Clinton Sparks | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sparks in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Clinton Charls Sparks[1] |
| Also known as | DJ Clinton Sparks |
| Born | (1979-09-18)September 18, 1979 (age 45)[citation needed] Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | clintonsparks |
Clinton Charls Sparks (born September 18, 1979)[citation needed] is an American DJ and record producer fromBoston,Massachusetts.[2] He initially started his career as a rapper, dancer, producer, and DJ who gained notoriety by makingbootlegremixes andmixtapes and parlayed that into hosting radio shows on Boston'sHot 97.7,Baltimore's92Q,Hartford'sHot 93.7, andSirius XM'sShade 45 (among others). He was the long-time host of a worldwide syndicated radio show calledSmashTime Radio (also referred to asGet Familiar with Clinton Sparks). He is the current host and owner of the nationalhip hop radio stationGet Familiar Radio onDash Radio, a digital radio platform for which he served as vice president from 2016 to 2019.
In 2012, he was nominated for aGrammy for his production work onLady Gaga'sBorn This Way. That year, he also won aBMIsongwriting award for writingPitbull's "Shut It Down" and has since won severalASCAP Awards withDJ Snake as part of his Get Familiar Music publishing company. He has written and produced songs for a number of notable acts, includingAkon,Ludacris,2 Chainz,Ty Dolla Sign,Lil Uzi Vert,Big Sean, and numerous others. Sparks has also made music of his own, including the 2005 album,Maybe You Been Brainwashed, and the 2014EP,ICONoclast. He was featured on the song "Saturday Night," which was featured on thesoundtrack for the 2016stand-up comedy film,Kevin Hart: What Now?.
Additionally, Sparks co-founded the mixtape database, MixUnit.com; served as music correspondent for theE! series,The Daily 10 andE! News; and has held executive positions at a variety of companies including Karmaloop,FaZe Clan, Islide, PingTank, IC Realtech, and Dash Radio. In July 2020, Sparks co-founded and became the chief business development officer of the newly formedXSET, an esports and lifestyle gaming organization. He also hosts theTwitch show,Win Big with Clinton Sparks, and authored his first book,How to Win Big in the Music Business, in 2020.
Sparks was born and raised largely in theDorchester neighborhood ofBoston,Massachusetts.[3] His parents got divorced when he was around 4 years old, and he lived with his mother for most of his childhood.[4] He began using his mother's stereo as aturntable at age 10 and began manipulating his favorite parts of recordings to create new songs. When he was 12, he stole his first set of actual turntables and started making music for his groups and local artists. Sparks was a rapper and a dancer who, with his entourage, would win local talent shows.[5]
Around that time, he and his mother moved to theHyde Park neighborhood in Boston.[3][6] Run-ins with the law throughout his youth prompted his mother to send him to live with his father in Jr high school, who struggled withalcoholism, inRandolph, Massachusetts. He graduated fromRandolph High School.
After high school at age 19, he got a job withUPS and moved back to Dorchester.[3] Eventually, he moved back in to his mother's home and built a recording studio in her basement where he would make original mixtapes and travel up and down the East Coast to hand them out.[6] An injury sustained while working for UPS required Sparks to undergo spinal surgery, severely limiting his ability to perform manual labor. He began focusing more earnestly on music in the aftermath.[3][4]
From his basement studio at his mother's house, Sparks was able to convince major record labels that he ran a successful online radio show. Around the year 2000, he conducted interviews there with acts likeEminem,Common,Sean Kingston,Talib Kweli, theWu-Tang Clan,Mobb Deep, the Clipse, and others. He ran the interviews on the radio station where he worked, Boston's Hot 97.7.[6][7][8] Sparks was also able to accumulate freestyle raps and performances (usually over his own beats) from these artists that he would put into mixtapes.[8] In 2002, he won the award for New Mixtape DJ of the Year at the Justo Mixtape Awards.[9] By 2004, Sparks was hosting weekly radio shows on Hot 97.7, Baltimore's 92Q, and Hartford,Connecticut's Hot 93.7. He also hosted a syndicated hip hop show,SmashTime Radio, through SupeRadio that aired in 40 cities.[10] That year, he was also named the Radio DJ of the Year at the MixshowPower Summit Awards.[11]
