| Rodney Jerkins | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rodney Jerkins |
| Also known as | RJ, Darkchild, Rodney Jerkins, DC |
| Born | July 29, 1977 |
| Origin | Pleasantville, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | R&B, hip hop, pop, gospel, Dance, Electro, synthpop |
| Occupations | Musician, Record Producer, Songwriter, Rapper, Singer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Associated acts | Mary J. Blige Jennifer Lopez, Brandy, Monica, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Rhona, Eivan "Ricco" Bj, Joy Enriquez Ray J, Michael Jackson, Austin Brown |
| Website | MusicMogul.com |
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins (born July 29, 1977) is a songwriter, record producer, and musician. Working largely with writer/vocal producer LaShawn Daniels. He has been requested by such artists as Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Spice Girls, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, Danity Kane, Beyoncé, Linda Király, Lady Gaga, Pussycat Dolls, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Lionel Richie, and Austin Brown. The words "Darkchild" appear in some form in many of his tracks. He is currently working on forthcoming albums from Ciara, Jennifer Lopez, Cassie, Anastacia, Shontelle,[1] Se7en, Natasha, Alesha Dixon, Britney Spears ,De'fina, Beyoncé, and his new R&B girl group Purple Reign, recently signed to Motown/Darkchild/Universal as well as signing pop recording artist, Tiffany Dunn to Epic/Darkchild/Sony in the same month. Darkchild is also currently completing tracks that himself and Michael Jackson had worked on for Jackson's forthcoming posthumous album.
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In his current personal life, a formerly overweight Jerkins has stated that a change in lifestyle is responsible for a new slender physique -. He has also been married to pop/gospel/R&B singer Joy Enriquez since April 4, 2004. Additionally, in 2006 he was appointed VP of A&R for The Island Def Jam Group. Their first child, named Rodney David, Jr. was born May 28, 2008. Their second child, a daughter, Heavenly Joy Jerkins was born November 17, 2009 at 9:58 a.m. at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Jerkins has made two attempts to bring his label to prominence. The first was in 1999 when he joined with Sony/Epic Records to promote such signees as Whitney Houston-style power vocalist Rhona, Pop/R&B girl group So Plush and rapper Fats. Male vocalists K-Young, Lil' Zal and J. Mathis also made frequent collaborations with Rodney Jerkins around this time, although it is not known if they were actually signed to the label. Buzz was created about artists with Fats appearing on two tracks Jerkins produced for Michael Jackson's Invincible album and So Plush releasing the single "Things I've Heard Before" with a Hype Williams-directed video. Singles such as So Plush's "Damn (Should Have Treated You Right)" and Rhona's "Satisfied" were also released and made fair impact on charts. Subsequently, So Plush's singles, "Damn" and "Things I've Heard Before", were pressed and made available as promos, and Rhona's album was even released in Japan, output from the label stopped from this point however. It seemed that eventually artists were released from the label as Rhona reappeared in 2003 joining R&B group En Vogue[2] and Fats released an album as part of the duo F.A.T.S. & Bathgate in 2006.[3]
In 2005 Darkchild Records reappeared when Jerkins signed brand new acts including Shamari Fears formerly of R&B group Blaque, female MC Asia Lee, Dancehall artist Atiba, and Gospel singer Anesha Birchett. Joy Enriquez also briefly appeared as an artist on the site before her album release on new sister gospel label JoyFul Child Records. The website was redesigned and relaunched with artist bios and track samples and a new Darkchild Members "Platinum" Club was set up which gave access to Jerkins' Versatility instrumental album and other exclusives. Shamari, Asia Lee, and Atiba are no longer with the label. Anesha Birchett is currently in artist development; she has co-written several, recent Darkchild Productions, including those for Beyoncé, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Shareefa, Joy Enriquez, Natasha and Tamia. Anesha's sister Antea Birchett and Delisha Thomas are also part of a frequently active in-house roster of writers for Darkchild Records.
In 2009, Darkchild is currently working with Texas sisters Britt and Lala Main, known as "Main Street".
Jerkins released his wife Joy Enriquez' second album Atmosphere Of Heaven, which features a religious direction, on his independent gospel imprint JoyFul Child Records. The album is available to purchase through Joy's Official Website although she was formerly featured on the Darkchild Records Site with its other artists. The Darkchild name has also been lent to a record company run by Jerkins brother Fred Jerkins III, Darkchild Gospel.[4] which released the latest album from Virtue - Testimony.
After Jerkins being appointed VP of A&R for The Island Def Jam Group in 2006, Darkchild Records will apparently now be distributed as an imprint under the label. It was rumoured that new female R&B artist Megan Rochell will now have her music distributed through this imprint. A second upcoming female R&B artist, Natasha, will have her music distributed through a collaboration between the label and Jive Records. Jerkins composed the opening theme music to I Married a Baller. Appearing in a segment where he recorded the theme song with 90s R&B girl-group SWV, he suggested he could help them acquire an indie distribution deal if they were to reunite. (although this does not necessarily entail Darkchild Records)
In late 2008, Jerkins joined Nicholas Longano, Ray Brown and Jonathan E. Eubanks in creating Music Mogul, Inc.[5] MusicMogul.com, the world’s first online music world with real rewards, represents an entirely browser-based online destination where celebrity artists can unite with their fans and aspiring artists have a chance for discovery to become the next superstars. Every quarter members vote for the best video performances.[6] The top performers are then flown to Los Angeles to compete in front of a panel of celebrity judges. The winner gets a demo deal with Darkchild Productions.[7]
See links for extensive discography.
