DJ Clark Kent, the rap producer and hip-hop elder statesman referred to as “God’s Favourite DJ,” has died. In keeping with a press release posted to his official Instagram account, Kent had “quietly and valiantly fought a 3 12 months battle with Colon Most cancers,” earlier than dying yesterday night (October 24) “surrounded by his devoted spouse Kesha, daughter Kabriah and son Antonio.” He was 58 years previous.
Born Rodolfo Franklin, in Panama, DJ Clark Kent first discovered notoriety in late Nineteen Eighties New York as a DJ for the Brooklyn rapper Dana Dane. In 1989, he remixed “Unfold My Wings,” by the brand new jack swing group Troop, however his large break wouldn’t come till six years later, when he produced “Participant’s Anthem,” by Junior M.A.F.I.A., from their 1995 album Conspiracy. The observe featured each the Infamous B.I.G. and, in her first ever look on report, Lil’ Kim, then a member of the group.
The next 12 months, Kent produced three songs on Jay-Z’s landmark debut album, Affordable Doubt: “Cashmere Ideas,” “Coming of Age,” and “Brooklyn’s Best,” the latter that includes the Infamous B.I.G. (It’s additionally mentioned that it was Kent who launched Jay-Z to Roc-A-Fella co-founder Dame Sprint.) Kent continued his manufacturing work with the Infamous B.I.G.’s “Sky’s the Restrict,” and he scored the most important hit of his profession with Mariah Carey’s “Loverboy,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Sizzling 100. His most up-to-date, as a producer, got here in 2018, when he labored on Kanye West and Lil Pump’s “I Love It.”
Kent is the topic of a forthcoming documentary directed by New York radio character Angie Martinez. Following the information of his dying, DJ Clark Kent has been memorialized by the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Raekwon, DJ Premier, Meek Mill, Swizz Beatz, and Questlove, who wrote, “Clark will eternally be the tradition.”
