Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins (born July 29, 1977) is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, record producer, and musician. Working largely with his brother Fred Jerkins III & writer LaShawn Daniels. He has been requested by such artists as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Pussycat Dolls, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige and Lionel Richie. The words "Darkchild" appear in some form in many of his tracks. He is currently working on forthcoming albums from Janet Jackson[1], Cassie, Anastacia, Melanie Brown,Monica Mania:// The Suga Mama of Music Blogs Se7en, and Natasha.

Biography

Jerkins was born into a religious family as the youngest son of a minister and choir director mother. He grew up in Pleasantville, New Jersey.Norment, Lynn. "Rodney Jerkins: music maestro on a mission.", Ebony (magazine), June 1, 2002. Accessed December 19, 2007. "Jerkins is pop music's newest and youngest hit-making wiz. At age 24, the Pleasantville, N.J., native is a fascinating coming-of-age success story and stands out among hundreds of rags-to-riches tales." He began taking classical music lessons on the piano as a small child. As a teenager he had already decided to become a record producer. At 15, he and his brother Fred Jerkins III wrote and produced their own gospel rap album - On the Move. He began making more demos, one of which caught the attention of idol Teddy Riley, who gave him advice on the music industry. Finally, his first professional writing and producing job came in 1994 when he contributed two tracks to the debut album of R&B artist Casserine. Riley also subsequently let Jerkins share writing and production duties on tracks by Pure Soul, Men Of Vizion & Wreckx-N-Effect in 1995 & 1996.Rodney Jerkins: music maestro on a mission - Interview | Ebony | Find Articles at BNET.com