Speaker Knockerz
Born
Derek McAllister Jr.[1]

(1994-11-06)November 6, 1994
Bronx, New York, U.S.[1]
DiedMarch 6, 2014(2014-03-06) (aged 19)[2]
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.[3]
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2010–2014[4]
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)

Derek McAllister Jr.[1] (November 6, 1994 – March 4, 2014), known professionally as Speaker Knockerz, was an American rapper and record producer from Columbia, South Carolina. He is known for his independent tracks which would gain traction on the video-sharing platform YouTube. Some of his biggest tracks include "Dap You Up" and "Lonely".[5] He is described by XXL as a frontrunner in the melodically-driven state of modern rap[6] and has been cited as an influence by numerous rappers.

Early and personal life

Speaker Knockerz would spend the first years of his life in New York City. His father Derek McAllister Sr. was sentenced to 10 years in prison while the family lived in the city. With his father's imprisonment, Speaker Knockerz's mother made the decision to move to South Carolina in order to avoid an unhealthy environment. It is during his time in South Carolina that the aspiring rapper developed his passion for hip-hop music and its creation. In 2010, his father came back home having completed his sentence. Being a musician himself, Derek McAllister Sr. was able to assist his son with the creation of his first mixtape Flight Delayed.[4]

Career

At age 13, he started using beat making program Fruity Loops after seeing a video of American rapper Soulja Boy doing the same. Around 2010 and 2011, Speaker Knockerz sold his first instrumental to a Miami rapper for $50 and used the money to buy an affordable pair of speakers. As a producer Speaker Knockerz has produced for rappers Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, French Montana, and Shy Glizzy.[7] In Spring 2012, he began rapping under his current moniker as a means of promotion for his record production. In 2013, he would release two mixtapes: Married to the Money and Finesse Father.[1] He would also release his first music video "Money" produced by his friend Loud Visuals.[8] In September 2013, he released the music video to his track "Rico Story Part 1".[9] In December 2013, he released his track "Lonely" alongside an accompanying music video.[10] At the time of his passing, he had 49 tracks available for purchase on iTunes.[11] In May 2014, his family posthumously released the music video for the last song he released during the lifetime "Erica Kane".[2] In September 2014, his mixtape Married to the Money II was posthumously released.

Death

On March 6, 2014, Speaker Knockerz was found dead in his garage in his South Carolina home. Coroner Gary Watts said that foul play was not suspected and a further autopsy found no signs of trauma. The Richland County Sheriff's Department was in charge of the investigation surrounding his passing.[3] The Richland County Coroner later confirmed that there were no signs of drugs or foul play involved. His death was ruled as natural causes, more specifically a heart attack.[4]

Legacy

On August 21, 2014, Florida rapper, Kodak Black, released a remix of Speaker Knockerz song "Lonely" called "Off A 14". In a 2016 unreleased song by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert titled "Alone Time", the rapper paid tribute to Speaker Knockerz.[12] In February 2016, American rapper Denzel Curry paid tribute to Speaker Knockerz in his song "Knotty Head".[13] In an August 2018 interview with XXL American rapper Lil Mosey revealed that Speaker Knockerz set the groundwork for his production style.[14] During a November 2018 interview with The Fader, American rapper Roddy Ricch called Speaker Knockerz one of his biggest inspirations musically.[15] In November 2019, American rapper Kevin Gates released his song "By My Lonely", which samples Speaker Knockerz's song "Lonely" as an homage to the late rapper.[16] The song peaked at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.[17] In February 2022, Los Angeles rapper OhGeesy released a song titled "Appetizer" in which he pays tribute to Speaker Knockerz in the second verse when he says, "Speaker Knockerz, I'm bumping Erica Kane".[18] In November 2022, rapper Tee Grizzley called Speaker Knockerz's song "RICO Story" one of his favorite storytelling rap songs.[19]

Musical style

Writing for Complex, David Drake describes Speaker Knockerz style in the following manner: "Enraptured by the sounds of the recent wave of Chicago artists, the Speaker Knockerz sound had a melodic, carefully-crafted feel. While there was something of a street edge to his approach, relative to influences like Lil Durk, there was an optimism and naivete to the Speaker Knockerz sound. He was a bedroom auteur, not a gangster. He shed the hardened shell of drill's aesthetic, focusing his energies on two contrasting moods: a bubbly, euphoric enthusiasm, and a deep, aching melancholy."[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Pierre, Alphonse (April 18, 2021). "Married to the Money II #MTTM2". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Drake, David (May 22, 2014). "Watch The Speaker Knockerz Video For "Erica Kane," the Last Song He Released Before His Death". Complex. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Rapper Speaker Knockerz Found Dead at 19". Billboard. March 7, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Jeffries, David. "Speaker Knockerz Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Jim (December 3, 2019). "What it takes to be a modern rap storyteller". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ High, Kemet (September 22, 2022). "These Are the Best Hip-Hop Projects From Rappers We Lost". XXL. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ Garvey, Meaghan (March 13, 2014). "Download Gone Too Soon, A Posthumous Speaker Knockerz Compilation". The Fader. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  8. ↑ Lawrence, Jordan (March 19, 2014). "Deceased Columbia Rapper Speaker Knockerz Forged a New Path for Local Hip-Hop". The Post and Courier. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Garvey, Meaghan (September 25, 2013). "Video: Speaker Knockerz, "Rico Story (Part 1)"". The Fader. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ Garvey, Meaghan (December 11, 2013). "Video: Speaker Knockerz, "Lonely"". The Fader. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Bobb, Maurice (March 7, 2014). "South Carolina Rapper Speaker Knockerz Found Dead At 19". MTV. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ Coe, Kairi (July 11, 2017). "Two Unreleased Lil Uzi Vert Songs Surface Online". XXL. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  13. ↑ Walsh, Peter (February 17, 2016). "Denzel Curry Drops "Knotty Head"". XXL. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ Seabrook III, Robby (August 9, 2018). "The Break Presents: Lil Mosey". XXL. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (November 30, 2018). "Roddy Ricch makes soulful anthems for overcoming". The Fader. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ Darville, Jordan (November 1, 2019). "Watch Kevin Gates's video for the Speaker Knockerz-sampling "By My Lonely"". The Fader. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Kevin Gates Chart History: Hot 100". billboard.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Speaker Knockerz, I'm bumping Erica Kane". Genius. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  19. ↑ Saponara, Michael (October 10, 2023). "Tee Grizzley Talks Becoming Rap's Martin Scorsese With New Project 'Chapters of the Trenches'". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
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