DJ Kool (Born John W. Bowman, Jr.) was a rapper in the late 1990s who produced various popular rap singles. Born in 1959 in Washington, DC, his influence from his years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music. During the early- to mid-1980s, Kool worked as a warm-up DJ for Rare Essence, until he was picked up by CLR Records. In 1996, he recorded his most famous track, "Let Me Clear My Throat". The song prominently features a sample from the song "The 900 Number" by The 45 King, (that song featuring a sample from .