DERRICK “D“Often Heard, but Seldom Seen”
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n a penetrating world of hip-hop and pop music, there is no denying the effect that Southern, specifically the “Deep South,” music has made on the culture. Houston, Texas is the home of various underground rap masters, many of whom paired their non-traditional business-savvy and street smarts to grab the attention of the mainstream audience which eventually created a movement in hip-hop that is still thriving today. Powerful independent labels such as Rap - A- Lot and Swisha House cultivated the market and birthed pioneering recording acts such as the Geto Boys, UGK, and Slim Thug. But in the heart of the Screw Movement, stood a label that created the true foundation of today’s Houston music scene, taking its rightful place among the list of esteemed labels, The Legendary Wreckshop Records. Known as one of Houston’s leading independent record companies, Wreckshop collectively sold over two and a half million albums in five years, a number that was not seen amongst independent labels at the time. In the world of independent rap labels, selling over 20,000 copies was considered an underground hit, Wreckshop records has consistently produced underground classics that often competed with mainstream rap records in the South. Its ambitious founder and visionary, Derrick “D-Reck” Dixon, started Wreckshop Records in 1997. With an MBA from Clark/Atlanta University and owning six different businesses, Derrick had enough knowledge and practical experience to run a successful label. Derrick knew that his vision would be a success; all he needed was the right artist to launch his label. He found a Houston area native, an MC by the name of Fat Pat, who was also a member of the infamous Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.)-----a Houston based collective, lead by the legendary DJ Screw. Fat Pat had earned a large and loyal following by freestyling on DJ Screw’s popular mixtapes.
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