Also in 2004, Sparks co-founded MixUnit.com, an online mixtape marketplace that ultimately became one of the largest hubs for mixtapes on the internet. He often released his own mixtapes and bootlegs on the site, including a series dubbedSmashTime Blends and severalGet Familiar volumes. Acts featured on his tapes have included,The Game,Snoop Dogg,Destiny's Child,T.I.,Usher,Ciara,Fat Joe,Cam'ron,Kanye West,Jim Jones,Amerie,Ashanti,Ja Rule,Fabolous, and numerous others. The site helped mixtape DJs likeDJ Drama andDJ Khaled accumulate a following.[3][8] In 2005, Sparks produced theRe-Up Gang'sWe Got It 4 Cheap mixtapes (bothVolume 1 andVolume 2). The Re-Up Gang was composed of both members of the Clipse (Pusha T andNo Malice) and two other rappers (Ab-Liva and Sandman).Volume 2 is widely considered a classic, and it also popularized Sparks' vision of the "mixtape-as-album" format.[8][12]
That year, Sparks began hosting a show on Eminem's Sirius satellite radio channel, Shade 45, and added another weekly show inNorth Carolina.[3] He also producedThe Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Hold Ya Head" featuringBob Marley off Biggie's posthumous final studio album,Duets: The Final Chapter.[6] In April 2005, Sparks released his own studio album,Maybe You Been Brainwashed, onKoch Records. The lead single, "Run This City," featuredP. Diddy andMiri Ben-Ari. Other featured acts on the album includedBusta Rhymes,Kardinal Offishall,Jadakiss,Mobb Deep, the Clipse, and others.[3][4][13]
In March 2006, Sparks signed a worldwide syndication deal with SupeRadio that took hisSmashTime Radio show to Canada, Australia, and Europe.[11] Later that year, he was named a member of thePepsi DJ Division, a group of DJs who would serve as brand ambassadors and influencers for the company.[14][15] In October 2006, he was named Diddy's official tour DJ for hisPress Play tour. The two also released an accompanying mixtape entitledDon't Call It A Comeback.[16] In 2007, Sparks produced, co-wrote, and provided vocals for the Akon song, "Sorry, Blame It on Me," which would eventually be certified platinum.[6][17]
Also in 2007, he was hired byBen Lyons to become a music correspondent for the E! network series,The Daily 10 andE! News. He also began hosting a weekly "SmashTime Party" presented by E! at theLas Vegas nightclub, Body English located inside theHard Rock Hotel and Casino.[18][19][20] In 2008, he provided production work on Ludacris' "Call Up The Homies" and on theColby O'Donis album,Colby O. He also co-wroteBeyoncé's "Forever to Bleed" (originally titled "Inevitably"). The song was supposed to appear on her album,I Am... Sasha Fierce, but was kept off after it leaked on the internet.[17][21]
In 2009, he was featured alongside Jadakiss and Diddy on theChester French song, "Cîroc Star," becoming an official brand ambassador for the vodka.[22][23] He would also enter into a promotional partnership with Boston-based online apparel retailer,Karmaloop,[24] a company for which he served as director of marketing from 2010 to 2014.[25] Sparks continued writing and producing songs in 2009, including Pitbull's "Shut It Down,"[6] for which he won a BMI Songwriting Award.[26] He also worked withT-Pain andLeighton Meester and moved his weekly Las Vegas DJ sets to the newly-opened Vanity nightclub in the Hard Rock Hotel.[27] In 2010, Sparks released his first single as lead vocalist entitled "Favorite DJ" featuringDJ Class andJermaine Dupri. The song was featured on the video game,DJ Hero 2.[28]
In 2011, he released the single "Sucks to be You" featuringJoJo andLMFAO,[29] started a new weekly residency ("My Awesome Party") at the Moon nightclub in thePalms Casino Resort,[30] and released a new series of mixtapes entitled,My Awesome Mixtape, which featured an introduction fromSamuel L. Jackson.[31] He also signed a record deal withInterscope Records and changed the name of his syndicated radio show toMy Awesome Radio Show. At the grand opening of his "Awesome Party," Sparks made his entrance by being lowered from a helicopter through the retractable roof of the hotel onto his DJ set.[6] In 2012, he began working on an album with his band, UGHmerica. He also released the song "Watch You" featuring Pitbull on theStrictly Rhythm record label.[32][33] He received his first Grammy nomination for his production work on Lady Gaga's "Bloody Mary" which appeared on the album,Born This Way.[6][34]
In 2013, he filmed a music video for his song "Boston Bass" (a bootleg remix of theDropkick Murphys song, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston") at a Dorchester boxing club.[35] In May of that year, he also released the single, "Gold Rush," featuring2 Chainz,Macklemore, andD. A. Wallach.[36] The song was accompanied by two videos: an actual video featuring the artists and a spoof "1849 Edition" featuring actorsNick Swardson andSimon Rex.[37][38] It was the first song he had released after signing toPhoto Finish/Island Def Jam.[39] Later that year, he was featured withTeddy Riley on theBad Rabbits song, "Dance With You,"[40] and released another original song, "Turnt Up" featuringRiFF RAFF, 2 Chainz, andWaka Flocka Flame.[41]
