Derek B dead

[top_biller]

Sad news indeed, used to know every lyric from Bullet From A Gun when I was a nipper, was the first UK rapper I heard I think, paved the way for many others

 

[mwgdrwg]

I remember liking bad young brother...I have a 7 inch given away with Record Mirror in the house, Derek B one side and that Jellybean something on the other.

 

[Fictionist]

Horrible news. He should be remembered as someone who made a contribution to UK Hip Hop, and for a rather fine remix of Eric B & Rakim's 'Paid in Full'.

'Rock the Beat' Derek.

 

[Orang Utan]

poor delboy
one of the most used crunk breaks is from a derek b track - he fathered a whole scene across the ocean in a way - he deserves a lot more credit than he gets.
eta - tis new orleans bounce - a subgenre of crunk - not crunk itself - rock the beat is used extensively in it

 

[dlx1]

dead age

Had Bullet from a Gun on tape think it was of my most played tape of time.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

RIP Derek B

Bullet from a Gun was one of the first hip hop albums i ever owned - must have been about 1989. I also knew all the words to the whole album!

I think the story goes that Derek Boland, who was doing something like A&R at London Records with Pete Tong, had written all this uk hip hop material to try and take on the americans. Trouble is, they didn't have anyone to rap it, so he stepped up as Derek B and did it himself. The rest is history etc.

I still play "Goodgroove" a fair bit at parties/nights, a classic Derek B rap over a wiggly bassline, and it samples the Jackson 5's "A B C" for the chorus, which people go mad for

 

[live_jayeola]

sad for him

i remember when he had a residency at the wag- it was the hottest night in town c.1987

happy dayz

Woah! Whiskey a-go-go on Wardour Street! Haven't heard that name mentioned in an age.