MACON, Ga. — Growing up in Fort Hill with his grandparents, Lockdogg or Carlos Reynolds, he says he got involved in a gang around 15.
"People always want to be a part of something, and normally it's what you see and what you're around," says Reynolds.
He's witnessed everything from shootings to drug deals.
"When you're involved in that kind of stuff, you see everything. You're going to hustle and rob and do all types of things," says Reynolds.
But he says becoming a father changed the direction of his life.
"I have two boys. I don't want anyone else raising my kids, so I slowed down in the streets," says Reynolds.
Lockdogg is now a father of four and is a film and TV showmaker.
Both projects he's worked on, "Trust Issues" and "Loyalty Over Blood," show a range of topics in Macon, from gang violence to poverty. He says his projects also include stories of hope, progression and growth.
"It's about people from Macon. People from the struggle and toxic environments, but still making it through that," says the movie's cinematographer Santrell Davis.
Reynold hopes his story will motivate others who are living the life he used to live.
"(I want to) get kids to know it's possible. I grew up not knowing that it was possible to make a movie," says Reynolds.
Reynold's movie, "Trust Issues," is out on streaming platforms Tubi and Apple TV.