Artist Spotlight: Derek Minor
Derek Minor is a musician, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, and screenwriter from Pontiac, Michigan. Derek’s introduction to music came at a young age. Between his mother playing gospel music in the home, and his father being a jazz musician, Derek created a path for himself through the influences during his childhood.
Derek first started making music at the age of 12, with his father producing the instrumentals. At the age of 15, Derek took the next step in his musical career by enrolling in the music program at Middle Tennessee State University. After graduating from college with a bachelor's degree in Recording Industry Management, Derek continued on his path to becoming a musician.
In 2006, Derek (Going by PRo at the time) released his first mixtape, “The Pro Show” which showcased his talent as an artist to new audiences. While working on his second mixtape, Derek went on to found Reflection Music Group with his friend Doc Watson. As Derek continued to make music, he realized that he wanted to go a slightly different route by making music that was centered more around God. In January of 2010, Derek (PRo) released his mixtape “PSA”. Derek refers to this release as his first that can be considered mature Christian Music. Derek also went on to release his autobiography film “Redemption” later that same year.
From there, Derek’s career continued to blossom. With the formation of Reach Records, a web series, the creation of a video game, multiple albums and mixtapes being released, performing at South by Southwest, and more, Derek was becoming a staple in the music industry.
Derek’s success has been recognized throughout the entertainment industry. As a producer on “Gravity”, Derek won a grammy for best gospel album along with other wins for various projects from the GMA Dove Awards, and The Stellar Awards.
You can listen to his music here: