Darren Lighty | |
---|---|
Birth name | Darren F. Lighty |
Also known as | D-Life, Smooth |
Born | Paterson, New Jersey | April 6, 1969
Genres | Hip hop, R&B |
Occupation(s) | Session musician, Record producer, Background vocalist |
Instrument | Keyboards |
Years active | 1990–present |
Labels | Cold Chillin', Divine Mill |
Website | Darren Lighty's Twitter Page |
Darren Lighty (born April 6, 1969 in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American hip-hop and R&B record producer and songwriter.
Lighty got his initial start in the industry as part of the group The Flex, which also included his brother Cliff Lighty and Eric Williams.[1] They were discovered by hip hop producer Marley Marl, who had them sing the hooks on songs he produced for LL Cool J, Heavy D. & the Boyz, Craig G and Intelligent Hoodlum.[2] The group disbanded before recording an album and the trio went their separate ways. Darren and his brother Cliff continued on as songwriters and session musicians, while Eric Williams became a member of Teddy Riley's group Blackstreet.[3]
In the early 2000s, Lighty closely worked with Eddie F. on several songs as a producer. He later collaborated with Naughty by Nature member Kay Gee for production and songwriting.[4] Lighty has worked with artists such as Aaliyah, Donell Jones, Jaheim, Next, Luther Vandross, Queen Latifah, Nas, Mario and more.