Died On This Date (November 16, 2009) Derek B / British Rap Pioneer
themusicsover Derek Boland
January 15, 1965 – November 16, 2009
Derek B was a British rapper who came on the scene during the mid ’80s. He was just 15 when he started and was soon picked up by local radio stations to spin there. He was soon hired by hip UK independent dance label, Music Is Life to do A&R. Derek B released several records during his career, a couple reaching the top 15 on the UK charts. He was one of the first British rapppers to appear on the Top of the Pops program due to his crossover appeal. As a producer, Derek B worked with the likes of Cookie Crew and Eric B & Rakim. Derek B was 44 when he died following a heart attack on November 16, 2009.
Born Andre Hicks, Mac Dre was a San Francisco Bay area rapper who built a following during the ’90s due to his songs that chronicled life on the tough streets around him. Throughout his career, he had several hits, including “Too Hard For This Fuckin’ Radio” and “California Livin.” He also worked with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Too Short and Warren G. Hicks started his own label in 2000, calling it Thizz Entertainment, where he was instrumental in the development of the hyphy sub-genre of rap. Andre Hicks was 34 when he was gunned down by the occupants of another vehicle while he riding in a van with a friend. Though the case has never been solved, a Kansas City rapper by the name of Anthony “Fat Tone” Watkins was killed the following year in what is believed by some to be in retaliation for the murder of Hicks.
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“Johnny J” Jackson was a hip hop producer and rapper who, over the course of his career, produced albums and records that sold in the millions. Born in Mexico and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Jackson’s career kicked into high gear in 1990 when he produced a “one-hit-wonder” for his friend Candall Mason, better known as Candyman. That song was “Knockin’ Boots,” which helped Candyman’s Shame In The Game album go platinum. The success of “Knockin’ Boots” opened the door for Jackson to meet 
Mr. Magic was a New York City disc jockey who helped bring hip-hop and rap to a much wider audience during the early ’80s. Premiering on WBLS in 1983, Mr. Magic’s “Rap Attack” program was the first to ever play hip hop exclusively on any major radio station in the U.S. For the next six years, the show helped launch the careers of such artists as Whodini, Marley Marl and Boogie Down Productions. He was also noted as an influence on the likes of