Andrew “Burd” Liburd and Anthony “Durty Keyz” James, were raised and attended school together in the Markham, Ontario area. From an early age the two developed a reputuation in the school system for running wild and getting into mischief. The magic began at the age of 15 when the two discovered a mutual interest in music, specifically, in beat making and production. While attending Seneca College for animation, Anthony stumbled into a studio session with local artists Blake Carrington, Wolf J McFarlane, Ron Dias and Owen Lee where he introduced his piano playing skills for the group. Impressed was an understatement and Anthony was quickly dubbed the nickname “Durty Keyz”.
In 2004, James and Liburd officially formed the production duo “Burd & Keyz” and began establishing a name for themselves as emerging producers in the city. The duo teamed up with Kid Famous and produced the entire Goddess Girl EP, which featured singers Omar Lunan, Kim Davis, and rapper Luu Breeze. Before long, Torontonians and hip-hop fans a-like, began to distinguish Burd & Keyz for their heavy and intricate baselines, shuffling high-hats, hard percussion, with drastically reshaped samples of tracks both obscure and obvious.
In an unfortunate turn of events, on June 28th 2010, Anthony “Durty Keyz” James, unexpectedly passed away due to a rare, yet severe bacterial infection called streptococcus. The disease spread rapidly through his bloodstream and caused his vital organs to shut down.
Burd has now assumed the responsibilities of continuing the legacy, style and passion that Keyz had instilled into their productions. He has vowed to stay true to the name “Burd & Keyz” and intends to push the brand far beyond any level previously fathomed. Truly missed by his family, friends, and fans, Anthony’s music and production contributions will live on forever.
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