MC Squared equals rockin’ benefit

ID: Jade (aka MC Squared) is using music to help support the nonprofit summer academic and social program for kids with Autism he co-founded with his wife, Charissa Cardwell.

Style: Rock-reggae

Local shift: “We had a lot of cover bands and I didn’t see a whole loft of deejays. I noticed within the last four or five years DJs are starting to take over the scene. There’s a shift towards a younger vibe to the night scene than I ever thought there was,” said the 30-year-old DJ.

Down for the cause: “(Jade) was like, ‘Let’s do something cool for my 30th birthday. Let’s rent a boat, let’s do a fundraiser.’ At the same time, there were things going on at my son’s school… Autistic children need a lot of social skills. My son is very social but I felt like they weren’t providing enough academics,” said Charissa Cardwell, co-founder of Together For Autism summer program, whose son is with Autism

Next gig: Pro Beats (MC Squared and DJ Fusion) hosts Mish-an-Nock Cruise party in Coeur d’Alene on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person for the 21-and-older event. There will be hundreds of dollars in door prizes. For tickets call (509) 218-2448 or (509) 217-7771.