Our Story
Kansas City has no shortage of creative talent. What it lacked was a single place where that talent could walk in, sit down, and get to work without building a studio from scratch or spending a fortune on hourly rates at facilities that weren't designed with working creators in mind.
DISTRKCT was built to close that gap. A space by creatives, for creatives, where the infrastructure matches the ambition of the people using it. Whether you're tracking an album, launching a podcast, shooting a campaign, or hosting an event, DISTRKCT gives you the tools to produce work at a professional level, on your schedule, without the overhead.
We believe access to professional equipment shouldn't be limited by budget or zip code. That belief is also why we built the DISTRKCT IS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides multimedia education and workforce development for Kansas City's underserved youth.
Learn About the FoundationThe Founder
Grammy-Nominated Producer · Songwriter · Engineer · Vocal Arranger
Selected Collaborations
Ariana Grande · Kendrick Lamar · Kanye West · Chance the Rapper · Justin Bieber · Jill Scott · Diana Ross · Evan Ross · Cassie
Jo Blaq is the creative force behind DISTRKCT. A Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, engineer, and vocal arranger, Jo has worked at the highest levels of the music industry, collaborating with some of the most recognized names in contemporary music over the course of his career.
Jo is a native of Wyandotte County, Kansas, the youngest of three preacher's kids. Before music, he was one of the top-ranked basketball players in the state, playing Division I at the University of Texas-San Antonio and later Colorado State, followed by a professional stint in Australia.
When he came home, he brought everything with him. Jo has invested time, money, and energy back into Kansas Cityproducing the first-ever Christmas tree lighting and Christmas of Diversity concert in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, helping rehabilitate the Quindaro Museum, and serving as event music producer for the American Jazz Museum. He has taught music theory and coding classes through the Full Employment Council and University of Central Missouri at no cost, offering metro-area teens paid internships and direct mentorship.
DISTRKCT is the physical expression of that mission, a world-class facility that gives Kansas City's creators the same access to professional infrastructure that Jo found in LA, built right here at home.
Kansas City’s premiere multimedia ecosystem. A high-end sanctuary for the region’s most ambitious creators, engineers, and visionaries. Redefining the standard of collaborative production. Join a curated collective of the region’s most impactful creators.