex.
Music! As a kid/teen I always had my walkman with me, zoned out, playing all of my favourite songs on full blast. I loved burning mix CDs for my friends, digging for new/underground music online, and always had my current fave song title/lyrics in my MSN status. It was such an influential part of my life and I saw how it moved others, but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to be involved in the industry. After going to a few parties, I fell in love with the turntablism aspect of DJing, plus seeing the lack of representation and wanting to hear more of what I was into – I figured I’d give it a shot.
I always have a huge range of genres and subgenres on my playlist, but my first and forever love is R&B. I always go back to it, especially the old hits I listened to as a kid. 90s-2000s R&B is just unmatched!
Union Station is a perfect representation of the melting pot that Toronto is. I get to interact with so many different people while I’m spinning, whether they’re travelling, on their lunch break, or running errands – I even see a lot of my friends passing through. I love that my music adds a little flavour to their day in a space you wouldn’t typically see DJs.
A lot of people don’t know that I’m a mom to a huge 14 year old boy, Christien. It’s shocking to people because he’s camera shy, so he’s not on my socials much. Plus, he’s towering over me now, so when people see us they think we’re siblings, but he’s my big baby!
