Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Breaks Down His Iconic Hits with Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and More

Published: June 23, 2025

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the legendary producer behind some of the most iconic songs of the past three decades, has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Jerkins shared the stories behind some of his most memorable records.

Aaliyah - "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (1996)

Jerkins recalls working with Aaliyah on this song, which was one of his early successes. "I was working out of Staten Island a lot at the studio called Mystic Studios. And I was like, 'Hey, if we're going to do a session, can we do it way out there?' Because it was off the beaten path for most people."

Brandy and Monica - "The Boy is Mine" (1998)

Jerkins reveals that the song wasn't originally intended as a duet. "It wasn't a duet from the beginning. It was just a Brandy song. And then we decided, 'Oh, this would be stronger if it became a duet with Brandy and Monica.'" He also clarifies that the song wasn't inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's "The Girl is Mine."

Whitney Houston - "It's Not Right but It's Okay" (1999)

Jerkins shares his experience working with the legendary Whitney Houston. "I've always felt she was my favorite female vocalist of all time. And I also knew that we had similar backgrounds, the church background. So when I got in the studio with her, I was blown away."

Destiny's Child - "Say My Name" (1999)

Jerkins talks about the success of this song, which became a hit for Destiny's Child. "It's everything that I wanted it to become. Because that song has so many different moving parts. I thought I had finished that song, and then I went back into the studio and re-did it in a way because I wasn't pleased."

Jerkins also spoke about his work with other artists, including Jennifer Lopez, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Sam Smith, among others.

Read more about Rodney Jerkins' iconic hits and his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame here.

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