Born and raised in the western suburbs, Derrick was into music from a young age, but during his teens Chicago´s house scene sucked him in for good. Before long Derrick became a strong presence in Chicago´s underground dance scene. "When I got my driver´s license at 16 my sneak ability was validated," he laughs. "I was a fierce bedroom jock for a long time. After you mix for the love of it for six or seven years, you get it pretty tight and you can take it on the road.