Born Timothy Reliford Jr in Hartford, Connecticut, Xelf found a love for music at the age of five. He states, “My parents played all types of music, either my dad was playing 50 Cent and Run DMC, or my mom was playing Usher and Force MDs. I heard everything.” Later while living in Chicago, Xelf found himself growing up in what is known today as the “Drill” era. He grew up not too far from the likes of “Lil Durk” and “Chief Keef” in the Englewood neighborhood. As a young teenager, he felt the impact of the Drill music scene in Chicago and saw how it had a great effect on Hip Hop. After attending Simeon Career Academy until his sophomore year, Xelf moved back to Connecticut to finish high school due to the rising crime rate in Chicago.

Releasing a full string of singles in 2018, including “Flexin” and “Bankroll” which were two of the most popular, showed that Xelf was coming into a sound of his own. Obtaining a fan base in that short amount of time evoked the release of the seven track EP, “Don’t Count Me Out” in August 2019. Wanting to further his steps and continue growing a solid fanbase, Xelf continued to put out singles. Songs like “Real Shit” (a melodic and gritty track about Xelf’s day to day thoughts) showed he was taking his listeners into another side of his life. Listeners' attraction to “Real Shit” birthed the release of Xelf’s debut mixtape “Cold Hearted Angel” in April 2022. Xelf has his hands in a variety of projects, one of which is running his own label “Real Winnin’ Entertainment)” which consists of producers and artists who he plans to introduce to listeners soon.

As Xelf states in a recent live stream interview with Hotxxmagradio, “I want to be considered one of the elites - not just someone who’s here today and gone next week. I look up to the artists who made an impact with their music and when the time came, was able to dominate the next playing field and make an even greater impact. So, I’m here for the legacy.” He continues to push this purpose

Xelf has made a very strong presence in the music scene. From catchy and memorable hooks, to pain infused verses, he has continued to show why he has no problem competing with the best in the game. As he would say, “ I compete with myself everyday. I’m trying to become the best version of myself.”