Joseph Macklin, also known as Jo Blaq, found his way into music producing after graduating from Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas, and moving to Los Angeles. Macklin has had major success in the industry and has worked with Ariana Granda, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar and Diana Ross.
He founded the nonprofit DistrKCt IS to bring the resources and mentorship he found on the West Coast back to his hometown. The multi-media school teaches audio engineering, music production and content creation to students around the metro.
One of Macklin’s students, Ja’naeya Beard, recorded and produced her song “My Life” with the help of DistrKCt.
“Nobody really knows my backstory, because I put a smile on every day,” Beard said. “I just thought to take the time out of my day to really show people who I really am.”
Macklin says Beard’s song resonated with him and other DistrKCt students.
“That’s what music is, people telling their stories,” Macklin said. “To hear her story, [there] was a lot I learned about her that I didn’t know.”
- Jo Blaq, music producer and founder of DistrKCt IS
- Ja’naeya Beard, DistrKCt IS student
- Chrishawn Holmes, DistrKCt IS student
