| DJ Kool | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John W. Bowman, Jr. |
| Born | 1959 (age 52–53) |
| Genres | Hip hop, go-go, R&B, funk rap |
| Occupations | DJ, rapper, singer |
| Instruments | Vocalist |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | CLR Records (1984-1997) American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records (1992-1998) |
| Associated acts | Rare Essence, Will Smith, Mýa |
John W. Bowman, Jr., better known by his stage name DJ Kool is an American rapper who, in the late 1990s, produced several popular rap singles. Born in 1959 in Washington, D.C., his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music. During the early- to mid-1980s, Kool worked as a warm-up DJ for Rare Essence, until he was picked up by CLR Records.
In 1996, he recorded his most successful track, "Let Me Clear My Throat," which was released on American Recordings. The track peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1997.[1] The song prominently featured a sample of "The 900 Number" by DJ Mark the 45 King, (that song featured a sample from Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself",[2] repeated over a breakbeat for six minutes). The song also began by sampling "Hollywood Swinging" by Kool and the Gang. The song is a recognizable dance floor-filler, and the track remains popular to this day[update]. DJ Kool was featured on Mýa's 2006 single "Ayo!" from her 2008 album Liberation. He was also featured on two tracks on Will Smith's 2005 album Lost and Found.
On November 21, 2009, he performed at halftime of a Denver Nuggets basketball game.
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