# @thekansascitystar on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CqF5PI5NV2g
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/18810690-thekansascitystar-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/3dcbf0319f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-03-22T13:00:22.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Kansas City Star (@thekansascitystar) — https://gondola.cc/thekansascitystar

## Caption

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 bio.

#KansasCity #KansasCityArtists #KCNightlife #ThingsToDo #MusicProducer #BlackArtists #BlackBusinesses

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 405
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 2

## Tags

kansascity, kcnightlife, blackbusinesses, kansascityartists, musicproducer, blackartists, thingstodo

---
Copyright (c) Gondola