DJ Clark Kent‘s family has sadly confirmed that the legendary Hip Hop figure has passed away at the age of 58 following a three-year battle with colon cancer.
A post to his Instagram account on Friday (October 25) revealed he’d passed the night before while surrounded by his loved ones.
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“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of the beloved Rodolfo A. Franklin, known to the world as DJ Clark Kent,” it read. “Clark passed away Thursday evening surrounded by his devoted wife Kesha, daughter Kabriah and son Antonio.
“Clark quietly and valiantly fought a three year battle with Colon Cancer, while continuing to share his gifts with the world. The family is grateful for everyone’s love, support and prayers during this time and ask for privacy as they process this immense loss.”
Tributes immediately poured in from DJ Clark Kent’s peers, including Jim Jones, Questlove, Nick Cannon and more.
“First person to tell me don’t stop SIP Clark,” Jones wrote.
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“Clark will forever be the culture,” Quest wrote with a prayer emoji.
Fab 5 Freddy wrote: “This a great and a sad loss. A stand up guy who left a deep & resonating mark on the culture. I was honored to put him in New Jack City as a DJ in the early club scene and that’s how we became friends as he’d always thank me for that. Salute to a great one, DJ Clark Kent.”
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News of Clark’s passing arrives just over a week afterThe Source first claimed that the veteran DJ, producer and sneakerhead had died due to an undisclosed illness, citing information from a family member – a report that Angie Martinez and others swiftly denied.
The famed host wrote on X: “The article that The Source Mag & others have posted about the passing of Dj Clark Kent is false. Clark is home with his family. Please refrain from sharing any other false information. It is hurtful, deeply irresponsible and untrue.”
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Pete Rock also hit out at those spreading the unsubstantiated news, writing on Instagram: “DJ Clark Kent has not passed away. Stop traumatizing his family posting that he passed!!”
In August, it was reported that Martinez is producing a documentary about the 58-year-old, who produced classic songs like JAY-Z‘s “Brooklyn’s Finest,” Biggie‘s “Sky’s the Limit” and Junior M.A.F.I.A.‘s “Player’s Anthem.”
Titled God’s Favorite DJ: The Story of DJ Clark Kent, the film will chronicle his influential four-decade career in Hip Hop, exploring how he convinced JAY-Z to pursue rap full-time, “taught The Notorious B.I.G. to perform like a star” and “coached Lil Kim through her first studio session.”
The documentary will also include appearances from the likes of Hov, Questlove and DJ Khaled.
