When people think of rap producers, they usually think of people like DJ Khaled, Dr. Dre, or Jay Z.
You probably wouldn’t think of a child in his parent’s basement.
But that is exactly what is happening in one home in Manitowoc, with many in the industry taking notice.
Jack Cousins is a 12-year-old from Manitowoc known by his producer name 808Jack.
Jack may be making some serious waves in the industry now, but his music career started when he was just five years old, says his mother, Amanda.
“He was just tapping out stuff on an iPad in Garage Band. It was nothing,” she recalled. “Over time, he got more serious about it, and he would play around on my dad’s computer. He just happened to have a program Jack could use.”
Over time, Jack went from a free program that comes with every Apple product to a professional program with thousands of sounds, drum kits, and features used by industry professionals.
Jack began posting his musical creations on SoundCloud, and word even got up Timbaland, who has produced for the likes of Ludacris, Destiny’s Child, Jay Z, and even Madonna.
“I had met another young producer in the industry, and he had connections with Timbaland,” Jack said. “I said ‘Yo, you gotta hook me up with him. That would be great!’”
Jack tagged Timbaland in a post on his Instagram, and within a day, he had gotten a follow back.
While he is getting a lot of attention online, Amanda says she is keeping a close eye on her son though all of his online activity.
“You can’t let a kid out on social media like that without being right there with him,” she said. “I mean, he doesn’t send a massage or post anything out without me agreeing to it, knowing who he is working with, and having those relationships too.”
Jack has gotten so popular that he was added to the lineup for a major competition in Milwaukee known as Big Beat MKE, and he even won his round one match.
He will be back in Milwaukee for the quarterfinal round Thursday (May 23rd), where he will face a producer known as Elete Trax.
Amanda tells us Jack has been speaking with some other people in the industry and could be signing a major contract in the near future.
