Who are “The Futuristiks” you ask? The production duo composed of J-Keys and Money Mike were virtually unknown until J-Keys landed their first placement titled “Hold Me Down” on famed rapper 50 Cent’s recent album “Before I Self Destruct.” “We met through a mutual circle of musician and producer friends and when we heard each others music we were anxious to work together. We started working together immediately and our friendship and bond grew close. We have the same passion and love for music.”

J-Keys, born in South Sacramento and Money Mike born in Hammond Louisiana both name church and family as having a huge influence on the development of their musical talents. Money Mike, the son of a pastor, honed his skills as a drummer while playing in church and decided to take his love for music to the next level after his college roommate expressed to him that he had a gift. With that said, he dropped out of school, got a 9 to 5 and saved enough money to move to Southern California, and began his career as a music producer.

Raised in a Christian household with singing siblings, J-Keys, also found his love for music at a early age. Deciding at age 18 to make music his way of life, he enrolled in The Los Angles Recording School where he studied audio engineering and graduated as a certified engineer. Entering in Red Bull beat battles and showcasing on popular sites like Myspace and RocBattle.com helped to launch his career in music and led him to meet major recording artists. When asked what inspired his music, he replied, “Michael Jackson is very much an inspiration because of his love for music. You can tell in his music that he was passionate about what he created and that’s a major inspiration to me.”

The Futuristiks list the late great J-Dilla as a huge influence and currently label DJ Khalil as their favorite producer. Others include, Busta Rhymes for his style and flow, Just Blaze, Poo-Bear, Ne-Yo, John P. Kee, Fred Hammond and Hi-Tek. The two describe their sound as innovative, creatively different, sonically clean, and versatile. With their music they hope to bring a sound that the young and old generation can identify with.