19 Facts About Rodney Jerkins

1.

Rodney Jerkins has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.

2.

Rodney Jerkins would follow his brother and father, who both played at church gatherings.

3.

Rodney Jerkins attended Absegami High School, and identifies as a Christian.

4.

At age 14, Rodney Jerkins was mentored by his idol, Teddy Riley, but he did not accept a contract offer to work with the producer due to an aspiration to build an "empire" without such support.

5.

Rodney Jerkins was offered a chance to work at Bad Boy Records, but declined.

6.

Rodney Jerkins' first recorded output was a "gospel rap" collaboration with his brother, Fred Rodney Jerkins III, entitled On the Move.

7.

Rodney Jerkins later incorporated the name "Darkchild", at the age of 17, subsequently accepting a worldwide publishing deal with the EMI Music Corporation.

8.

Rodney Jerkins' stated his first big projects were Blige's Share My World, Whitney Houston's It's Not Right but It's Okay, and Brandy and Monica's The Boy Is Mine.

9.

Rodney Jerkins was a music executive and mentor on season 10 of American Idol.

10.

In 2013, Rodney Jerkins was hired on to be a producer for Michael Jackson's posthumous album Xscape.

11.

Rodney Jerkins originally worked on the title track for the album from 1999 to 2001.

12.

Rodney Jerkins is the only producer to work on the original version and reworking version of the title track.

13.

In preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, Rodney Jerkins produced a song featuring the Palestinian 2013 Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf.

14.

Fats appeared on two tracks Rodney Jerkins produced for Michael Jackson's album Invincible, and So Plush released the single "Things I've Heard Before".

15.

Rodney Jerkins released his wife Joy Enriquez's second album Atmosphere of Heaven, which features a religious direction, on his independent gospel imprint JoyFul Child Records.

16.

The Darkchild name has been loaned to Darkchild Gospel, a record company run by Rodney Jerkins' brother, Fred Rodney Jerkins III.

17.

In late 2008, Jerkins joined Nicholas Longano, Ray Brown, and Jonathan E Eubanks in creating Music Mogul, Inc MusicMogul.

18.

Rodney Jerkins has been married to singer Joy Enriquez since April 4,2004.

19.

Rodney Jerkins is currently starring with Johnny Wright in a number of episodes of the YOBI.