Derrick T. Jones(born June 19, 1970), better known by his stage nameD-Nice,is an American DJ, record producer, and rapper who began his career in the mid-1980s with thehip hopgroupBoogie Down Productions.[2]He discoveredKid Rockin 1988, landing him a deal withJive Records.
D-Nice | |
|---|---|
 D-Nice in 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Derrick T. Jones[1] |
| Born | June 19, 1970 Manhattan,New York City,U.S. |
| Origin | The Bronx,New York City,U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Boogie Down Productions |
| Website | d-nice |
Life and career
editJones was born and raised in theHarlemneighborhood ofManhattan,New York City.[3]He later moved toThe Bronxas a teenager. At age 15, it was there that he metScott La Rockand later formedBoogie Down Productionsalong withKRS-Onein 1986.[3]In his early career with the group, he was given the nicknames as "the Human TR-808" and "the 808". D-Nice also gained significant popularity when he produced the song "Self-Destruction" for theStop the Violence Movement.[3]
Soon after the song released, D-Nice signed a solo deal withJive Recordsand released his debut studio album calledCall Me D-Nicein 1990.[3]The album peaked at #75 on theBillboardTop Pop Albumsand #12 on theTop Black Albumschart. It was also rated 3.5 out of 5 mics byThe Sourcemagazine.[3]In 1991, D-Nice released his second studio album calledTo tha Rescue.The album peaked at #137 on the Top Pop Albums chart and #27 on the Top R&B Albums chart. He collaborated with KRS-One,Naughty by Nature,andToo Shortfor the album.[3]
D-Nice clashed with Jive Records over his stylistic direction and soon stopped releasing music as a recording artist.[3]In 1996, his first daughter, Ashli Lyric Jones, was born.[4]D-Nice became a web developer in the late 1990s and started his own creative services company in 2000.
He later had another daughter named Dylan Coleman-Jones with Kelli M. Coleman, Executive Vice President forGlobalHue.[5]
D-Nice began working as a photographer in the 2000s while also still being a DJ and shot the album covers forCarl Thomas' 2007 albumSo Much Better[6]andPharoahe Monch's 2011 albumW.A.R. (We Are Renegades).[7]He also photographed the album cover forKenny Lattimore's 2017 album,Vulnerable.[8]
In August 2008, he married actressMalinda Williams,but the couple separated in October 2009. In February 2010, the couple filed for divorce[9]and the divorce was finalized on June 14, 2010.
In March 2020, D-Nice began hosting Homeschool at Club Quarantine on Instagram Live from his home as a way for people to come together and help others cope with theCOVID-19global health crisis. The 3/21 Saturday night dance party ran 9 hours and D-Nice urged people to "take care of one another and wash their hands."[10]It drew over 100,000 viewers, includingRihanna,Lenny Kravitz,Nile Rodgers,Lalah Hathaway,Bernie Sanders,Joe Biden,Dwyane Wade,Janet Jackson,Fab Five Freddy,Michelle Obama,Mark Zuckerberg,Donnie Wahlberg,Angela Bassett,andSheila E.,among others.[11]The following day, March 22, his stream capped at over 150,000 simultaneous viewers.[citation needed]D-Nice won the2020 Webby Awardfor Artist of the Year in the category Special Achievement.[12]He also was one of the Honoree Recipients for the Shine a Light Award during the2020 BET Awardsfor his contributions ofClub Quarantine,alongside co-recipients withVerzuzcreatorsTimbalandandSwizz Beatz.[13] On March 27, 2021, he was awarded Entertainer of the Year at the52nd NAACP Image Awards.On June 22, 2021, he was awarded the ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award for being a beacon of hope and source of inspiration during the COVID-19 pandemic. His livestreamed DJ sets remain a popular online destination for thousands weekly, and he has more than 2.6 million followers onInstagram.[citation needed]
Discography
edit| Album information |
|---|
Call Me D-Nice
|
To tha Rescue
|
References
edit- ^"GET IN TOUCH WITH ME".ASCAP.American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.RetrievedApril 28,2023.
- ^Kellman, Andy."Biography: D-Nice".AllMusic.RetrievedMay 4,2010.
- ^abcdefgAndy Kellman."D-Nice".AllMusic.RetrievedJune 11,2020.
- ^"Essence.com: Derrick Jones posed with his new family".Archived fromthe originalon February 24, 2011.RetrievedAugust 18,2010.
- ^"D-Nice on Instagram:" I made it back from the @BETnetworks event in DC this morning to take the lil one to school. Although I love my job, I wish I could do this… "".Instagram.com.Archived fromthe originalon December 24, 2021.
- ^Carl Thomas – So Much Better (CD liner notes). Bungalo Records. 02097 01182
- ^Bark, Theo."Photosynthesis With D-Nice: A History of Hip-Hop Photography".The Boombox.theboombox.com.RetrievedJune 8,2014.
- ^"Kenny Lattimore To Get 'Vulnerable' On New Album As He Reveals Cover Art & Tracklist".soulbounce.com.Kimberly Shines Media.RetrievedMarch 24,2018.
- ^"Malinda x D-Nice: We Wanted This One To Last".Vibe.com.February 24, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.
- ^"DJ D-Nice Hosts An IG Live Social Distancing Uplift Party And Everybody Shows Up".Forbes.
- ^"Rihanna, Dwyane Wade, Bernie Sanders, and More Attend DJ D-Nice's Virtual 'Social Distancing Dance Party'".Complex.
- ^Kastrenakes, Jacob (May 20, 2020)."Here are all the winners of the 2020 Webby Awards".The Verge.RetrievedMay 22,2020.
- ^"BET Awards Highlight: BET Awards 2020 Shine a Light Award Honorees".BET.com.RetrievedJune 29,2020.
External links
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