In March 2014, he launched a new monthly event called "The Greatest Party On Earth" at the 1 OAK Nightclub inThe Mirage.[42] In early 2014, he released the song "Stay With You Tonight" again featuring RiFF RAFF andLil Debbie.[43] He followed that up with releases of "Shut Up and Go" and "Geronimo" featuringSage the Gemini, T-Pain, andTy Dolla Sign before releasing his debut major label EP,ICONoclast, on September 9, 2014.[44] He also went on a mini-tour in support of the album.[45] The EP featured six songs, including the aforementioned "Gold Rush" and "Geronimo" along with "UV Love" featuring T.I.[46] During this time, Sparks also served as the Head of Entertainment for the online customslide retailer, Islide.[47]
In March 2015, Sparks was named president of PingTank, a tech startup with an app that created animations to layer over photos and videos. He left that company in June to become theCCO and creative director of IC Realtech, a security and surveillance solutions company.[48][49] In July 2015, he opened a club called "blue" inMarina Bay.[50] He also formed the music publishing company, Get Familiar Music. He is credited with discovering and signing French DJ and producer,DJ Snake, who has won several ASCAP Pop Awards with songs published by Get Familiar. Other acts Sparks has discovered and signed includeTchami, Joey Bandz, and pineappleCITI.[51][52][53][54][55][56][57] In August 2016, he and Joey Bandz were featured on theChocolate Droppa (Kevin Hart's musical pseudonym) song "Saturday Night". The song would eventually be featured on the soundtrack for the stand-up comedy film,Kevin Hart: What Now?.[58][59]
In 2017, Sparks began his own branded party ("Get Familiar Fridays") and residency at Club Shrine inside theFoxwoods Resort Casino inConnecticut.[60] In June of that year, Sparks announced that he would start his own station[61] and weekly radio show,Clinton Sparks Radio, on the digital radio platform, Dash Radio.[62] The show and station were later renamedGet Familiar Radio.[49][63] In September 2017, pineappleCITI—an artist Sparks manages and is credited with discovering—released her self-titled album that featured the Sparks-produced track, "Check On You," which also appeared on her February 2019 studio album,neonBLUE.[56][64] In October 2017, Sparks released a new single, "Hit My Line," featuring Joey Bandz.[65] In September, he released the single "Think About You" featuringMarc E. Bassy.[66] In 2016, he was named the vice president of business development at Dash Radio and helped the company close an $8.8-million funding round in 2018.[67][68]
In 2018,[25] Sparks began serving as the director of business development for theesports team, FaZe Clan. As part of his work with FaZe Clan, Sparks helped bring hip hop stars likeYo Gotti,DJ Paul,[69] Pitbull,Swae Lee,[70] andOffset[71] into the esports and gaming sphere as investors and participants. In July 2020, he left FaZe Clan to become thechief business development officer at XSET, a separate gaming organization that he co-founded withGreg Selkoe, Wil Eddins, and Marco Mereu. With XSET, he is responsible for recruiting artists as investors and ambassadors. Swae Lee became the first artist to invest in the company in October 2020.[70][72]
Also in October 2020,[73] he started a music and business show on Twitch calledWin Big with Clinton Sparks.[74] He released his first book,How to Win Big in the Music Business, which features a foreword byDaymond John.[73] The book was originally given away for free as an ebook on its website.[75] In January 2021, Sparks joined Esports Technologies as a strategic advisor.[76]
In 2010, he was featured as one of the in-game DJ's in themusic video gameDJ Hero 2, where his mixes were included alongside other prominent DJ's,[77] providing players with diverse range ofhip-hop andelectronic music tracks.[78][79]
Sparks lent his voice to the 2006 action-adventure video gameScarface: The World Is Yours, which is based on the1983 film Scarface. His involment added to the game's immersive experience by contributing to its rich audio landscape. He also provided voice work forSaints Row: The Third, the 2011 open-world action game developed byVolition.[80] His participation in the game contributed to its eclectic soundtrack and vibrant in-game radio stations enhancing the overall player experience.
