Conversations with RB Keys

Today we’d like to introduce you to RB Keys.

Hi RB Keys, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Rohan Bonsu, better known as RB Keys. I’m an award-winning Canadian record producer, Engineer songwriter, and pianist. My relationship with music began when I was eight and My mother bought me a toy keyboard. I found that I could quickly play the songs programmed into it just by listening. She then enrolled me in music school, where I studied for about three or four years. After I left, I kept learning to play on my own. At 15, I took a production class in high school and learned under my teacher’s guidance. At 16, my brother, who was also learning to produce, gave me FL Studio. I have been making beats and producing ever since.

I enjoy making music across genres, but I especially love making beats with piano in them or having melodic melodies. My production work includes Ding Dong Ravers” “Party Fever” (2018) with Sample King and Trigz’s “Bare Back” (2019). I have also worked with Canadian artists including Delaney Jane, Kay L, Peter Jackson, Chrissy Spratt, TomE, Denis Commie, Sandoson, and others. By 2024, I had built a YouTube following of more than 50,000 subscribers.

In 2018, I won a YYC Award for my production on my song “Sail Away,” featuring Kay L, DJ Newboy, Bobby Soul, and Bobby Blast’em. I also took part in the Battle of The BeatMakers world beat battle competition in 2018 and 2019. It brought recognition to my production and caught the attention of artists and producers including Wondagurl, Kesha Lee, Boi1da, Big Tona, T-Minus, Tank God, and Fuse of 808 Mafia.

Things began to move faster in 2020 when Trigz’s “Bare Back,” a song I produced, started going viral on YouTube. It has since passed five million views. Shortly after I released “Hold On” with Denis Commie, a motivational song inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic which also recieved some recognition and success. I then went on to work with and release several other songs with my artists that went on to achieve surpassing a million streams and charting including my 2022 single with reggae fusion artist Sandoson called “Wine It Slow”. It has reached more than six million streams across platforms and, by 2023, had charted among Jamaica’s top 20 songs, peaking at No. 19—my highest-charting single to date. Also in 2022, I landed a placement with rapper “The Game” for a song with CamTheSinger “Drift,” which features The Game, and has reached more than 250,000 streams on Spotify.

In 2026 I’m continuing to release more songs including “Rotate” with Calgary artist Kay L, which it has reached more than 250,000 streams on YouTube. I also became a member of the Recording Academy that year, and “Rotate” is currently pitched for consideration for “Best Rap Recording of the Year.” I have more projects on the way, including collaborations with JUNO The Artist (Guitarist for Camila Cabello), Tiffany Evans, DSTNY (Tory Lanez’s sister), Benjai, Sielle, Kay L, Sandoson, Sample King, Peter Jackson, and others.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not been a smooth road. I have faced setbacks and financial struggles while trying to build my career as a producer. After leaving music school, I kept developing my piano playing on my own, and I spent years improving my production skills and finding my sound. Staying committed to music while dealing with financial pressure has required a lot of persistence.

One of the hardest parts has been finding the right artists to work with—people who genuinely want to collaborate and help me get to the next level. Not just any artist, but ones I really believed had what it takes to breakthrough. Also trying to land major placement like with a major artist was difficult to achieve but with a bit of luck and persistence I have landed a few. I also used to send to many record labels and major artists, faced a lot of rejection but I kept going, and during that process I came in contact with the right people that helped me get further, and still going to this day

Along the way, I have reached many milesstnes and I’m proud of the progress, but I’m still on the journey. I continue to create, collaborate, and look for the right opportunities to grow to this day.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work as a record producer, Engineer, songwriter, and pianist, creating beats and songs across genres. Piano and melodic beats are at the heart of much of what I do. Although lately I’ve been leaning more towards Afrobeats/Dancehall/Pop type beats but still do genres like hip hop, trap & R&B type beats. What sets me apart is my ear for melody, my piano background, and my ability to move between genres while making a track feel right for the artist. I approach production from both a musician’s and a producer’s perspective. I aim to make each record fit the artist and the emotion of the song rather than force every collaboration into one sound.

Some of my known works include dancehall records: Ding Dong Ravers’ “Party Fever” (2018) with Sample King and Trigz’s “Bare Back” (2019), which has since passed five million views on YouTube. I’ve also worked with Rapper “The Game”, & Canadian artists Delaney Jane, Kay L, Sielle, Peter Jackson, Chrissy Spratt, TomE, Denis Commie, and Sandoson. In 2018, I won a YYC Award for my production on my song “Sail Away,” featuring Kay L, DJ Newboy, Bobby Soul, and Bobby Blast’em. Participating in Battle of The BeatMakers in 2018 and 2019 brought recognition and caught the attention of Wondagurl, Kesha Lee, Boi1da, Big Tona, T-Minus, Tank God, and Fuse of 808 Mafia.

Other releases show the range of my work: “Hold On” with Denis Commie, a motivational song inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic; “Alone” with DJ Kav, Kay L, and Nadi Downs in October 2020; and “Everything Will Be Ok” with Denis Commie and KR Moore in June 2021. KR Moore has worked as a producer, engineer, and songwriter for Lil Berete, Jadakis, and Cardi B. In June 2022, I released “Wine It Slow” with reggae fusion artist Sandoson. It has surpassed six million streams across platforms and peaked at No. 19 in Jamaica in 2023, making it my highest-charting single to date. My work also includes CamTheSinger’s “Drift” featuring The Game, which passed 250,000 Spotify streams; “Summertime Body” with dancehall artist Changy in August 2023; and “Remember” with Calgary rapper Solomon Dagreat and singer Denis Nisim in 2024.

I’m proud of those milestones, of building a YouTube audience of more than 50,000 subscribers by 2024, and of becoming a Recording Academy member in 2026. My 2026 song “Rotate” with Calgary artist Kay L has reached more than 250,000 streams on YouTube and is currently pitched for consideration for “Best Rap Recording of the Year.” Securing major placements and finding the right collaborators has taken persistence, but the placements I’ve achieved are opening new doors.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One book that has helped me is “Mix & Master Like a Pro” by TJ Habibi. I’m always working to improve not only my production but also the mixing and mastering side of my music, and the book is a resource I can learn from as I work.

For production, I use Splice, FL Studio, and Studio One. FL Studio has been part of my journey since I was 16, when my brother gave it to me while I was learning production in high school. These tools help me develop and refine ideas across genres, while my piano background and ear for melody keep the music at the center of what I do.

I also dedicate a lot of time to watching YouTube videos and tutorials on production, mixing, and mastering. They help me keep my knowledge growing, and I try to apply what I learn to my own work. Listening closely to music and learning from the artists and producers I collaborate with are valuable resources too. I want to keep improving rather than assume I have finished learning. The learning never stops and the industry is always evloving so I always like to make sure I keep up to date with what is current

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.soundclick.com/rbkeys
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbkeysmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rbkeys001/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/therealrbkeys1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/rbkeys
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rb-keys
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rbkeys001