Today we’d like to introduce you to Derrick Brewer.
Hi Derrick, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started writing rhymes when I was 8 years old. My mother Allean Houston and I were members New Mount Zion Baptist Church in Topeka, KS. The Pastor was Cecil T. Washington, and he was full of the Spirit of the Lord. Our family spent quite a bit of time at Church during this part of my life. We attended every Sunday for Sunday school and worship service, every Wednesday for Bible Study and every Thursday for choir practice. I have always loved all kinds of music, and I was a member of the children’s choir at New Mount Zion the entire time we were members. It was a wonderful church, and I have many great memories of times spent there worshiping GOD and fellowshipping with other believers. It was during this time that I wrote my first rap for the church talent show. I just remember having this sudden feeling that I wanted to be in the talent show and that I wanted to write a song for GOD to show him how thankful I was for his blessings in my life. We were lower middle class for sure, but mom worked hard to provide us with everything we needed. She taught me to trust in GOD and to always give thanks. I was happy and thankful, and I wanted to share that feeling with my church family. I wrote some lines and said a few of them to an older friend at church. He was 13 and had a friend with studio equipment. The next thing you know we were signed up for the talent show and performing our original song Holy On Arrival. Which was also the name of our group. (: Ever since then I have been scribbling lines in notebooks and schoolbooks and random pieces of scrap paper. I started actually recording music on an amateur level about 7 years ago in Sacramento, California. I have an album out on Bandcamp called Spirit Bomb and I recently recorded some new material that is going to be released on Bandcamp in a project titled Ground Zero.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Finding my path in life and answering the divine call placed on my life has not been easy, but it most definitely could have been much easier than I chose to make it. I spent a lengthy portion of my life behind bars in Missouri and Kansas in places like Booneville and Leavenworth. The last time was over 13 years ago. The first step was choosing to do a geographic relocation from the Kansas City, Missouri area to Sacramento, California. I became a member of Journey MInistries, an amazing church family led by Pastor Kevin Brown. Since then, I have strengthened my walk with GOD and spent more and more time writing songs and more spiritual based music.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Last year in August I released my first project on Bandcamp titled Spirit Bomb. I will be following that up with Ground Zero and School of MY Medulla. I am a firm believer in GOD and in the power of his word, so my faith is expressed through my music. I am well versed when it comes to hip hop and rap music as a whole, but I am definitely a child of boom bap as much as a child of GOD. The rap music of my generation was heavy on lyrics and enlightening the listener to different points of view so that aspect of hip hop is prevalent in my music as well. It’s important to me to be original and unique but I also pay homage to those who came before me in my own way. So far, I am most proud of the response to Spirit Bomb from my family and friends. The support and encouragement from them have been amazing and truly touched my heart and soul!!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think that being authentic is second only to your drive or ambition. You have to motivated to succeed. There are multiple factors that can contribute to or Undermind your success but many of them are random or out of your control. Focusing on your goals and going after them relentlessly is something that can be taught and or learned in some ways but the most successful people typically come equipped with that trait.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://masterskribe.bandcamp.com/album/spirit-bomb
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/master_skribe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14KAW6hic4a/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@master_skribe
