That’s why I was saddened to hear the news that British rapper Derek B had passed away with a suspected heart attack yesterday. B was the first UK rapper to achieve pop success. He appeared on Top of the Pops before any other black rhymer. He was UK Hip Hops originator and he subsequently went onto pioneer the scene.
You see, Derek B was before the time of hip hop acts shouting about guns, bitches and money. It was one man, a drum machine and a mic. And for me, that’s hip hop in its truest form. It’s just a crying shame that he was taken at the young age of 44.
