#GetFamiliarFridays | Clinton Sparks

Thu, May 30th · 5:48 PM

Clinton Sparks' first steps toward fame were made with his remixes of popular singles, which he delivered to radio DJs in his native Massachusetts. He then assembled mixtapes, distributed them up and down the East Coast, and earned enough clout to snare big-name MCs for exclusive verses. That led to hosting live radio programs in Boston, Baltimore, and Hartford, as well as DJ'ing on Eminem's Shade 45 Sirius channel. In 2005, Sparks partnered with Koch for Maybe You Been Brainwashed, an official mixtape of productions featuring contributions from Busta Rhymes, Clipse, Diddy, and Mobb Deep. Although he made major moves as a producer, worked as a correspondent on the E! News channel, and spun at high-profile parties, he didn't cease making remixes and mixtapes, such as the My Awesome Mixtape series. "Bloody Mary," a track he produced for Lady Gaga's Grammy-nominated Born This Way, highlighted 2011, one of his biggest years. After signing to Matt Galle's Island/Def Jam-affiliated Photo Finish label, he teamed up with Macklemore, 2 Chainz, and D.A. for the rowdy "Gold Rush," the lead single from his 2014 album, ICONoclast.