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DJ Clark Kent

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DJ Clark Kent
Born
Rodolfo Antonio Franklin II

(1966-09-28)September 28, 1966
New York City, U.S.
DiedOctober 24, 2024(2024-10-24) (aged 58)
Green Brook Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupations
Years active1987–2024
Spouse
Kesha Vernon
​
(m. 2000)​
Children1
RelativesFoxy Brown (cousin)
Musical career
Genres

Rodolfo Antonio Franklin II (September 28, 1966 – October 24, 2024), known professionally as DJ Clark Kent, was an American hip hop DJ and record producer. His crew of DJs was called "The Supermen", and his DJ moniker was derived from the name of Superman's alter ego.

Early life and education

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Franklin was born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, on September 28, 1966, but would often say he was born in Panama as a way to pay tribute to his family's ancestry.[1] Franklin was raised by his mother and grandmother.[1] He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and the Hoosac School.[1] He also attended Emerson College but did not receive a degree.[1] Franklin's use of the name "Clark Kent" derived from the glasses he began wearing when he was a child.[1]

Music career

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In the late 1980s, Clark Kent was rapper Dana Dane's DJ.[2] Around this time, Kent would DJ at clubs such as one just around the block from Downtown Records on West 26th Street in Manhattan which was a short-lived hip-hop hotbed with other DJs also performing there, such as Funkmaster Flex and Kid Capri.[3] In 1989, he produced the remix for Troop's hit song "Spread My Wings."

Around the early 1990s, DJ Clark Kent took over the job of MC for the then-titled New Music Seminar, a battle between the best DJs in hip hop.[4] Renaming it "Clark Kent's Superman Battle for World Supremacy", he would go on to host the event for a number of years. One of the most famous battles in this arena was the legendary match between DJ Noize and DJ 8-Ball, with a victory for DJ Noize.[5]

Clark Kent later scored his first street hit with the Junior M.A.F.I.A. song "Player's Anthem" which featured The Notorious B.I.G. and was the first record that Lil' Kim appeared on. The biggest hit he produced was "Loverboy" by Mariah Carey, which peaked at #2 in the US on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. In addition to his work with Mariah, Lil' Kim, and The Notorious B.I.G.,[6] Clark also produced tracks for artists such as Lil' Vicious, Mona Lisa, 50 Cent, Canibus, Mad Skillz, Estelle, Slick Rick and Rakim, as well as groups like The Future Sound and Original Flavor, which were signed to East West Records and Atlantic Records respectively. Both groups were signed by Clark, who was a director of A&R at Atlantic at the time.[7]

Damon Dash, one time manager of The Future Sound and Original Flavor, has credited DJ Clark Kent with introducing him to Jay-Z.[8] Original Flavor featured the then little known rapper on their single "Can I Get Open" in 1993.[9] This would lead to the 1994 start of Roc-A-Fella Records, and further collaborations between Clark and Jay-Z, who met when they were teenagers, as Clark would go on to produce three tracks on Jay-Z's 1996 critically acclaimed debut album, Reasonable Doubt.[10] The tracks were: "Brooklyn's Finest", which features The Notorious B.I.G.,[11]"Coming of Age", which features Memphis Bleek,[12] and "Cashmere Thoughts", which contains a conversation between Clark and Jay-Z.[13] Clark stated that he introduced B.I.G. and Jay-Z at the studio session for their collaboration.[14][1] During this time, Clark would also introduce his cousin Foxy Brown to Jay-Z, and the two would team up on the hit single "Ain't No Nigga".[15] On 2003's The Black Album, billed as his "retirement" project, Jay-Z alludes to Clark's role in helping him break into the industry, on the album's last song (titled "My 1st Song"). He states: "Clark Kent, that was good lookin' out, nigga."[16]

Clark discovered rapper Shyne, whom he accidentally overheard rhyming in a barbershop, in 1998. Noting the young MC's vocal similarity to The Notorious B.I.G., Clark steered him towards Bad Boy Records and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs signed him.[17]

