Beats, Bots & the Blueprint: Gerald Keys Is Building the Future of Creativity

I’ve known Gerald Keys for years, but chatting on Zoom this time felt like tapping into tomorrow. Even through a screen, his energy hit with producer-level precision. Gerald “The Sound” Keys is a Sacramento-bred, Atlanta-based producer-engineer with 15 years behind the boards for Justin Bieber, Usher, French Montana, Zendaya, and Ty Dolla $ign. Today he’s Ludacris’ studio wing-man, Chief of Production for Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Karma’s World, and lead producer for KidNation. His sync catalog stretches from McDonald’s and Google to Apple and Mattel.

I come from this culture. I marched in Morehouse College’s “House of Funk” Marching Band. My father marched in Southern University’s “Human Jukebox”. For us, marching bands weren’t a halftime distraction, they were the show. They’re the heartbeat of HBCU sports, and our unique approach to musical performance has been influencing broader marching culture for decades.

If you’re all about character drama, retro rage, or supernatural sibling sagas you’re staring at one hell of a lineup.

Locked-In isn’t just another answer-and-vote game. It’s layered, strategic, and most of all, deeply rooted in real community.