John W. Bowman Jr. (born 1958), better known by his stage name DJ Kool, is an American DJ and rapper who produced several popular rap singles in the late 1980s. Raised in Washington, D.C., his influence from years of working the go-go and rap circuits became apparent in his music.

In 1996, he released the chart topping single "Let Me Clear My Throat" on American Recordings, which peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1997. The song prominently featured a sample of "The 900 Number" by 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 two tracks on Will Smith's 2005 album Lost and Found. He was also featured on Mýa's 2006 single "Ayo!" from her 2008 album Liberation.