Clinton Sparks, who is readying his Disco Ball & Chain album due April 2014, recently spoke about his motivation to step out as a solo artist after being behind-the-scenes in previous years. 

“I started out rapping and dancing as a kid,” Clinton Sparks says to thenehiphop.com. “But then Eminem came out and I was like, ‘Alright, I’m not gonna rap no more. That doesn’t make sense.’ I was never trying to be a singer. I really just wanted to be a songwriter and producer. I became a deejay to get that off, to get music off to people, but then I couldn’t get anybody to demo my records. Then the first song I wrote and demoed, Beyonce cut…She was like, ‘Oh my God. It’s a hit with you on it.'”

Beyonce wasn’t the only person to motivate him to work more on his music, according to Cliton Sparks. Kanye West was also a factor who influenced his decision to do more solo work. 

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“When I played Kanye my music, he was like, ‘What are you trying to do?'” Sparks says. “I was like, ‘I was gonna make it 80 percent other people and 20 percent me.’ He was like, ‘No. It needs to be 80 percent you.’ So there were people encouraging me to do it that had no reason to encourage me. There’s no agenda. I’ve seen Kanye diss people before. He’s not gonna tell you you’re good if he doesn’t think you are…and Beyonce don’t need to tell me that. So those are kind of the two people that made me feel like, ‘Maybe I should give this a shot.'” 

In 2011, Sparks spoke with HipHopDX about his solo career.

“I’ve always been a performer, even before I was a DJ,” Sparks said. 

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Disco Ball & Chain is due April via Photo Finish and Island Def Jam.

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