Source: Mark Sullivan / Getty
When discussing the all time great producers, one name that should surely be mentioned is
Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins. 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. To celebrate the four-time Grammy winner’s greatness, enjoy a gallery of some of his greatest slaps to date!
