Goodbye to DJ Clark Kent, he was 58 years old

The producer Rudolph Franklin better known in hip hop as DJ Clark Kent died at age 58 after a long three-year battle with colon cancer. With his work Kent contributed to the evolution of hip-hop by shaping New York rap.

A family statement on Instagram announced his passing, noting that he was surrounded by his family: “Clark silently and courageously battled his illness while continuing to share his gifts with the world.”

Starting out on the New York club circuit in the ’80s, DJ Clark Kent became Dana Dane’s DJ before joining the Big Apple’s hip-hop best. He contributed production to Junior MAFIA’s “Player’s Anthem” and three songs from Jay-Z’s 1996 debut album “Reasonable Doubt”, namely “Cashmere Thoughts”, “Coming of Age” and “Brooklyn’s Finest” with Biggie Smalls. It also produced Biggie’s posthumous hit “Sky’s The Limit” and, later, Mariah Carey’s 2001 single “Loverboy.” DJ Clark Kent has also worked with artists such as Rakim, Queen Latifah and Kanye West.