| Year | Song | Artist | Chart Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&B | Hot 100 | UK | |||
| 1995 | "The Way That You Love" (Remix) | Vanessa Williams | 23 | 67 | 52 |
| 1996 | "The Things You Do" | Gina Thompson | 12 | 41 | - |
| 1997 | "Yeah Yeah Yeah" | Simone Hines | 38 | - | - |
| "Don't Wanna Be A Player" | Joe | 5 | 25 | 16 | |
| "I Can Love You" | Mary J. Blige (feat. Lil' Kim) | 2 | 28 | - | |
| "Don't Stop" | No Authority | - | - | 54 | |
| 1998 | "Let Me Return The Favor" | Andrea Martin | 32 | 82 | - |
| "Daydreamin'" | Tatyana Ali | 5 | 6 | 6 | |
| "The Boy Is Mine" | Brandy and Monica | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| "Top of the World" | Brandy (feat. Mase) | - | - | 2 | |
| "Revolution" | Kirk Franklin (feat. Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins) | 59 | - | - | |
| "Angel of Mine" | Monica | 2 | 1 | 55 | |
| "It's Not Right but It's Okay" | Whitney Houston | 7 | 4 | 3 | |
| "Angel in Disguise" | Brandy | 17 | 72 | - | |
| 1999 | "If You Had My Love" | Jennifer Lopez | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| "Sunshine" | Coko | 19 | 70 | - | |
| "Say My Name" | Destiny's Child | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" | Brandy (feat. Shaunta & Da Brat) | 25 | 79 | - | |
| "Damn" | So Plush | 41 | - | - | |
| 2000 | "He Wasn't Man Enough" | Toni Braxton | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| "Holler" | Spice Girls | - | 107 | 1 | |
| "If I Told You That" | Whitney Houston & George Michael | - | - | 9 | |
| "Time Limit" | Hikaru Utada | - | - | - | |
| 2001 | "I Sings" | Mary Mary (feat. BB Jay) | 68 | - | - |
| "You Rock My World" | Michael Jackson | 13 | 10 | 2 | |
| "Satisfied" | Rhona | - | - | - | |
| "Everything" | Canela | - | - | - | |
| "I Remember" (Remix) | Debelah Morgan | - | - | - | |
| 2002 | "Overprotected (Darkchild Remix)" | Britney Spears | - | 86 | 4 |
| "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" | Britney Spears | - | - | 13 | |
| "What About Us?" | Brandy | 3 | 7 | 4 | |
| "All Eyez on Me" | Monica | 32 | 69 | - | |
| "Get With Me" | 3rd Storee | 85 | - | - | |
| "If Only You Knew" | Prymary Colorz | 78 | - | - | |
| "Turntable" | TLC | - | - | - | |
| 2003 | "I'm Good" | Blaque | 95 | - | - |
| "All I Do" | B5 | 71 | - | - | |
| 2004 | "You Don't Know" | Kierra "Kiki" Sheard | 84 | - | - |
| "Lose My Breath" | Destiny's Child | 10 | 3 | 2 | |
| "One Wish" | Ray J | 3 | 11 | 13 | |
| 2005 | "Cater 2 U" | Destiny's Child | 3 | 14 | - |
| "What I Need" | Ray-J | 58 | - | - | |
| 2006 | "Enough Cryin'" | Mary J. Blige | 2 | 32 | 46 |
| "Hold Me Down" | Danity Kane | - | - | - | |
| "Need a Boss" | Shareefa | 10 | 67 | - | |
| "Cry No More" | Shareefa) | 43 | - | ||
| "Déjà Vu" | Beyoncé (feat. Jay-Z) | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
| "So Lonely" | Twista (feat. Mariah Carey) | 65 | - | - | |
| "The One You Need" | Megan Rochell (feat. Fabolous) | 41 | - | - | |
| "Can't Get Enough" | Tamia | 26 | - | - | |
| "Turn the Page" | Bobby Valentino | 63 | - | - | |
| 2007 | "Be with Me" | J. Holiday | 83 | - | - |
| "Can't Leave 'Em Alone" | Ciara (feat. 50 Cent) | 10 | 40 | 109 | |
| "Shoulda Let You Go" | Keyshia Cole | 6 | 41 | - | |
| "Hey Hey Hey" | Natasha | - | - | - | |
| "So Sick" | Natasha | - | - | - | |
| 2008 | "Feedback" | Janet Jackson | 39 | 19 | - |
| "I'm Grown" | Tiffany Evans (feat. Bow Wow) | 98 | - | - | |
| "Luv" | Janet Jackson | 34 | 101 | - | |
| "When I Grow Up" | Pussycat Dolls | - | 9 | 3 | |
| "Angel" | Natasha Bedingfield | - | 63 | - | |
| "Right Here (Departed)" | Brandy | 22 | 34 | - | |
| "Long Distance" | Brandy | 42 | 101 | - | |
| "The Definition" | Brandy | 116 | - | - | |
| 2009 | "I Look So Good (Without You)" | Jessie James | - | 104 | - |
| "Girls" | Se7en (feat. Lil' Kim) | - | - | - | |
| "Telephone" | Lady Gaga (feat. Beyoncé) | - | 3 | 1 | |
| "The One" | Mary J. Blige (feat. Drake) | 32 | 63 | - | |
| 2010 | "Shake My" | Three 6 Mafia (feat. Kalenna) | - | - | - |
| "Someone Save Me Tonight" | Britney Spears | - | - | - | |