Derek Minor facts for kids

Derek Laurence Johnson Jr., known as Derek Minor (and formerly PRo), is an American artist born on December 16, 1984. He is a talented Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Derek Minor is also an entrepreneur, actor, and screenwriter.

He helped start a hip-hop record label called Reflection Music Group (RMG) with his friend Doc Watson. In 2011, he joined Reach Records through a special partnership. A year later, in 2012, he changed his stage name from PRo to Derek Minor. After releasing two albums with Reach Records, he decided to release his music independently starting in 2014.

Derek Minor was also a member of the hip-hop group R.M.G. and used to be part of the 116 Clique. He has released many albums and mixtapes as a solo artist. His music has been very successful, with several albums reaching high spots on Billboard charts. For example, his album Dying to Live was No. 1 on the Top Christian chart. His song "Change the World" even reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot AC/CHR chart.

Besides music, Derek Minor has worked in film and television. He created a three-part webseries called "Dying to Live" and appeared in short films. He was also the main character in a video game called Altered Pro.

Life and career

Early musical journey

Derek Johnson, Jr. was born in Pontiac, Michigan on December 16, 1984. When he was young, he moved to Middle Tennessee with his mother. Music was always a big part of his life. His mother sang in a choir, and his father was a jazz musician who inspired him.

When Derek was 12, he visited his father and started rapping about God and growing up. His father helped by making beats. Derek also discovered many new artists that summer.

At 15, Derek decided he wanted to study music at Middle Tennessee State University. His mother supported him by buying him equipment. By the time he started college, he was in a rap duo and worked to pay for studio time. He graduated in 2006 with a degree in Recording Industry Management. After college, he faced some tough times, including losing close family members. This made him realize how precious life is, and he decided to dedicate his talents to God.

Starting Reflection Music Group (2008–2010)

Derek Johnson started Reflection Music Group (RMG) with his friend Doc Watson. At first, it was called Christ Like Entertainment. In 2008, he released his first album, The Blackout. Some people in the Christian hip-hop community found his style on this album a bit too focused on himself.

After this, Derek took a break from rapping. He was influenced by new friends and Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae. He realized his first album should have been more about God. In 2010, he released a mixtape called PSA, which he considers his first "mature" Christian music project. That year, he went on a tour called the "Urban Missionary Tour."

To prepare for his second album, Redemption, Derek wrote a short film also called "Redemption." The album Redemption came out on July 13, 2010. It did well on the Billboard charts, reaching No. 8 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. He then joined the 116 Clique "Unashamed 2010" tour.

Joining Reach Records and changing his name (2011–2013)

On January 25, 2011, Reach Records announced they were partnering with Derek Johnson and Reflection Music Group. On the same day, Derek released a song called "116" with KB. He also released a mixtape, PSA: Vol. 2, in March.

In July, Derek launched a three-part webseries called "Dying to Live" to promote his upcoming album of the same name. He also toured with 116 Clique as part of their "Man Up" campaign. Reach Records even released a web game called Altered Pro, based on Derek.

His album, Dying to Live, was released on August 23. It was a huge success, reaching No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart and No. 66 on the Billboard 200. It was even featured on the iTunes homepage. In September, Derek performed at the 2011 Flavor Fest.

In February 2012, Reflection Music Group announced a new hip-hop group called R.M.G. It included Derek Minor, Canon, Tony Tillman, and Chad Jones. They released their first song, "Geeked Up," and an online documentary called "Welcome to the Family Documentary." Their album Welcome to the Family came out on March 27.

On August 6, 2012, Derek announced he was changing his stage name from PRo to Derek Minor. He also showed the cover for his new mixtape, PSA Vol. 3: Who Is Derek Minor?. He continued to tour with 116 Clique.

In 2013, Derek Minor released his album Minorville. It included the song "Dear Mr. Christian" featuring Dee-1 and Lecrae. The album was very popular, reaching No. 40 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Gospel Albums Chart.

In March 2014, Derek Minor announced that his contract with Reach Records had ended. He said he had grown as an artist and was excited for the future of both RMG and Reach.

Independent music and new deals (2014–present)

In October 2014, Derek Minor announced his fifth album would be called Empire. He also signed a distribution deal with Entertainment One. The first song from the album, "Who You Know," was released in November, followed by "Party People" in December. Empire was released on January 27, 2015, and reached No. 54 on the Billboard 200.

On July 29, 2016, he announced his sixth album, Reflection, would be released in October. He also gave a free EP called 1014 to those who pre-ordered the album. Reflection reached No. 7 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart. His music video for "Until I'm Gone" premiered on Billboard.com.

In February 2017, his song "Change the World" featuring Hollyn became a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot AC/CHR chart. He also went on the Rock and Worship Roadshow tour. Later that spring, his Reflection album won the Rap/Urban Album of the Year award at the We Love Christian Music Awards.

His next music projects were part of the Up and Away series. This included two EPs, Your Soul Must Fly and High Above, released in late 2017. He then released two full-length albums, The Trap and By Any Means, in 2018. The titles together form a sentence: "Your soul must fly high above the trap by any means."

Discography

• The Blackout (2008)
• Redemption (2010)
• Dying to Live (2011)
• Minorville (2013)
• Empire (2015)
• Reflection (2016)
• The Trap (2018)

Film and TV work

Derek Minor has been involved in several film and television projects.

• In 2010, he wrote and acted in a Web film called Redemption.
• In 2012, he wrote and appeared in a documentary web film called Welcome to the Family Documentary.
• In 2013, he acted in another documentary web film, Everything Must Go.
• He wrote and acted in a 3-part promotional webseries called Dying to Live in 2011.
• In 2011, he was the voice for the main character in the video game Altered Pro.

Awards and nominations

Derek Minor has received several awards and nominations for his music.

• He won a Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year for his album Minorville in 2014.
• He won a Grammy Award in 2013 for Best Gospel Album for Gravity, where he worked as a producer.
• He also won Stellar Awards for Rap Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year for Anomaly (as producer) in 2015 and for his album Empire in 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Derek Minor para niños