Derek grew up a fan of the Rolling Stones as well as Aretha Franklin, Al Green and Bob Marley to name but a small few.. He started out as a DJ when He was 15 as part of a mobile unit touring London clubs. He then moved into radio working for pirate stations including KISS FM and LWR before beginning his own WBLS station with friend Tim Strudwick.
Derek was by now established as one of the finest djs in London, He Worked with the dj Froggy the man who is considered the the original Jedi Master on the Wheels of Steel. It was whilst Derek worked with him ,that he learnt true art of being a DJ!
Dereks residency on Sundays at Bentleys in Canning Town is still regarded as one of the best nights ever in the history of london club culture!
Derek was also one of the original djs at Black Market at the Wag, with Barry Sharp And Steve Jervier and Horace! A legendary night out that spawned a few careers!
In 1987 he started working with Music Of Life label as the nearest thing to an A&R man. The label originally started producing compilations of US Hip Hop, but due to a lack of material and finances to acquire more licenses for the first record 'Def Beats 1' in 1986, the company's A&R man Derek Boland saved the day and recorded a track called 'Rock the Beat'.
DJ Derek B (and MC EZQ!) was born and Music of Life instead of putting out US tracks started putting out UK Hip Hop.
Multi talented from the offset Derek B was an AR man for Music of life, he signed,Mc Duke,Hijack, and the Demon Boyz, thrashpack and his opinion, was recognised to sign the whole music of life stable.
As an artist Derek B followed up "ROCK THE BEAT" this with two more 12"s on Music of life which charted: "Get Down"and 'Good Groove' the last of which was a top twenty single in the UK! were talking long before there was any legal rap show on the radio anything and Kiss FM was still a Pirate Radio station!
He was the first artist anywhere in the world to appear on MTVs Yo mtv raps a show which started in the UK and then went to the USA.
Subsequently he was to appear on Top of the Pops at a time that the only Rap groups that had been on were Break Machine and Doug E Fresh. Being the first UK rapper good enough he was quickly snapped up by Russel Simmons C.E.O. of Rush Artist Management .He was Rollin with rush! He Then started Tuff Audio, Phonograms new Hip Hop imprint where he continued to release 12"s such as 'Bad Young Brother' and specials like 'Def B-Boy'. and "We got The Juice" .
Derek B also was in demand as a remixer..he remixed records for Curiosity Killed The Cat, Was not Was, Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock,Eric B and Rakim,Big Daddy Kane and the uks finest female Mcs the Cookie Crew to name but a few.While in New York (visiting his family who had relocated there), Derek met radio DJ Mr Magic who played his record to the Profile label which secured him a licensing deal in the USA.His Album "BULLET FROM A GUN"went silver then gold in the uk!The Same as Run Dmc, Public enemy and Eric b and Rakim at the time!No Black UK hip hop artist has done that kinda business since!Also world wide success saw Derek B tour the world with RUN DMC , PUBLIC ENEMY, DJ SCRATCH! also he performed with, LL COOL J,THE FAT BOYS, and SALT AND PEPPER.Derek B also performed infront of a billion people at the Free NELSON MANDELA gig at Wembly stadium!The only British Rap Act on the Bill!His Commercial sucess had the hardcore fans saying he sold out!
They only wanted hardcore,they didnt see the potential of the music , how it could dominate the world music scene as it does today.
Derek B was probably a little ahead of his time as he saw room for all types of rap and hip hop music.
Years later the game spawned many AnR/producer/rapper/remixers all in ones as Derek B was and did exactly what Derek B wanted to achieve as far as transcending all boundaries with Rap/Hip Hop!Why is he still mentioned today almost 20 years later???Well whatever people may say about the Bad Young Brother .. Derek B.....well,
He put Uk Hip hop/rap on the map..simple!He helped shape this billion dollar world wide industry!Without him, In the Uk It Would have stayed Underground never getting a look in from the majors,who would not have a bench mark to see!"Never take on something you aint got the shoulders for!" Derek B
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