Daily Inspiration: Meet KIMS Keyz’ KiMik’aL’ Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to KIMS Keyz’ KiMik’aL’ Productions.

Hi KIMS keyz’, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started with music when I was about 5 or 6 singing in the adult and children’s church choir. I studied piano from 6 – 12 years of age in Louisiana. Around the age of 7, my Godparents bought me a Casio keyboard and I was teased everyday of my life that the keyboard was my boyfriend. Lolol! I ate with it by me, slept with it in my bed, and took it to school everyday in my book-bag.

Around the age of 8 years old my cousins and I started making instruments out of what we had at our grandparents house. Mop buckets became drums, old brooms became guitars, and 3 kids from the neighborhood became backup singers and we had a band. We would sing and play in the hottest of summers everyday in my Grandparents front yard for the community. My Grandparents admired our persistence and our consistency. They felt the need to invest into our future, so they went and bought us real instruments to replace our made up ones. After tons of practice over the years we became very good. My late uncle, who was a Gospel Music Producer at the time noticed us and had us come to his home to record in his studio.
He begin the process of presenting us before different record labels. He found one that liked us a lot and when they were ready to sign us, everyone was on board except my Father. With our religious beliefs at that time my Father did not want to compromise my enjoyment of being a child and especially not breaking the Sabbath by any means. It was a very strict and disciplined household, so church was a must, not an option. He did not care about what the others thought. He just wanted to do the right thing for his daughters, so that stopped the progress with the band when I turned 12.

From age 12 – 17 my music classes would consist of choirs, ensembles, studio band for church/school, and secretly writing and producing songs hoping for them to be heard one day. By the age 17 my cousin from the band (Ron-Ballhogging ENT) went on to form his own group called Ego Swing. When they were presented to the record label, the label chose who they wanted from the group. One of those members happen to be a gentleman by the name of Fred who would later be apart of a great 90’s R&B group called Profyle. At the age of 19 my cousin called me to collaborate again. He had a studio that we could work out of helping to make music for Fred or anyone else that needed it. We worked hard at producing music for 3 years.

Around the age of 21, I got an offer of a lifetime to move to Atlanta, GA to pursue my corporate America career in Property Asset Management. This has been the business that funded my music journey with over 33 years experience in that industry. I thought this was a predestined move of God, so I hopped on the chance to come to ATL. I begin performing in nightclubs with live performance when most of the clubs were doing lip syncing. My late brother in law and I formed a duo until he was out and I ended up meeting a friend from California and she and I formed our own singing group with the two of us. We performed at several alternative night clubs and got great reviews from it.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing about this journey has been easy. There have been grave sacrifices of time, energy, finances, and dealing with sometimes difficult people & personalities. There have been location changes, loss of loved ones, loss of business colleagues, but for the sake of the success of the business, we Kept It Movin’ and We Stayed Working! There have been people who walked away, passed away, and did not see our way. There have been missed celebrations, holidays, etc, with friends, family, and special loved ones. When there is Greatness on the inside of you then the work given is not just your own. There is something greater at work and you have to respect it enough to Let it Shine!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been in the church all of my life. From Choirs, to being a Musician, Media, Website Designer/Development Team Member, Photographer, Videographer, Youth/Young Adult Music Ministry Producer, Choir Liaison, and Section Leader. .

Around 2002 – 2018 most of my focus with music was heavy in the church, specifically the music ministry. In the midst of this I begin taking piano lessons again, producing, and writing music for the Youth Ministry at my church.

In 2008 I started my own production company but needed more education on how to get it off the ground.

Around 2014 I discovered that I wanted to go back to school to finish up my Bachelor’s degree, but this time it would be for what I love instead of what anyone else thought was best. This time I would go back for music and let nothing stop me.

I graduated from Full Sail University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Production. In 2018 I graduated from Full Sail University with a Masters of Science in Entertainment Business. I graduated with honors and top of the class from Full Sail University.

With the profound and continuous support of Full Sail University, I ended up getting a call from Atlanta HD Studio after graduating. For the last 7 plus years I have been rocking and working hard to be the greatest that I can be in the business under the leadership of Montez “Tez” Harris (Owner/Business Partner, Executive Music Producer) of Atlanta HD Creative Studio. His line of Legacy with his work stretches back to some of the greatest. Tez worked very closely with Atlanta’s very own the late Rico Wade, Organized Noise, and various Dungeon Family Members/Artists. Tez offered me the opportunity of a lifetime and I humbly rose to the challenge. He begin to teach me everything that I needed to know going forward in this business along with the support of our awesome team at Atlanta HD (ATLHD) Creative Studio. He wanted me to become more than just an intern when I started. He entrusted me to become the Hiring Manager, Studio Manager, Head Music Producer, Audio Recording, Mix/Master Engineer, Head Engineer, and now his Business Partner.

I have been afforded great reward from working with beginners in the industry to working with Grammy award nominated artist and producers. Some of my clients and credits consist of Nivea, Young Dro, Cherelle, Mac Bre-Z, Slim Calhoun, JB The Hustler – MaulB, Samuel Christian, OG King Floaty, Charlie Hustle, Bando Jonez, Le_Primetime of Ballhogging ENT, SlaylaThePurpose, Doxie Irene and a special feature with Omeretta The Great, and Lindsey Blackwell just to name a few. All of this required being able to be quick to listen and slow to speak. You also have to know your stuff too. Listening to learn in order to see what needs to be done is a valuable tool. I also developed the art of being teachable in order to learn how to do my job. When it is time to speak, I learned to say what needs to be said but with efficiency and effectiveness.

What the world needs to know is before you can brand anything or build anything, you must first be humble, listen, pay attention, show completely up for the task, talk less, focus, practice consistently, constantly pray for guidance, respect yourself, respect others, and have a great work ethic.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I would like to give a special recognition to God, my grandparents, my parents, my spouse, Dr. Adrian J. Ford, Kenneth Walker, WOMBC Church & Music Ministry, Sigma Alpha Iota, Order of Eastern Star/Women of Faith #4, and Capital Star #148, The Gospel Music Workshop of America – Atlanta Chapter, Minister Reginal Jefferson & The Royal Priesthood Chorale, Full Sail University, Cold Love, Team MFN, Nivea Nash, The Blackwells, and my Brother from another mother Montez “Tez” Harris and Atlanta HD Creative Studio. It is so long of a list to mention everyone, so if I forgot someone please charge it to my head and not my heart. These people mentioned have been the core of my development of the greatness that I am able to offer. There have been countless hours of encouragement, mentorship, training, dedication, listening, learning, practicing, and comprehending what has been taught in order to become great. The love and support shown towards me has truly been unconditional and rewarding to my career. I would not be here if it were not for their endless support and dedication to me and my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimsProductions.com
• Instagram: @officialkims_productions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimsProductions