Die-Rek (Derek Jordan) grew up in Scarborough, Ontario during a time when the borough was defining what hip-hop now is to its culture. He emerged as a part of the group "Young and Hard Hitting" (1993-1995), and then transitioned to a solo artist role, going by the name "Unique Stylz". During the mid-90’s, Die-Rek connected with some other crews in Scarborough who possessed the same passion for Hip-Hop music -Lyrical Coalition, MVP, and The Horde, better known as Toronto's own "The Mighty Monolith".