✍🏼 New content series
The Humans Behind the Music Algorithms:
Meet the people behind the AI tools changing music. This content series shares the stories of founders, thought leaders, and teams — how they’ve overcome struggles, built tools, and now help musicians find their voice and create with confidence.
December 22, 2018, was a day Michael Jacob will never forget.
It was the day he proposed to his now-wife and headlined his first rap show.
Two big moments, one unforgettable day.
Today, Michael is the founder of Lemonaide AI, a tool that helps musicians create beats and melodies using artificial intelligence.
Michael grew up loving hip-hop.
“Hip-hop has such a like starter from the bottom, out the mud kind of mentality of like, it doesn’t necessarily matter where you come from, you can still be someone in this life if you believe in yourself,” he shared.
This mindset helped him through tough times and kept him focused on his dreams.
By 2018, Michael was balancing his music career with his day job.
MJx Music (Michael Jacob), Founder Lemonaide AI
He was passionate about rapping and performing, but he also had a vision for blending music and technology.
Eventually, this vision would lead him to create Lemonaide AI, a platform that helps musicians make beats and melodies, even if they don’t know much about music production.
Michael wanted to propose to his girlfriend in a meaningful way.
He also had his first headlining rap show scheduled for the same day.
He faced a challenge: how to make both moments unforgettable without spoiling the surprise.
Michael came up with a clever idea. “What I actually wrapped the day in is I invited her family, her friends, my family, my friends, and we rented out this winery… I pretended like everyone was coming to town for my concert,” he explained.
The winery event was solely for the proposal.
With their loved ones gathered around, Michael popped the question.
Michael Jacob + wife
She said yes, and the room erupted in cheers.
It was a moment of pure joy, surrounded by the people who mattered most.
Michael talked about how much his wife has supported him.
“She’s the person who’s healed so much within me from the trauma point of view…And she loved that I was a rapper and it meant so much to me because to be like 20 years old around that age, and have a serious relationship like girlfriend. Say, I love you being a rapper. It’s so rare. You know what I mean? It’s like, Most people are probably, like, dude, just go like, work, a job. Stick to your career, like climb the rinks and like, make sure that you are, you know, contributing to the family. Whereas she like loved how creative I was and like, was always trying to pull that part out of me.”
MJx Music Spotify
Her support has been a big part of Michael’s journey, both as a musician and as someone building tools for other artists.
Later that same night, Michael took the stage in Washington, D.C., for his first headlining rap show.
The venue was packed with over 200 fans who had no idea he’d just gotten engaged.
“Later that night, I’m about to headline my first actual rap show… the fans were there, they had no idea,” Michael shared.
It was a surreal experience—performing his heart out just hours after one of the biggest moments of his life.
The day was a whirlwind of emotions—love, excitement, and a little nervousness about the future.
But it was also a reminder to celebrate the present.
Life isn’t about the destination; it’s about the moments along the way.
Looking back, Michael wishes he could have soaked it all in a little more.
“I wish I could take a step back and just be like, you know what, dude, you’re with your best friend on stage… this is an amazing situation,” he reflected.
Today, Michael’s work with Lemonaide AI continues to help musicians.
The platform helps artists overcome creative blocks and bring their ideas to life.
“It’s really all about. How do you become more creative? How do you get out of creative writers block, How do you make your first beat?,” he said.
From proposing to his fiancée to headlining his first show and starting a company that helps musicians, Michael’s story shows what can happen when you follow your passions — and why it’s important to enjoy the journey along the way.
