ATLANTA (CNN) -- Standing less than 5 feet tall, it's easy to overlook "Corey J." in a crowded room. Until he opens his mouth.

"There are two types of people in this world," says 10-year-old Corey Jackson. "There are dreamers. And there are dream chasers. I'm chasing my dreams!"

He may only be 10, but rapper Corey J., aka Lil C Note, is fast gaining traction in the Atlanta hip-hop scene.

In the last year, the fifth-grader -- a self-proclaimed "positive hip-hop" recording artist -- received endorsements from some of the biggest names in the rap industry, including Cash Money Records CEO Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Atlanta trap star rapper Young Thug.

The early success isn't a surprise for the Jackson, Mississippi, native. He's been rapping since before he even knew how to ride a bike.

"I made my first song 'Crayons' at 6 years old," he says with a big smile.

But his love for the art came earlier.

"At first my dad was doing it. He took me to the studio a few times, and I said, I think I want to do that, it looks pretty cool. But my first song, I was only 4 and it was hard for me to stay on beat. It took me a couple of years to get the hang of it."

Home base: Atlanta

Jackson lives in Mississippi, but like a lot of artists in the Southeast, he calls Atlanta his second home: it's where hip hop is flourishing.

Since early 2012, Jackson has spent most of his life traveling across the country with his dad, Cornell Jackson, to promote his music.

In the last four years, he's sold more than 250,000 CDs, according to his family and Patchwerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, which acts as a promoter for the young rapper.

"That's 250,000 ... and counting," Jackson says with a smirk.

Corey J.'s father calls his son "amazing."

"What he's doing is amazing. As far as we know, he's the only kid in music to be out here independently selling tens of thousands of CDs. It makes me proud to be his father. I'm just glad to be a part of it," Cornell Jackson says.

"I know I've had an influence on him to get into rapping, but the rest is all him. He's the one out here putting in the work. He's the one and only Hustle Kid!" he adds, laughing.

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