The following article was in the British newspaper, "The Express" on Monday February 22nd.

WHIZZKID PUTS JACKO IN A SPIN

Little-known Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, a 21-year-old New Yorker DJ and master remixer, is the latest name assigned to help revive Michael Jackson's flagging career. The self-proclaimed Prince of Pop contacted the rising hip-hop whizzkid after hearing Jerkins' collaborations with Whitney Houston, R.Kelly, Mariah Carey and up-and-coming teen divas Brandy and Monica.
"Rodney was expecting the call," says a friend of the producer. "Everyone knows how obsessive Michael is about new trends. Urban R&B is the big thing. Even Michael's sister Janet has been roughing up her image my making a guest appearance on the Blackstreet single Boyfriend, Girlfriend. "The first thing Michael told Rodney was that he rated him the best new producer around. Rodney was stunned. He said Michael was after a grittier street sound, though there will be retro soulful ballads. Michael's planning a new, contemporary look too. I've heard the hair may go." Six tracks have already been recorded in top secret. Jackson works on the raw material in California and Jerkins remixes the results in New York. "The buzz is that the songs are among the best he has ever done," says the friend.
Jackson has promised his bosses at Epic a brand new album for the millenium. A single has been scheduled for the autumn. Jerkins will hope not to follow in the footsteps of Teddy Riley and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who, despite their reputations, failed to return Jackson to the euphoric heights he enjoyed under legendary Quincy Jones. Other producers drafted in to halt Jacko's decline include Jermaine Dupri, whose previous credits include TLC and Babyface, and whose recent work includes a duet with Stevie Wonder. "Michael has been restless for a new direction since the birth of his children," says a record company executive. "He is also very aware that he is now in his 40s and that there's plenty of competition out that's younger and hungrier. Don't count him out just yet. Michael has no intention of handing over his crown to anyone."