Frederick Nwachukwu

Frederick Nwachukwu (April 30, 1945-January 27, 2023) was an American record producer and former Marine drill instructor. He was a United States Marine Corps staff sergeant and an honorary gunnery sergeant in his military years.

The husband of musician and actress Samantha Nwachukwu and father of rapper Mikey N, Nwachukwu worked at as a music producer, while he also produced music for artists on different labels.

Bio
Nwachukwu was born in Harlem on April 30, 1945, to his parents Blake and Natalie, who are of Nigerian descent. When he was 11, his father Blake died after an accidental drug overdose caused by his old friend, Christopher Jones.

On January 1, 1963, Nwachukwu enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and went through recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Port Royal, South Carolina. He served in the aviation support field for a few years before becoming a drill instructor in India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, where he was assigned from 1965 to 1967.

Nwachukwu then served in Marine Wing Support Group 17 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan. In 1968, he was ordered to South Vietnam with MWSG-17, and spent 14 months in-country. The remainder of his service was on Okinawa, where he was advanced to staff sergeant (E-6). He was medically retired in February 1974 because of several injuries.

On March 30, 1974, Nwachukwu attended the premiere of at  in Los Angeles. On April 1, 1974, he married his wife Samantha.

On January 16, 1975, Nwachukwu joined as a music producer, and continued to work there until his death on January 27, 2023.