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https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2023/08/07/a-firsthand-account-of-hiphops-early-days-in-minnesota

Derrick Stevens is a Production Manager at The Current. He shares his first-hand experience as a witness to and participant in the birth of hip-hop and in its emergence in the Twin Cities.

I usually don't like to toot my own horn when it comes down to accomplishments, but as we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, let me reminisce. 

Being a native New Yorker, I've seen the birth of hip-hop up close and personal, and way before the Sugarhill Gang dropped the first rap song, I used to ride my bike all across Queens, New York, to witness the jams in the park firsthand. You don't believe me, ask my cousin Eric.

The summer of ‘77, the blackout summer. The city went dark and there was some looting going on, and when all was said and done, and the lights came back on, people had more access to the equipment that was the foundation of hip-hop music: turntables, mics, mixers, and speakers. 

So, the world can thank the New York blackout in the summer of ‘77 and the looting that took place for the elevation of this culture called hip-hop.

When I moved to Minnesota in 1979, I brought my copy of “Rapper's Delight” with me, but there was no hip-hop scene here — but within the next few years, we started building one. 

In 1982 at the age of 14, I won a rap contest, judged by Kurtis Blow at a venue in Minneapolis called Duffy's. I won a bottle of champagne, which I was too young to drink, but my Mom enjoyed it. I won $200 and the chance to open up for Cameo.

This event is when I met the unforgettable, incredible DJ Dee aka Carlton Williams. He also entered the rap contest but turned out to be no competition for Sweet D (my first rap name) DJ Dee was a Supreme God on the turntables and has been cited by some of the Twin Cities’ best, including Travitron and Disco-t (RIP), as being a huge influence. 

He was originally from the Bronx, he was 10 years older than me, knew Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and other early pioneers of hip-hop, and here he was telling me, this 14-year-old kid that I've got skills on the mic and we should start a group together.

He spoke to my Mom that night and told her he wanted to start a group with me. After my Mom checked him out over the course of a few months and made sure he wasn't some sort of pervert wanting to hang with her 14-year-old son, she gave me her blessing and shortly after, DJ Dee and I formed The DJMC Crew.

First order of business, I had to change my name from Sweet Dee. He said, “My name is DJ Dee, you can't be Sweet D, that's too many Ds.” Because he was older and had his name longer, it was decided I would change my name from Sweet D to Kid Delite.

Past members of The DJMC Crew that have rocked the First Avenue stage have included Tony Rome, Travitron, Jamel Harris aka Melski, and Smoke-Dee.

I can proudly say my crew, the DJMC Crew, were the first rap crew in the Twin Cities to perform regularly on First Ave's main stage, starting back in 1984, and we brought The Electric Boogie Dancers to perform with us, featuring Michael “Casper” Aaron, Tony Brown, Robert Austin, and Gary Willians aka Little Dinky. 

We didn't have access to the technology available today, so a lot of this remains undocumented and the only way to share the story is to tell the story. I'm 55 and not getting any younger, so I wanted to share my story.

So when you talk about the origin of hip-hop in Minnesota, like Destiny's Child used to say, Say my name, Say my name.

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Derrick Stevens shares his firsthand experience as a witness to and participant in the birth of hip-hop and in its emergence in the Twin Cities.

A man works turntables in a production studio 

A firsthand account of hip-hop's early days in Minnesota

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