A TURNING point for music producer Rayton ‘Jah Kooks’ Wilson came five years ago when he joined the Diageo Learning For Life’s Project Artiste programme.

He said the year-long course for fledgling producers, artistes and artiste managers taught him and his batch-mates the intricacies of the music business.

“The experience was wonderful. It’s given me the knowledge and experience any young upcoming producer/artiste manager would ever want to know,” he told Splash.

Jah Kooks credits Project Artiste for helping him develop his Blaze It Up Productions to which artistes like Venomus and Sasique are signed.

The company has released a number of ‘riddims’ and songs such as the Hot Wine which has songs by Venomus (Carnival Time) and Sasique (Gal Wine).

The 20-odd-year-old Jah Kooks has also worked with artistes including Macka Diamond, Spice, G Whizz, Black Ryno and Lutan Fyah.

Now that the emerging producer is operating a business, he passes on whatever training he got from Learning For life.

“I am now able to reason with and teach my own artistes on the do’s and don’t’s of the industry,” he said.

Born in Kingston, Jah Kooks grew up in Enfield, St Mary, and is a past student of Buff Bay High School.

He got into the Diagio programme when a relative, who works at the Half Way Tree HEART Academy, submitted his name to Learning For Life recruiters.

Jah Kooks is currently relocating his recording studio from Portmore to Kingston and working on EPs from Venomus and Sasique.

Diageo, producers of Red Stripe beer, started Learning For Life in 2008 operating throughout the Americas, managing more than 59 projects in 30 countries.