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You Know It

Derek Minor is a member of a small, elite class of hip hop artists who are adept at MCing, producing, and running their own companies. Two of his albums, 2015’s Empire and 2013’s Minorville, reached Number 6 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and 2011’s Dying to Live achieved the Number 11 spot. His wordplay and relatable lyrics have made him an in-demand collaborator who has worked with the likes of Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and Colton Dixon.

Minor released his sixth album, Reflection, on October 14, 2016, on his Reflection Music Group in partnership with Entertainment One. The album includes the lead single “You Know It,” “Until I’m Gone” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid, “Love Go High” featuring Chrisette Michele, “I’m Good” featuring Janice Gaines, among other tracks.

“The overall message of this record is you really are made for greatness,” Minor explains. “You’re not the sum of your mistakes. We are all imperfect. You were made to be greater than your probably realize.” 

Inspired by his jazz musician father, mother, Tupac, DMX, Kanye West and Curtis Mayfield, Minor demonstrated his passion for music at a young age, producing his first song, a 60-bar rap, when he was 12 years old. 

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Record Industry Management at Middle Tennessee University, Minor released his first album, The Blackout, on his own label, Reflection Music Group, a partnership with his friend Doc Watson. The Blackout was followed by Redemption in 2010. His next two albums, Dying to Live and Minorville, were released in collaboration with Lecrae’s Reach Records. For his fifth album, Empire, he began a partnership with Entertainment One. Additionally, he has released a half a dozen mixtapes.

As a producer, Minor received a 2015 Dove Award for his production contributions to Lecrae’s Anomaly album. Minor’s Reflection Music Group roster includes celebrated acts Canon, Tony Tillman, and Deraj.

You Know It

derekminor