DJ Clark Kent was a real-life rap superhero

A quote always comes to mind when I think of DJ Clark Kent. “I had seen what happened with the industry and Jaz[-O] early on,” Jay-Z once said. “Without Clark pushing me to make that initial album, I don’t know where I’d be.” Kent, born Rodolfo Franklin in Panama, passed away on October 24 after battling colon cancer for three years, according to a statement posted on his Instagram. He was 58. In a year that has already seen profound losses in hip-hop — DJ Mister Cee, Rob Stone, Rich Homie Quan, Rico Wade and Fatman Scoop to name a few — Kent’s loss hits a particular nerve given his story and the manner of his passing. It sounds cliche to say that without so-and-so hip-hop’s story wouldn’t be the same. Yet, with DJ Clark Kent, the saying applies. First, his resume speaks for itself. His career began in the late 1980s as a DJ for Brooklyn rapper Dana Dane. He went on to be a tour DJ for the Notorious B.I.G, another Brooklynite. His first major hit as a producer came with Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Player’s Anthem.” The track, which was Lil Kim’s first appearance on record and one Clark...