DJ Clark Kent, New York producer called “God's favorite DJ,” dies at 58

DJ Clark Kent, the rap producer and hip-hop elder statesman known as “God's Favorite DJ,” has died. According to a statement posted on his official Instagram account, Kent had “calmly and bravely fought a three-year battle with colon cancer” before passing away last night (October 24) “surrounded by his devoted wife Kesha, his daughter Kabriah and his son Antonio.” . He was 58 years old.

Born Rodolfo Franklin in Panama, DJ Clark Kent first gained fame in New York in the late 1980s as DJ for Brooklyn rapper Dana Dane. In 1989, he remixed new jack swing group Troop's “Spread My Wings,” but his big break didn't come until six years later, when he produced Junior MAFIA's “Player's Anthem” from their 1995 album conspiracy. The track featured both the Notorious BIG and, in their very first record appearance, Lil' Kim, then a member of the group.

The following year, Kent produced three songs on Jay-Z's groundbreaking debut album. Reasonable doubt: “Cashmere Thoughts”, “Coming of Age” and “Brooklyn's Finest”, the latter featuring the Notorious BIG (It is also said that it was Kent who introduced Jay-Z to Roc-A-Fella co-founder Dame Dash.) Kent continued his production work with Notorious BIG's “Sky's the Limit” and scored the biggest hit of his career with Mariah Carey's “Loverboy,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. His most recent stint as a producer came in 2018, when he worked on Kanye West and Lil Pump's “I Love It.”

Kent is the subject of an upcoming documentary directed by New York radio host Angie Martinez. Following news of his death, DJ Clark Kent was remembered by the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Raekwon, DJ Premier, Meek Mill, Swizz Beatz and Questlove, who wrote: “Clark will forever be the culture.”