[3] Born in Hammersmith, London, to Trinidadian nurse Jenny Boland, he was raised in Woodford.
He joined Simon Harris' Music of Life record label, as the closest thing they had to an A&R man.
He received criticism for rapping under an assumed American accent, something which was popular in the early days of British hip-hop, but later abandoned by some artists.
[5] Following his chart success, Derek B was signed up to Rush Artist Management and released singles and the album, Bullet from a Gun (Tuff Audio, 1988).
Derek B was also successful as a record producer and remixer, working with the Cookie Crew, Thrashpack, and Eric B and Rakim.