DJ Kool is an American DJ and rapper who, in the late 1980s, produced several popular rap singles. Born in 1958 in Washington, D.C., his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music. He recorded with creative funk music from 1988 to 1992 he was then picked up by CLR records in 1992 he was then picked up by American recordings in 1996 and released the chart topping single "Let Me Clear My Throat," which peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1997. The song prominently featured a sample of "The 900 Number" by DJ Mark the 45 King, (that song featured 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 and the Gang. The song is a recognizable dance floor-filler, and the track remains popular to this day. DJ Kool was featured on Mýa's 2006 single "Ayo!" from her 2008 album Liberation. He was also featured on two tracks on Will Smith's 2005 album Lost and Found.