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DJ Kool

b. 1958

American DJ

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About DJ Kool

Born 1958. DJ Kool is an American disc jockey, hype man, record producer, rapper, composer and musician.

John W. Bowman Jr. (born March 20, 1958), better known by his stage name DJ Kool, is an American rapper who produced several popular rap singles in the late 1980s. As a performer, he is best known for his 1996 hit single "Let Me Clear My Throat", the title track from his 1996 album of the same name.

Career Raised in Washington, D.C., his influence from years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music.

In 1996, he released the single "Let Me Clear My Throat" on American Recordings, which charted around the world including the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and top 10 in the UK and Netherlands in March 1997. The song prominently features a sample of "The 900 Number" by the 45 King (which itself features a sample from Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself", repeated over a breakbeat for six minutes). The song also began by sampling "Hollywood Swinging" by Kool & the Gang. The song is a recognizable dance floor-filler, and the track remains popular .

In 2001 he featured on Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get in da Club) by Redman. In 2003, DJ Kool contributed to the song "Hit the Floor" from the "Macho Man" Randy Savage studio album, Be a Man.

Discography Albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions US USHeat. USR&B The Music Ain't Loud Enuff Released: 1990 Label: SOH, Creative Funk Formats: CD, LP, cassette — — 60 20 Minute Workout Released: 1994 Label: CLR Formats: CD, LP, cassette — — 84 Let Me Clear My Throat Released: April 23, 1996 Label: CLR, American Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download 161 8 21 Gimmie Dat BeatReleased: April 8, 1997 Label: Liaison Formats: CD, LP, cassette — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Singles "Let Me Clear My Throat" (1996)

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Important facts

People in DJ Kool's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped DJ Kool's

Frequently asked questions

Who is DJ Kool?

American DJ

When was DJ Kool born?

DJ Kool was born on 20 March 1958 in Washington, D.C..

What is DJ Kool's occupation?

DJ Kool is a disc jockey, hype man, record producer, rapper, composer and musician.

What nationality is DJ Kool?

DJ Kool is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: DJ Kool

· Wikidata: Q332892

· DBpedia: DJ Kool

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). DJ Kool. https://biography.guide/dj-kool/

MLA: "DJ Kool." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dj-kool/.

Chicago: "DJ Kool." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dj-kool/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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