Rodney Jerkins

Rodney Jerkins
General information
Birthname	Rodney Roy Jerkins
Born	July 29, 1977 Pleasantville, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Record producer • songwriter • rapper
Years active	1993–present

Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter, famously known for working with multiple popular artists, including Michael Jackson. He helped with multiple of Jackson's tracks between 1998–2001, which eventually ended up on his tenth and final studio album, Invincible.

Relation to Jackson

In 1994, Rodney got to intern for Teddy Riley. At 17–18, he met Jackson for the first time while in New York. There, he told Jackson: "I'm gonna work with you some day", to which Jackson responded with "Really? You really think so?". Four years later, Jackson was reintroduced to Jerkins through Carole Bayer Sager, and they began working together in 1998. The first song they worked on together would end up being "You Don't Love Me" ("Angel in Disguise") for Brandy. Initially, Jackson wasn't satisfied 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.	”
–Jackson to Cory Rooney, Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault

Cory Rooney, who Jackson was working with at the time on another song, "She Was Lovin' Me", pointed Jerkins in the direction Jackson 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-driven stories as "You Rock My World" or "Threatened". Jackson eventually decided he enjoyed the producer's "edgy" direction.

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 Jackson's recording sessions in Ireland. However, no songs were made by them, and the artists were simply hanging out, talking about the "vision", etc.

Credits

• "Break of Dawn" – writing
• "Get Your Weight Off of Me" – writing, production
• "Heartbreaker" – writing, production
• "If I Told You That" – writing, production
• "Invincible" – writing, production
• "Pressure" – writing
• "Privacy" – writing, production
• "Rampage" – writing, production
• "The Pain" – writing
• "Threatened" – writing, production
• "Unbreakable" – writing, production
• "We've Had Enough" – writing, production
• "Xscape" – writing, production
• "You Don't Love Me" ("Angel in Disguise") – writing, production
• "You Rock My World" – writing, production

Gallery

Jerkins and Jackson

Jerkins and Jackson

Jerkins and Jackson

Jerkins and Jackson at The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children Christmas Party 1999

Jerkins and Jackson at The Whitney Houston Foundation for Children Christmas Party 1999

Jerkins and Jackson in the studio

Trivia

• Jerkins also co-wrote and produced Jackson's sister Janet's 2008 album, Discipline.