Danny Clark, a starting linebacker for the NY Giants, is involved in much more than tackling on the field. he’s also attempting to tackle the music industry. Among many other ventures, Clark is actively developing his production company Family Biz Entertainment. How did you get involved in the music business? Music is ultimately my second passion. It ties into so much in my life. It can be an inspiration to others, it’s uplifting when things are bad, and it can get you pumped up for an active situation like playing football. At home my dad always made sure music was played at all times. It worked for us. Where did the idea come from for your company Family Biz Entertainment? The way Family Biz was constructed was my best friend was a drummer in a band growing up and he had aspirations of doing more. I couldn’t sing or play an instrument, but I was always a fan of music, and seeing someone as passionate about it as I was sparked Family Biz. The name came from two of the most important things to me, outside of my faith. What exactly does your company do in the music business? We’re a production company. The producers are Severe Garcia and Black Vega. They’re a team, like the Cool n Dre situation and their tag is “Garcia/Vega.” We make tracks and construct whole songs. We have writers and people that make the tracks. What I’m finding out is that artists are lazy and I’m not saying that in a negative way. If they can get a whole package delivered to them where they can just sing or rap it, it’s more attractive to them than just getting a track. That’s what’s makes us special. Switching over to some football talk, how did you feel when the Giants put the offer on the table for you to come to their team? I had mixed feelings. Our head coach Tom Coughlin was my coach at Jacksonville. This was a very strict guy and it wasn’t a very personal relationship. So I wasn’t excited but I liked the team concept that I saw from afar. Once I stepped foot on the [Giants field], I realized he was a different man. He genuinely cared about his players and how they can
be better. The team concept is unmatched. I haven’t seen anything like it. We have a family mentality on this football team and that’s one of the keys to us being successful. You’re actually a well-rounded business man with several businesses. Talk to me about some of the other things you’re involved in. The Danny Clark Foundation was established this year. You can check it out on www.dannyclarkfoundation.com. It was inspired by my son who was born three months premature. He was born 1 lb, 3 ounces. What me and his mom had to deal and not knowing what to expect, I felt it was important to have a support system. The idea was sparked back then in 2002 and it wasn’t formed until this year. When I met with the board of directors, I was urged not to limit myself to the issue of prematurity. I also felt uplifting the youth was so important, and creating positive role models. How do you uplift those children? I do a number of different activities. I have two free football camps, one in my hometown in Illinois and one in my wife’s hometown Magnolia, Mississippi. We have 400 kids come out for free and we guide them on their way. Of course we have teammates from across the league come out and support the event. We enjoy helping out the kids any way possible. Our most recent event was Shop with a Jock where myself and fifteen other teammates take fifteen children to Wal-Mart and give each one a $100 gift card. We’re picking up steam and doing collaborative efforts with the March of Dimes and a couple other youth foundations. What’s in store for the near future? I’m sure you have big plans for Family Biz in ‘09. We produced some tracks for 50. We’re gonna have one or two tracks on his album. We’re real excited about working with G-Unit. We did something with Cupid. Pablo Escobar, Jr. is doing a movie of his dad’s life and he offered us a chance to do a few songs on the soundtrack. We’re doing some things in all genres and we wanna work on doing some things for the movie business as well. Is there a website where people can listen to the music? Myspace.com/doublenixx and www.dannyclark55.com. Words by Ms. Rivercity Photo by Jay Lawrence Goldman
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