Keyz

If I’m not Hip Hop’s future…it has none!� says Keyz. It takes talent and relentless hours of determination to make such a bold comment, but that is the gift that separates artists like Trenton’s Odeani McBean, a.k.a. Keyz, from the typical MC. Truly believing this, he came about his name, Keyz. He has the keys to the house of Hip Hop and considers his music as the “equivalent to a key of cocaine and the listeners as addicts and abusers.�
Although originally born in Kingston, Jamaica, this ’87 baby became a native to the streets of Trenton, New Jersey at the age of eight. He was on the path to becoming an amazing athlete in track, basketball, and football. Living in the streets of Trenton, gang involvement was inevitable to most of the adolescents, yet Keyz chose to focus on sports, which thankfully allowed him to stay away. However Keyz had a downfall, he got caught up in the cold and mean city streets of Trenton, a place he would roam everyday. This roaming would soon lead him roaming into handcuffs with the law.

Looking back, he is grateful for the second chance he got after facing the judge at a young age. When he got that second chance, he looked at life differently, and music was the only thing that kept him out of the law’s hand. This disappointed his mother in a way; she wanted her son to focus more on school than on his music. However, he continued to spend countless hours in the studio and in meetings, so one day she can live a more comfortable life.

Keyz has a strong fan base in both Trenton and Baltimore, where he attends Morgan State University. He writes for those who feel there is no one that understands or relates to them. At 21, Keyz touches on subjects most would shy away from. In his song “What I Go Through� he raps, “They tellin us that we must support America/but red and blue be the same colors that will bury ya.� He’s saying that the government is split red and blue, just like the bloods and crips are split.

He’s not appealing to just the streets, he has hit mainstream with hits such as the most recent single, “New Girl,� which shows his versatility. Recently he has released the highly anticipated mixtape, Keyz to the City V3. In total he has 8 solo mixtapes, including one with Australian native, DJ Stacks, that also go released in Australia. In 2005, Keyz was featured in the street DVD, “Hottest Under 20� and has booked numerous headlines and performances, including performances in front of Papoose and DJ Kay Slay. On July 24, 2008, Keyz was named the number one unsigned artist in New Jersey on the Myspace music charts. In 2009, Keyz released his highly anticipated mixtape "The Advantage" hosted by Dj Big Mike.

“A lot of people ask me, what are my goals musically? Well, I have a lot, but the most important is to be mentioned as one of the best to ever do it. Point blank period!