Who is Derek Minor

So, I’m sure by now you’re probably wondering what’s going on with this
name change. Am I wanted by the law, do I owe back taxes, or am I going
through a mid life crisis? The answer is no (maybe) but after a million
tweets from confused brothers and sisters, I decided to address it. The
truth is that, though I love what I have accomplished as PRo, I am entering
a new chapter in my career. This new chapter includes a new direction, and
new goals. But first, let me tell you how the name change happened.

As a lot of you know, I recently injured my Achilles tendon playing
basketball. Unfortunately injury is one of the risks associated with
putting the team on your back, and I fell victim to that risk. Honestly, I
don’t know what my team is gonna do without me! In all seriousness, this
injury provided me with a lot of time to assess my career, what I’d
accomplished, and where I wanted to go in the future. I realized during
that time that there was a lot more that I wanted to accomplish and that I
was much different than the artist I was 7 years ago. I have matured as a
Christian, husband, father, and artist immensely in that time and I believe
the name change reflects that maturity. See, PRo originally was short for
Prodigal, as in Prodigal Son. I don’t believe that concept represents where
I’m at in life or my career at this point. On top of that, fans were
having a hard time searching my name on Google and other Internet outlets.
The word “pro” is just too common and my projects would be buried behind
many other definitions and companies. So we decided to come up with a new
name.

The journey towards a new name included many meetings, prayers,
brainstorming sessions, and questionable aliases. Before we settled on the
name Derek Minor, I considered many names, my personal favorite being Dirk
N’Spitski. After all was said and done, I chose the name Derek Minor. Why?
Derek is my real name, and I wanted my new name to come from a place of
honesty and realness. My father’s name is Derek also, so when I was young
people called me Derek Jr. I wanted to keep the same realness and intimacy
of my birth name while still conveying the maturity that I have
experienced. So I switched the Jr. to Minor and the rest is history.

As my career continues, my aim is to be transparent and real with the
people. I want to create art that is relevant, down to earth, relatable,
and honest. That way, with every record you hear, you’re getting a piece of
me. I aim to serve Christ with my life and that is what I am giving you
through my music—my life. THIS is Derek Minor.