GOD, Muhammed Ali, James Brown,William Shakespear,Malcolm X,Martin Luther King,Pele,Bobby Moore,Nelson Mandela,Aretha Franklin,Al Green,Robert Nesta Marley,Bruce Lee,David Bowie,Slade,Rod Stewart,Aswad,The Rolling Stones,Russel Simmons,Run Dmc,Dan Millman,Sun Tzu,The Hounorable Elijah Muhammed,The Sugarhill Gang,System,Chic,Frank Sinatra,Michael Jackson,Michael Jordan,Michael Tyson,Michaelangelo,Leanardo da Vinci,Satchmo,Nat king Cole,The Who, Carl Lewis,Hasley Crawford,Dr J,Kareem Abdul Jabbar,Alexander fu Sheng,Maurice Decoteau,The Jam,Muscle Shoals Horns,Rakim,Clint Eastwood,Sidney Pottier,Richard Roundtree,Grandmaster Flash,Niccolò Machiavelli,Conan,Thor,Power Man,Madness,The Specials,The Clash,Africa Bambatta,LLcool J,Public Enemy,Oprah Winfrey,Freddy Mercury,Todd Terry,Russel Simmons,Larry Levan,MFSB,The Bee Gees,The Mighty Sparrow,Starlift Pan T&Ts Best,Clyde Best,Mr Mantle(School Teacher) Jenny Boland,Jim Ives, Fitz Herbert Boland, plus My Cousins David and Darrel Huggins who got the whole ball started with "Rock the Beat" with me Froggy(the best that ever dun it!)Whodini.. West Ham United plus some others ill finish this one day
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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SOUNDWAVE RESISTANCE IS BACK FOR 2008!!!! HE HE...
MY NEW MUSIC FROM MY NEW ALBUM RESISTANCE IS NOW UP ON MY PROFILE. HAVE A LISTEN AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF MY NEW MUSIC? 5 NEW TRACKS, LEAVE A COMMENT ON MY PAGE, WHEN YOU HAVE TIME.
easy bro just letting u know ma crew projekt feenix r part of hull urban collective chek out website www. britishurbancollective. com and chek it out!!!! 1
WEST UP !! I JUST PASSIN' THRU LEAVIN' MYSPACE FRIEND IMPRINT HERE FAM, MATTER FACT JUST SO YOU KNOW, NOW YOU CAN COP ANY OF MY ALBUMS RIGHT OFF MY PAGE, KEEP ON SUPPORTIN' INDEPENDENT WESTCOAST ARTISTS !! -1-
Man it seems like yesterday listening to dave pearce on capital radio & you winning the scratch contest to have Rock the beat released on music of life.
1 Confection - You Got The Love 2 Marian Marie - Supernatural Love 3 The Sunburst Band - We Can Live Forever 4 Jamie Lidell - What's The Use 5 Honey Brown - Co-Star 6 Une - Hit Da Shaw
Soulchoonz Featured Artist: The Satya Project - 'Shine A Light' 7 Satya Project - Stranger Here 8 Satya Project - Bora's Bounce 9 Satya Project - A New Paradise
10 Sir Wick - You Are My Everything 11 Whitherspoon - Come Home (DJ-D edit) 12 Erykah Badu - Honey 13 Reel People - Upside 14 Patrick Lamb - I Remember 15 Rogiers - Come Into My World
The Flashback Section in the 2nd hour will air Gary Taylor, Maysa, Gerald Alston, Daisy Hicks, Michael Cooper and others.
Thanks DEREK B, let's keep it soulful and spread the word of what soul music means to all of us!
Every Monday See me Live via studio webcam for free on your computer from 10pm till midnite U.K. Time for two hours of upfront soul & dance mixes & bustin your favourite urban beats on the streets also running down the UKFLOW Soul R&B Top Ten
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