Platinum records line the walls of this Kansas City Crossroads studio, collaborations with the likes of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. Grammy Award-nominated Joseph Macklin — known as Jo Blaq in the music world — once lived the life of a Los Angeles musician and a producer for such megastars. Now Macklin, 42, has a different mission. “I was a kid who had big dreams and was introduced to the power of giving back to the community at a young age by my mother and father,” says Macklin, who grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. “I am blessed to be a part of the change happening in the city now.” His new direction started with weekly open mic nights to showcase up-and-coming talent. It spread to semester-long courses for teenagers to learn all facets of the music industry. And, most recently, he has opened a restaurant, a showcase for the quality of Black business talent. So many people come back to take, but I wanted to come back to give,” he says. Read the full feature at the link in our b...