Hip Hop/Rap MC, Lil Derik

Magic on the Mic- Lil Derik is giving “Lyrical LEGEND”.

Walking up to Kre8 Place, my favorite south St. Louis media hub, I pull the door and it’s locked. I text Trel (co-owner) to open up because it’s FREEZING. Walking up next to me is this “fun sized lyrical engineer” whom I’ve never met. Messy “man bun” of locs, shrugged shoulders, waiting for the same thing…an open door. As we walk in, I sense I just walked into a dope opportunity to chat with an in-depth artist who’s MORE than the music. I was right…as always lol. We schedule a chat, and the magic begins.

“I can’t remember a time in my life where music wasn’t an essential part of my every day.”, shares the south St. Louis native. “Early in my life I fell in love with hip hop, but I really had a love for all music.” Growing up in performance arts schools, The Central VPA alumnus says his environment impacted his artistic interests the most. “From choir, to taking band and being on the drumline, music was just always around me.”

Derik’s love for rap sprouted from his admiration of artists such as Lil Wayne, T.I., Kanye West (Ye), and Eminem. “Seeing them, I was like, that’s really what I want to do. I want to be a rapper.”, he recalls. “It’s a lifelong love story with me and music for real.” He also credits artists Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole for their lyrical influence. “As far as my biggest influence, that would be my grandma. She had a stroke when I was young, and seeing her get around on a cane, and still do things for herself and be there for us, that’s my biggest inspiration.”, says Derik. “She’s the strongest person I know. If she can get through that, I can get through anything that comes my way.”

Lil Derik describes his artistic style as “a mix of Wiz Khalifa and J. Cole”. “That’s what people tell me.”, he smiles. “Overall, I describe myself as a lyricist.” Since 2018, Derik has released nearly 100 songs on streaming platforms. His first “The Boondocks” themed mixtape, “Huey Vs. Riley” was released in 2018 and was a premiere of his lyrical skills and creative writing. In 2019, Derik released two full albums titled “The Rotation”, and “More Than Music, Vol. 1”. In total, the lyricist has dropped 9 albums and EPs, with the latest being his EP, “Pimpin’ Since ’98” in January 2024.

Lil Derik can also be coined as a “political and conscious” rapper. “I touch on politics, real life situations, especially growing up as a black man. We got a different struggle than other people.”, he explains. Lil Derik is currently working on promoting, performing, and keeping a consistent production of quality music. “Very soon I see myself being able to tour in all of United States and places outside. I have Spotify listeners in certain areas, so getting to those listeners, and having them as die-hard fans is a goal. I see myself as completely independent, but still very successful.” His impressive catalog, dedicated craft, and artistic style is truly inspiring. Looking forward to MORE from this “musical magician” behind the mic.

“Stay consistent. Work on your craft.” -Lil Derik

IG: @mtmlilderik