Derek B

{{short description|British rapper (1965–2009)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Derek B | image = | caption = | image_size = | alias = EZQ | birth_name = Derek Boland | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1965|1|15}} | birth_place = London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2009|11|15|1965|1|15}} | death_place = London, England | occupation = Rapper, songwriter, MC | instruments = Vocals | years_active = 1986–2009 | genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|British hip hop}} | label = Profile, Orchard<br />Music of Life, Tuff | website = }}

'''Derek Boland''' (15 January 1965 – 15 November 2009), better known by his stage name '''Derek B''', was a British rapper.<ref name="Derek B dies at 44">{{cite news |title=British rapper Derek B dies at 44 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8363336.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-11-16 |access-date=2009-11-16}}</ref><ref name="Derek B NME"/> His most commercially successful releases were "Goodgroove" and "Bad Young Brother" in 1988.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>

== Biography == Born in Hammersmith, London, to Trinidadian nurse Jenny Boland, he was raised in Woodford. He attended Churchfields Junior School. When he was fifteen years old he began DJing in a mobile unit around London, before joining local pirate radio stations such as Kiss FM and LWR, and finally starting his own station, WBLS (not to be confused with the radio station of the same name in New York City).

He joined Simon Harris's Music of Life record label, as the closest thing the company had to an A&R man. When a planned compilation of US hip hop called ''Def Beats 1'' (Music of Life, 1986) ran short of tracks, Boland stepped in to record a track called "Rock the Beat". He co-produced the track with Harris, rapped on it under the pseudonym EZQ, and also did his own deejaying under the name "Derek B". "Rock the Beat" (Music of Life, 1987) was released as a single, and was followed by three more – the most successful of which were "Goodgroove" (Music of Life, 1988), and "Bad Young Brother", both of which reached No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |location=London |edition=19th |year=2006 |page=35 |isbn=1-904994-10-5}}</ref> Derek B's third and final UK chart entry was "We've Got the Juice", which peaked at No. 56.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>

Derek B was the first UK rapper to achieve pop success,<ref name="Derek B dies at 44"/> appearing on BBC Television's ''Top of the Pops'' at a time when the only other rappers who had appeared were Break Machine and Doug E. Fresh. He received criticism for rapping under an assumed American accent, something which was popular in the early days of British hip-hop, but later abandoned by some artists.<ref>{{cite news |last=Emery |first=Andrew |title=Derek B paved the way for UK hip-hop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/nov/17/derek-b-uk-hip-hop |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=2009-11-17 |access-date=2009-11-17}}</ref>

Following his chart success, Derek B was signed up to Rush Artist Management and released singles and the album, ''Bullet from a Gun'' (Tuff Audio, 1988).

Derek B was also successful as a record producer and remixer, working with the Cookie Crew, Thrashpack, and Eric B and Rakim.<ref name="Derek B NME">{{cite web |last=Wilkinson |first=Matt |title=Derek B 'dies of heart attack' aged 44 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-4476-1309142 |website=NME |date=16 November 2009 |access-date=4 January 2019}}</ref> In 1988, he also helped to write the Liverpool F.C. anthem "Anfield Rap".<ref>{{cite web |title=Derek B Dies Of A Heart Attack Aged 44 |url=http://www.gigwise.com/news/53466/Derek-B-Dies-Of-A-Heart-Attack-Aged-44 |work=Gig Wise |access-date=2009-11-17}}</ref>

He died of a heart attack in London on 15 November 2009, aged 44.<ref name="Derek B NME"/>

==Legacy== He is dissed on the Harry Enfield single "Loadsamoney (Doin' Up the House)": "''Derek B''??? On – your – bike!"

==Discography==

===Albums=== *''Bullet from a Gun'' (1988, Tuff Audio) – UK No. 11<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>

===Singles=== *"Rock the Beat" (1987) *"Get Down" (1987) R&B No. 82, UK No. 87<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="MusicVF">{{cite web |title=MusicVF |url=https://www.musicvf.com/Derek+B.art |access-date=31 January 2024}}</ref> *"Good Groove" (February 1988) R&B No. 61, UK No. 16<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="MusicVF"/> *"Bad Young Brother" (April 1988) UK No. 16<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> *"We've Got the Juice" (June 1988) UK No. 56<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> *"You've Got to Look Up" (1990)

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.myspace.com/derekboland Derek B Myspace] * [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/nov/17/derek-b-obituary ''Guardian'' obituary] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101107071700/http://www.heroesofukhiphop.com/DerekB.htm Heroes of UK Hip Hop Derek B page] * [http://derekbtribute.blogspot.com The Derek B Tribute]

{{DEFAULTSORT:B, Derek}} Category:1965 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Black British male rappers Category:Black British rappers Category:British male rappers Category:English people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:English record producers Category:Rappers from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Category:Rappers from the London Borough of Redbridge Category:Profile Records artists Category:People from Hammersmith Category:20th-century British male musicians Category:20th-century British musicians Category:People from Woodford, London