Atlanta music producer turns talents toward making educational content for kids in his community

A music producer and artist from Atlanta is taking his talents in a new direction: Nosakhere Andrew is making educational content for kids in the community.

The 32-year-old Andrew, better known as Mr. 2-17, said his artistry recently advanced to a higher level almost by accident after he remixed songs related to children's entertainer Ms. Rachel.

"The way I ended up doing children's music is really kind of funny, and I was remixing Ms. Rachel's songs," Andrew explained. "It went so viral that Ms. Rachel actually reposted it, but then I started remixing more of her songs, and eventually they said, 'Man, you can't do that no more.'  A lot of people were heartbroken, and they were like 'Hey, you should make your own.'"

Andrews, a producer who has worked with artists including Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Travis Porter, said he has the perfect focus group at home - his four sons who are all 6 years old or younger.

"Between them and the community of people that really enjoyed the music and my own fans, that is what led me to creating my own children's content," he said.

He says his goal is to make learning musically fun.

"I also want to implement slow-paced learning. It can still be hip. It can still be cool," Andrews said.

Mr. 2-17 hosted his first children's concert on Aug. 30 in Brookhaven. The Gordon-Lamar family said they discovered the event online while searching for budget-friendly activities that the whole family could enjoy.

"The energy was good, and the beats were loud and fun! The bass was hitting, and we are all out here sweating because it was really a good time," father Floluke Gordon-Lamar said.

Mr. 2-17's commitment to giving back includes hosting after-school programs in Atlanta's schools. He also serves as a film instructor in various educational institutions. He said he has worked at schools including HIES, also known as Holy Innocents' School, Globe Academy, and Sarah Smith Elementary School.

"I taught first through third-grade students how to create and make films with KidsTV," he said.

Skills he gained during those experiences are now used as he creates music and educational resources for kids.

"I am not just an adult saying, 'This is a good lane and let me hop into the children's lane.' No, I am a teacher, youth advocate, youth mentor, and musician. I said, 'Let me make what I want the generation to see and do my part,'" Andrews said.

The producer also hosts giveaways every year on a community day on Gresham Road, where he grew up.

"Most of the time it is around school time we give out school supplies, haircuts, book bags.  This year, actually, we were blessed with a partnership with Amazon, and they gave us like seven pallets of returned items including dishes, workout equipment, mattresses, etc.," he said.

You can find more information here about Mr. 2-17.