Source: Jason LaVeris / Getty
When discussing the all time great producers, one name that surely should be mentioned is Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins. It was announced earlier this week (January 24th) that the 47 year old will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame later this year. To remind everyone of his greatness, we put together a gallery that showcases some of his biggest hits.
Like many musicians, Jerkins got his start in the church. His father was an Evangelical pastor so it only made sense that he played the piano (which he learned how to play at the age of five) at church gatherings. Although he declined, the New Jersey native had a chance to work at a studio in Atlantic City at the age of 13. The next year, he started getting mentored by his idol Teddy Riley. After turning down several offers, Darkchild moved in with James Jones of Uptown Records and began working with him. One of their first sessions was with the legendary Patti LaBelle.
This was one of the first of many huge names he would go on to work with. At 17, Jerkins signed a worldwide publishing deal with the EMI Music Corporation and adopted the Darkchild nickname. His commercial music career was then catapulted as he initially worked with artists such as Joe, Mary J. Blige and Brandy. Since then, Darkchild has become one of the most influential figures in music. He’s produced countless hits for the biggest artists in the world, developed a camp of writers and A&R’d at one of the biggest labels in the world (The Island Def Jam Group).
One way or another, Darkchild has had his fingerprints on some of the biggest songs in music history. Ironically enough, as accomplished as he is, there are still tracks that he’s worked on that people have no clue about. An old tweet showing Lady Gaga working on her smash hit ‘Telephone’ (the song features Beyoncé) proves that. Fans couldn’t help but to give Darkchild his flowers for the genius he put on display while working on the track. The song literally turns 15 years old in a couple of days (January 26th)!
This is a testament to how timeless his work has always been, is now, and will always be. To celebrate the two-time Grammy winner’s greatness, enjoy a gallery of some of his greatest slaps to date! Congrats to Darkchild!
