New KC Black-owned media hub uplifts promising creatives: ‘You have no excuses’
Grammy-nominated producer Joseph Macklin said he had to leave his hometown of Kansas City in order for him to pursue his dreams. His ventures in Los Angeles allowed him to work with superstars like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.
Despite his success, he doesn’t want up-and-coming creatives to feel like they need to leave the city for the same reasons . Now, the opportunities that he once had to create for himself, he’s bringing them right where he started.
Housed in the Agnes Arts building, 1328 Agnes Ave., Macklin is launching DISTRKCT, a 7,000-square-foot space that will be used as a hub for creatives of different niches to work on their craft. The building is located between the 18th & Vine District and Independence Plaza.
DISTRKCT includes four recording studios, one of which has a booth with a set of drums in there. There are also content creation rooms, which includes space for those interested in making podcasts. The hub also a computer lab, and multiple private rooms for teaching, workshops and more.
One of the standout features is a 15-foot cyclorama wall, which can be used for music videos or photoshoots. This resides in the 4,000 square-feet co-working/event room, where creators can connect with one another. According to Macklin, the space his media hub resides in what was originally a warehouse.
Macklin’s space allows for local Kansas City content creators to have a space to work on their craft. Whether their interests revolves around music, filming, editing or something else, creatives will now have full access to a space that has the tools for them to be successful.
“Kansas City has the most talented people in the world. The thing about LA and other cities is they have the etiquette, they have the connections. They have been there, and they’ve seen it,” Macklin said. “We have the talent in every capacity, they just need the guidance (and) the mentorship.”
Known in the music world as Jo Blaq, Macklin has always recognized the talent that his hometown has to offer. From 2016 to 2019, he split time between Kansas City and Los Angeles, before coming back home to be closer with his family.
DISTRKCT was a project Macklin has been working toward for years, including when he was using part of the old Kansas City Star printing press in the Crossroads as a workspace back in 2022.
“It’s just us giving access to the things that we need to be successful. I think it’ll help eliminate the excuses, or we can get to the point where you can say ‘Hey, you have no excuses,’” Macklin said. “ Let’s give the people in Kansas City a real experience, so they know how to interact. I just wanted to give us access
Macklin also insisted on people from Kansas City have a helping hand in the creative hub, which is why he will have coffee available in the hub’s main area, courtesy of Racquel Rodriguez, the owner of El Café Cubano.
In the midst of showing The Star the space Macklin has worked on, someone was already putting the hub into good use: His 7-year-old son, Micah, who was playing video games by using the four-screen display in the hub’s main room.
“He loves being here … and that lets me know it’s a safe space, but also lets me know that he likes being around other creatives,” Macklin said. “I want him to be around other people that are just brilliant and just amazing at what they do, because it’s going to rub off on him.”
The grand opening for DISTRKCT will be 3-7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, at the hub. Those interested can register online. You can also visit the company’s website, distrkct.com, where you can sign up for a membership, which ensures 24/7 access to the space. Membership options range from $40 to $315 monthly depending on the option you choose.
As he prepares for his grand opening, he reflects on his upbringing in Kansas City, where he had places to go in order to keep him out of trouble. Macklin hopes the same thing can be done with the opening of his media hub, a space that will cater for anybody interested in getting involved with media.
“When we were kids, we had gyms that we could go to, whether that be at Bethany or Kensington, Eisenhower... we were able to go to these gyms, play and stay off the streets,” Macklin said. “I want (DISTRKCT) to be the court for them, where they’re like ‘Man, we can just come to DISTRKCT and just hang out. It’s cool over here.’”
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