Other ventures

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Aside from his work in music, Clark was a sneaker enthusiast who once claimed to own 3,500 pairs of footwear.[18] In 2010, Nike commissioned him to design and unveil a "Nike Five Boroughs AF1 Low" pack of special limited edition Nike Air Force 1 shoes.[19] He also collaborated with other popular brands, such as Adidas and New Balance.[20]

Personal life and death

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In 1998, Franklin began dating Kesha Vernon, whom he married in 2000, and together they had a son.[1] Franklin died from colon cancer at his home in Green Brook Township, New Jersey, on October 24, 2024, at the age of 58.[1][21]

Production credits

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Album Artist Year Track
She's Playing Hard to Get (the Remixes) Hi-Five, Jay-Z 1992 She's Playing Hard (Clark Kent Supermix)
Sex Is Law Father MC 1993 Da Wiggle {produced with Ski}
Nerissa Nerissa In the Rain (Remix)
Destination Brooklyn Vicious 1994 Nika
Troddin' Shinehead Never Been in Love B4; Woman Like You
Throw Your Hands Up 12" L.V. 1995 Throw Your Hands Up (Remix)
It's All About You 12" Adina Howard, Busta Rhymes, Mr. Cheeks It's All About You (Remix)
Hold It Down Das EFX Dedicated
In My Lifetime 12" Jay-Z I Can't Get wid That
Conspiracy Junior M.A.F.I.A. Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A.; I Need You Tonight; Players' Anthem; Crazaay
Hooked on You 12" Silk Hooked on You (Remix)
Feels Like the First Time 12" Intro Funny How Time Flies (Lil' Kim Mix)
The Natural 12" Mic Geronimo The Natural (Remix)
From Where??? Mad Skillz 1996 Move Ya Body
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (soundtrack) Lil' Kim and Mona Lisa Time to Shine
Live and Die for Hip Hop 12" Kris Kross, Da Brat Live and Die for Hip Hop (Remix)
Things We Do for Love 12" Horace Brown, Jay-Z Things We Do for Love (Remix)
One for the Money 12" Horace Brown, Foxy Brown One for the Money (Remix)
The Associate (soundtrack) Queen Latifah, Shades, Free Mr. Big Stuff
You're the One 12" SWV, Jay-Z You're the One (Clark Kent Remix)
Get on the Bus (soundtrack) Doug E. Fresh Tonite's the Nite
Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G. Brooklyn's Finest
Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek Coming of Age
Jay-Z Cashmere Thoughts
Feel Your Pain 12" Whitehead Bros. Feel Your Pain (Clark Kent Remix)
11-20-79 Mona Lisa Just Wanna Please U
Daily Basis 12" Da Rahnjaz Street Life (Daily Basis Remix)
The New World Order Poor Righteous Teachers Dreadful Day
Bootleg Versions Fugees Ready or Not (Clark Kent/Django version)
Skindeep No More Games; Everybody
Life After Death The Notorious B.I.G. 1997 Sky's the Limit
Love, Peace & Nappiness 12" Lost Boyz Get Up (Remix)
Nothin to Lose (soundtrack) Oran "Juice" Jones, Stu-Large, Camp Lo Poppin' That Fly (Clark Kent Remix)
I Like 12" Shiro I Like (Remix)
The 18th Letter Rakim Remember That; Guess Who's Back; Stay a While
Pushin' Weight 12" Ice Cube 1998 Pushin' Weight (Clark Kent Remix)
Player's Club (soundtrack) We Be Clubbin' (Clark World Remix)
Woo (soundtrack) / Cold As Ice Charli Baltimore Money
Make It Reign Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz Make It Reign; Massive Heat; Keep On
Touch It 12" Monifah Touch It (C.K. Remix)
Order in the Court Queen Latifah No/Yes
Come and Get with Me 12" Keith Sweat Come and Get with Me (Remix)
Can-I-Bus Canibus How We Roll; Channel Zero
Respect Shaquille O'Neal 48 @ the Buzzer; ?; ??
The Hit List Saafir 1999 A Dog's Master
The Art of Storytellin' Slick Rick Kill Niggaz; I Own America Pt. 1; 2 Way Street; Why Why Why; Memories
Hempstead High A+ Gotta Have It; Price of Fame {produced with B!nk}
Born Again The Notorious B.I.G. Come On
Middle Finger U Sauce Money 2000 Middle Finger U.; Face Off 2000
Urban Renewal Lil' Kim, Phil Collins 2001 In the Air Tonite
City High City High 15 Will Get You 20
Glitter (soundtrack) Mariah Carey Loverboy (Remix)
All About J Lil J 2002 Come Out and Play {produced with Echo Levi}
Konexion Freddie Foxxx 2003 Stick Em Up!
He's Keith Murray Keith Murray Cristina
The Streetsweeper, Vol. 2 DJ Kay Slay 2004 Hands on the Pump
Red Gone Wild: Thee Album Redman 2007 Diz Iz Brick City
Teflon Don Rick Ross 2010 Super High
Harverd Dropout Lil Pump, Kanye West 2018 I Love It {produced with Kanye, Ronny J, CBMIX}

