Okwerdz
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Best known as a battle rap pioneer, Brian "Okwerdz" Peeples started swinging his axe as a teen in his
hometown of Stockton, California in the late 90s and early 2000s. The same gritty landscape
that shaped hardened warriors like UFC's Diaz brothers also gave birth to Okwerdz, a
quick-witted, bullish emcee with a mouth like a grenade: explosive and detrimental to anyone
who crosses his path. With his brash delivery and haymaker punchlines, he quickly rose to the
top of the West Coast battle scene as one of its elite and most influential figures. He used that
notoriety to showcase his depth and intricate songwriting ability on his debut LP, Random Acts
of Music, in 2005, which featured rap titan Tech N9ne and Grammy nominated producer Jake
One, among others. The record gave him an even wider fan base, leading to international tours
and a collaboration with Australian hip-hop outfit Hilltop Hoods on their 2007 LP The Hard Road:
Restrung, for which Okwerdz earned a certified gold record. Unsurprisingly, his ceaseless hustle
caught the attention of The Source, who featured Okwerdz in their coveted "Unsigned Hype"
column in 2009 and dubbed him "a certified beast."
At a time when the internet shook the music industry and revolutionized how we consume media, Okwerdz helped usher in a new era for battle rap. His fabled matches for the now-defunct Grind Time rap battle league racked up millions of views on YouTube, turning the sub-cultural phenomenon into a recognized sport. His infamous bouts against heavyweight contenders such as T-Rex and Hollow Da Don have become lore, often referenced in pop culture. In the Eminem-produced 2017 film Bodied, one of the main characters shouts "a bunch of divas" - a nod to Okwerdz' battle against Arsonal in 2009.
Okwerdz continues to push the battle rap genre forward, having taken it from basements to YouTube to network television. He served as a coach for TBS' hit show Drop the Mic, which pits celebrities against one another in an exchange of scathing disses. During Okwerdz' tenure on the Method Man and Hailey Bieber-hosted show, he coached actors such as Taye Diggs and wrote bars for late-night host James Corden.
But battle rap isn't the end-all, be-all for Okwerdz. He continues to evolve while stretching his influence to greater heights. He produced his own podcast "Outside the Box", where he interviewed a wide range of guests, from UFC superstar Nate Diaz to Actor Tom Arnold, and hosted The Saturday Night Function on 97.7 KWIN, the leading radio station in California's Central Valley.
While Okwerdz has parlayed his skills into different avenues, his passion for music is stronger than ever. He continues to release new songs and collaborate with hip-hop legends such as Method Man, E-40, and Slug of Atmosphere.
Throughout his career, Okwerdz has remained fiercely independent. His success is self-made, earned through hard work, humility, and unadulterated talent. Whether it's a rap battle or an international stage, the studio or the writer's room, Okwerdz is proof that there are no ceilings for the ambitious and no challenge that can't be put in a box.
At a time when the internet shook the music industry and revolutionized how we consume media, Okwerdz helped usher in a new era for battle rap. His fabled matches for the now-defunct Grind Time rap battle league racked up millions of views on YouTube, turning the sub-cultural phenomenon into a recognized sport. His infamous bouts against heavyweight contenders such as T-Rex and Hollow Da Don have become lore, often referenced in pop culture. In the Eminem-produced 2017 film Bodied, one of the main characters shouts "a bunch of divas" - a nod to Okwerdz' battle against Arsonal in 2009.
Okwerdz continues to push the battle rap genre forward, having taken it from basements to YouTube to network television. He served as a coach for TBS' hit show Drop the Mic, which pits celebrities against one another in an exchange of scathing disses. During Okwerdz' tenure on the Method Man and Hailey Bieber-hosted show, he coached actors such as Taye Diggs and wrote bars for late-night host James Corden.
But battle rap isn't the end-all, be-all for Okwerdz. He continues to evolve while stretching his influence to greater heights. He produced his own podcast "Outside the Box", where he interviewed a wide range of guests, from UFC superstar Nate Diaz to Actor Tom Arnold, and hosted The Saturday Night Function on 97.7 KWIN, the leading radio station in California's Central Valley.
While Okwerdz has parlayed his skills into different avenues, his passion for music is stronger than ever. He continues to release new songs and collaborate with hip-hop legends such as Method Man, E-40, and Slug of Atmosphere.
Throughout his career, Okwerdz has remained fiercely independent. His success is self-made, earned through hard work, humility, and unadulterated talent. Whether it's a rap battle or an international stage, the studio or the writer's room, Okwerdz is proof that there are no ceilings for the ambitious and no challenge that can't be put in a box.
