Angie Martinez to Make Directorial Debut With ‘God’s Favorite DJ: The Story of DJ Clark Kent’ Doc

Dubbed the “Voice of New York,” Angie Martinez has been a towering figure in New York City hip-hop radio for decades, being inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020. She also became a New York Times best-selling author when her 2016 memoir made the list. And now she can add director to her accomplished résumé: The hip-hop journalist will make her directorial debut with a documentary about the important, yet often overlooked, DJ Clark Kent.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Angie had this to say: “DJ Clark Kent is a rare gem whose influence is seen in nearly every era of Hip-Hop’s history books. With our 50-year-old culture susceptible to outside perspective and agenda, it’s important that we spotlight the heroes who push the art form with purity and authenticity. I am honored to help share Clark’s many truths with the world.”

Born Rodolfo Franklin, the Panamanian-American DJ and producer was instrumental in the careers of Jay-Z, Foxy Brown and Shyne, among others. He’s produced tracks for the likes of Jay, Biggie and Mariah Carey, most notably “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “Sky’s the Limit” and “Loverboy (Remix),” respectively. Kent is also a well-respected figure within the sneaker community, collaborating with brands like Nike and Adidas, and owning upward of 3,000 pairs of sneakers.

“I’m honored to have Angie Martinez directing. Her entire career has been rooted in telling stories in a beautiful & meaningful way. Angie is a true icon of Hip Hop and we are very lucky to have her guiding this project,” Kent told the outlet.

The documentary will be called God’s Favorite DJ: The Story of DJ Clark Kent and the synopsis reads as follows: “[This doc] tells the story of a man who spent the last four decades uninterruptedly as an architect, teacher, and unsung hero within Hip-Hop. The world class DJ, producer and sneaker aficionado takes us back to watershed moments when he single-handedly altered history; like when he convinced Shawn Carter to believe in the future of Jay-Z or taught the Notorious B.I.G. to perform like a star and coached Lil Kim through her first studio session. Directed by award-winning media personality and creator of the IRL (In Real Life) Podcast Angie Martinez, the documentary illuminates how much Clark’s DNA appears in several corners of present pop culture — from the stars for whom he composes music (Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Rick Ross) to his 2024 sneaker collaboration with Nike that now resells for over $10K.”

Produced in partnership with Green Leaf Productions and Mark Sparks Productions, the documentary will feature friends and peers like Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, DJ D-Nice and more.