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Traub, Alex (October 27, 2024). "DJ Clark Kent, Who Introduced Jay-Z to Notorious B.I.G., Dies at 58". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Daniel Isenberg (November 11, 2011). "DJ Clark Kent Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records (Part 1)". Complex. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Stretch Armstrong (November 24, 2014). "Cassette Culture with Stretch Armstrong". Medium. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  4. ^ "The New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy: An Oral History". Red Bull Music Academy. July 24, 2015.
  5. ^ "THE 10 BEST DJ SCRATCH BATTLES OF ALL TIME". mixmag. July 24, 2020.
  6. ^ "DJ Clark Kent Names His Favorite Song By The Notorious B.I.G." hiphopdx.com. March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  7. ^ "The Future Sound – The Whole Shabang Volume 1 (April 7, 1992)". December 18, 2015.
  8. ^ "Hip-Hop Gem: DJ Clark Kent Introduced Jay-Z To Damon Dash". Stop The Breaks.
  9. ^ "Do Remember: Original Flavor & Jay Z's Can I Get Open? (Video)". Ambrosia For Heads.
  10. ^ Mitch Findlay (March 9, 2021). "DJ Clark Kent Recalls Convincing Jay-Z To Switch From Hustling To Rap". Hot New Hip Hop.
  11. ^ "Brooklyn's Finest".
  12. ^ "Coming of Age".
  13. ^ "Cashmere Thoughts".
  14. ^ "DJ CLARK KENT RECALLS INTRODUCING JAY-Z & THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., RECORDING "BROOKLYN'S FINEST"". hiphopdx.com. November 11, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  15. ^ Roman Cooper (August 15, 2013). "Foxy Brown Was "Shocked" To Hear Her Name On Jay Z's "Picasso Baby"". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  16. ^ "My 1st Song".
  17. ^ "Digital Biography of Belize's Shyne".
  18. ^ Paul Dachs (April 4, 2020). "DJ CLARK KENT CONFESSES HIS SNEAKERHEAD SINS". hiphopdx.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  19. ^ "Nike Air Force 1 Low x DJ Clark Kent – The Bronx – Five Boroughs Pack".
  20. ^ Barbara Schneider-Levy (August 15, 2018). "DJ Clark Kent Has 3,500 Pairs of Shoes & Hints at His Next Round of Sneaker Collaborations".
  21. ^ Phillips, Zoe G. (October 25, 2024). "DJ Clark Kent, Hip-Hop Record Producer, Dies at 58". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 26, 2024.

Sources

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