Marcus Lusby ‘17
Year: Third
Major: Economics
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Meet Marcus. Also known to some as Young Mike Jack. A typical UVA student by day, Marcus’s life consists of more than just hitting the books. He’s a rapper- and he’s good. He will be opening for Afroman, known for his hit single, “Because I Got High,” this coming Saturday, September 5, at Theta Chi Fraternity House (located on 600 Preston Place in Charlottesville, VA).
Are you involved in any organizations on Grounds?
I’m a part of Sigma Nu, Relay for Life and HooTube, a newly formed CIO to bring the arts community together in Charlottesville. I’m also helping raise money for OPEN International, a non-profit organization that is building and expanding a school in Senegal, Africa. It’s more of a personal project of mine and isn’t related to something on Grounds.
What is your experience in Sigma Nu fraternity like?
Love all my brothers. Great guys. All smart and active in the UVA community. One of my older brothers is actually out in Atlanta producing music. He’s playing at Tomorrow World which is pretty exciting. Check him out on Soundcloud @Girardi. My fraternity has connected me to a lot of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.
When did you start producing music?
I initially learned how to use the recording and production software that I now use, in my freshman year of high school. I wanted to record and mix the music for a punk band I was in called Tip For The Brave. We gigged around for a while in the DMV area, but when we all left for college, I decided to give hip-hop/trap production a try and the rest is history!
Who inspires you?
As a producer, my main influences are 808 mafia, Southside, Lex Luger, Sony Digital, Metro Boomin, Young Chop, Zaytoven, Mike Will, and Boi 1-da.
What is a typical day producing like?
I’ll just be listening to music and get inspired by the beats I’m hearing in the back of the tracks and go from there. I’ll usually just start laying down either melodies or drum beats, and everything slowly builds on each other. It can be a pretty random process sometimes, but once the main parts of the beat start coming together everything else just starts flowing.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Everyone assumes I’m either a rapper or a rap producer because of the music I’ve been making lately. Most people don’t know that I used to play guitar in a local pop punk band and was involved in a completely different music scene. I love hip-hop and the culture that goes along with it, but I have just as much love for the punk/rock n’ roll culture and community. While it is an odd mix of music tastes, I think it makes me unique as a producer as I draw influences from these different sources.
How excited are you to be opening for Afroman?
This is my first live performance as a rap artist so I’m very excited to be playing it with Afroman. The dudes got some hits and it’ll be awesome to share the stage with him. It’ll be wild for sure!
Check out Young Mike Jack on Soundcloud @youngmikejack & Twitter @marcuswaggg