Rodney Jerkins (also known by his stage name, Darkchild) is an American music producer and songwriter. He is famously known for working with multiple popular artists, including Michael Jackson, as Jerkins stood behind multiple of the singer's tracks from 1998 until 2001, which eventually ended up on Michael's tenth studio album, Invincible.
Meeting & work[]
In 1994, Rodney got to intern for Teddy Riley. At the age of 17-18, he met Michael Jackson for the first time while in New York. There, he told the artist: "I'm gonna work with you some day", which Michael responded with "Really? You really think so?". Four years later, the singer was re-introduced to Jerkins through Carole Bayer Sager and they began working together in 1998.[1] The first song they worked on together would end up being "You Don't Love Me" ("Angel in Disguise") for Brandy.[2] Initially, Jackson wasn't completely satisifed with Jerkins' sound.
| “ | It’s not that he isn’t talented—he is very talented, but his work sounds like everything else that’s out right now. I need a new ‘Michael Jackson’ sound… I want to take people somewhere they’ve never been sonically. | ” |
–Michael Jackson to Cory Rooney, Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault[3] | ||
Cory Rooney, who Jackson was working with at the time on another song, "She Was Lovin' Me", point Jerkins in the direction Michael was aiming for at the time, advising him to "tell a story" in his songs, which is what Rooney was told by Carole Bayer Sager. Darkchild and his team would adapt to the advice, writing such rhythm-drivenm stories as "You Rock My World" or "Threatened".[4] Jackson eventually decided he enjoyed the producer's "edgy" direction.[1]
Collaboration between the two lasted for another three years. During the production, they'd be joined by Jerkins' brother, Fred and LaShawn Daniels. Jackson and Jerkins are known to have met for the final time in 2006 during Michael's recording sessions in Ireland.[5] However, no songs were made by them, and the artists were simply hanging out, talking about the "vision" etc.[6]
Credits[]
- "Break of Dawn"
- "Get Your Weight Off of Me"
- "Heartbreaker"
- "If I Told You That"
- "Invincible"
- "Pressure"
- "Privacy"
- "Rampage"
- "Threatened"
- "Unbreakable"
- "We've Had Enough"
- "Xscape"
- "You Don't Love Me" ("Angel in Disguise")
- "You Rock My World"
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- At one point, Jerkins also worked with Michael's sister, Janet, as he produced her 2008 album, Discipline. He co-wrote and co-produced nearly the entire album.