Growing Up Derrick

Yesterday, while visiting my family, I came across an image of me taken when I was around 6 months old. I have no idea who the child to the left is, but the young lady on the right is my cousin V. She happens to be one of the most important people in my life. V and I, along with our other cousin Ryan, grew up like siblings. Since our mothers gave birth to us when they were young, we were taken care of by our grandmother.

V left home at the tender age of 17. Two years later, after becoming a mom and moving into her own apartment, she invited me to live with her in Bronx. At the time, I was around 12 years old and these were the defining years of my life. Not only did she teach me how to take care of myself, she also introduced me to the culture of hip-hop.

What On Earth Is This? Mango Plums...

I've never heard of a mango plum. Did God authorize this?

Night School: DJ Red Alert

A few years ago, a young woman said to me that she appreciates when I DJ because my transitions are seamless. I pretty much owe my style of mixing to one DJ, Red Alert. I remember being a 15 year old kid hanging out at the Latin Quarters night club in Manhattan, where Red was a resident DJ. While other partied, I was in the DJ booth looking over his shoulders, studying how his song selection affected the mood of party goers.

Last night, at Sutra Lounge, located in Manhattan's lower east side, I found myself reliving those moments. After DJ Jun's killer reggae set, Red took control of the wheels and the first song he played was Eric B & Rakim's Don't Sweat The Technique. Hmmm, was he trying to tell me something? Absolutely. He was letting me and any other DJ in attendance know that night school was in session, and he was still the teacher.

Feeling Nostalgic: Mister Softee

Today, I came across a Mister Softee Ice Cream truck parked on Riverside Drive. As a child, I spent many hot summer days playing classic street games like skellies, ringalevio, hot peas & butter, and stickball. The only thing, other than my grandmother's voice, that could interrupt play time was the all-too-familiar sound of the Mister Softee jingle playing a block away. "The ice cream truck is coming!"