Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Jenkins.
Hi Carlos, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m 36 years old. I’m from and reside in Raleigh, NC. I have two sisters and 1 brother. I’m the baby of the family. My mother is a school teacher, organist and minister. My father was a DJ, Radio Personnel, and Personnel for American Airlines. I got my musical background from the bother of them. I started playing drums at the age of four, I was banging on pots and pans in the house and my mother got tired of hearing the noise. She eventually took it away from me and bought me a drum set. The drumset led to me playing drums in a church that my grandmother founded. My older cousin played drums and it interest me on how the sound was coming out from just hitting different parts of a drum. I took the beginning band in middle school and piano lab. I hated band cause I always wanted to play what I wanted, the same with piano lab. I was never studying the music, lol. Everyone else was studying I was playing church songs, but when it came time to play at the end of the week what sheet music I was learning, I could always play it.
In middle school, me and my childhood friends was always doing something. It might of been riding bikes, playing basketball, eating, throwing rocks in ponds, breaking stuff in abandon houses, doing typical kid’s stuff. Me and my friend was so big on the music we were downloading music and selling it in school. Those were the LimeWire, Bearshare, and Napster days… One day I downloaded this program called FL Studio, and from there it was history. I was in my room playing with the program trying to figure out different sounds and how it work… It took me five months of consistently being in my room after school and doing homework to mastermind the program. I was very heavy into computers, I use to build computers from parts that people would throw away in the trash. Eventually because at the time I didn’t have the money I made my own computer out of old spare parts. My father got ill while I was in high school and passed away due to ALS. So at that point, I was numb to a lot of things. I didn’t have anything feelings for anything or anyone. I closed myself away from everyone and just put my energy into making music.
After high school, I was working jobs at Apple, Sprint, Ups, and Walmart while still pursuing my dream. I met a friend off social media that introduced me to a producer around my area… I was making money off what I learned so I eventually quit my job and started music full-time. Doing that allowed me to network and connect with people that got me industry credits. I started working with Slim Dunkin, Sy Ari Da Kid, and some more artists. Sy Ari gave me my first placement. We would always talk on IG about me sending him beats. I sent him beats 2 days later I got a phone call. “Aye bruh we just did a record to one of those beats u sent, ima put Dunk on it” (Slim Dunkin)… At the time I didn’t know what to say… I was just like right bet lol real hyped. He said we doing the video shoot in VA can you come up, I was like yeah. The next day we was supposed to leave and got the call Slim Dunk had been killed.
My heart just dropped and all the air in my balloon just slowly was just seeping away. I didn’t stop doing music though, I eventually got a placement with Rick Ross – Drug Dealers Dream, from that point other placements started coming. I just got so rooted into producing and engineering that I didn’t want to do nothing else. I started working with Notable Ensayne Wayne (Drumma Boy Brother). That was my mentor my brother. I eventually moved to Atlanta for two years. Wayne got murdered and I just gave up on music for four years. I just recently started back music two years ago. Once it’s rooted in u and grounded u might can take a break but u will never stop. I’ve worked with Moneybagg Yo, Jim Jones, Young Dolph, etc. I’m still working tryna chase that #1. I currently work with local artists as well as doing Artist Development shaping artists into their musical form.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles
– Father dying at 15
– Business Partner Cheated me out of deals
– Mentor dying
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I Engineer, DJ, Produce, Artist Development, Drummer.
What sets me apart from others is I study all genres of music and intergrade them with today’s sound. The key to being successful is studying the greats and applying it in your own for God gave you.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
– More Industy Placements
– Label Investments
– Entrepreneurship in the music world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/losocorleone
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/losocorleone
Image Credits
Mel Major