In 2020, he co-foundedXSET, anesports and gaming lifestyle organization, where he serves as theChief Business Development Officer.[81][82] ThroughXSET, Sparks aims to bridge the gap between music, gaming and culture fostering a diverse and inclusive community within the gaming world.[83][84]
In 2024, he became theCEO of the Global Gaming League,[85] where he focuses on expanding opportunities for gamers worldwide and promoting growth of esports as a mainstream form of entertainment.[86]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Maybe You Been Brainwashed |
|
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Iconoclast |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B/HH Dig. [87] | |||||||||
| "Run This City"(featuringP. Diddy andMiri Ben-Ari) | 2005 | — | Maybe You Been Brainwashed | ||||||
| "Favorite DJ"(featuringDJ Class andJermaine Dupri) | 2010 | — | Non-album singles | ||||||
| "Sucks to Be You"(featuringJoJo andLMFAO) | 2011 | — | |||||||
| "Watch You"(featuringPitbull) | 2012 | — | |||||||
| "Gold Rush"(featuring2 Chainz,Macklemore, andD.A.) | 2013 | 46 | Iconoclast | ||||||
| "Stay With You Tonight"(featuringRiff Raff) | 2014 | — | Non-album singles | ||||||
| "Hit My Line"(featuring Joey Bandz) | 2017 | — | |||||||
| "Think About You"(featuringMarc E. Bassy) | 2018 | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Cîroc Star" (Chester French featuringDiddy,Jadakiss, and Clinton Sparks) | 2009 | Non-album singles |
| "Dance with You" (Bad Rabbits featuring Clinton Sparks andTeddy Riley) | 2013 | |
| "Saturday Night" (Chocolate Droppa featuring Clinton Sparks and Joey Bandz) | 2016 | Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa) |
| Song | Year | Artist | Album [88] | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Hold Ya Head"[6] | 2005 | The Notorious B.I.G.(feat.Bob Marley) | Duets: The Final Chapter | Producer | |
| Various songs | Re-Up Gang | We Got It 4 CheapVolume 1 andVolume 2 | Producer | ||
| "Sorry, Blame It on Me"[6] | 2007 | Akon | Konvicted | Writer | US #7,[89] Platinum[6] |
| "Down in tha Dirty" | Ludacris(feat.Bun B andRick Ross) | Non-album single | Producer | ||
| "Don't Turn Back" | 2008 | Colby O'Donis | Colby O[21] | Producer | |
| "Sophisticated Bad Girl" | Producer | ||||
| "Follow You" | Producer | ||||
| "Thinkin' Bout Ya" | Producer | ||||
| "II Trill" | Bun B(feat.Z-Ro andJ. Prince) | II Trill | Producer | ||
| "Call Up the Homies"[21] | Ludacris(feat.The Game andWilly Northpole) | Theater of the Mind | Writer | ||
| "Take Me Away" | 2009 | Tyrese | Non-album single | Producer | |
| "Shut It Down" | Pitbull(feat.Akon) | Pitbull Starring in Rebelution | Writer, producer | US #42[90] | |
| "She Got It Made" | 2010 | Plies | Goon Affiliated | Writer, producer | US R&B #30[91] |
| "Vida 23" | Pitbull(feat.Nayer) | Armando | Writer, producer | ||
| "Boom" | Soulja Boy | The DeAndre Way | Writer, producer | ||
| "She Crazy" | Rick Ross(feat.Aaliyah andNe-Yo) | Ashes to Ashes | Writer, producer | ||
| "Shake Señora" | 2011 | Pitbull(feat.T-Pain andSean Paul) | Planet Pit | Writer, producer | US #69[90] |
| "Bloody Mary" | Lady Gaga | Born This Way | Producer | ||
| "One More Night" | Jordan Knight | Unfinished | Writer, producer | ||
| "I'm Good" | 2015 | The Mowgli's | Kids in Love | Writer, producer | |
| "Check on You" | 2017 | pineappleCITI | neonBLUE | Producer |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Justo Mixtape Awards | New Mixtape DJ of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Won | [9] |
| 2004 | MixshowPower Summit Awards | Radio DJ of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Won | [11] |
| 2005 | Satellite Radio DJ of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Won | [11] | |
| 2006 | Syndicated Radio Show of the Year | SmashTime Radio | Won | [92] | |
| Justo Mixtape Awards | Best Club DJ | Clinton Sparks | Won | [93] | |
| 2009 | Boston Music Awards | Producer of the Year – Pop/R&B | Clinton Sparks | Nominated | [94] |
| DJ/Electronic Act of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Nominated | [94] | ||
| 2012 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year | Born This Way | Nominated | [34] |
| 2012 | BMI Latin Music Awards | Top Latin Songwriter | Clinton Sparks for writing "Shut It Down" | Won | [26] |
| 2013 | Boston Music Awards | Producer of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Won | [95] |
| 2014 | Producer of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Nominated | [96] | |
| 2016 | Pop Artist of the Year | Clinton Sparks | Nominated | [97] | |
| ASCAP Pop Music Awards | Pop Song of the Year | DJ Snake for producing "Lean On"(published by Get Familiar Music) | Won | [53] | |
| Pop Song of the Year | DJ Snake for producing "You Know You Like It"(published by Get Familiar Music) | Won | [53] | ||
| 2017 | Pop Song of the Year | DJ Snake for writing "Let Me Love You"(published by Get Familiar Music) | Won | [54] | |
| 2018 | Pop Song of the Year | Won | [55] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
