Derek McAllister Biography

Derek McAllister, Jr. was an American rapper. He was more popular by his stage name ‘Speaker Knockerz’. A native of New York, McAllister grew up in a family that encouraged him to pursue his musical aspirations. His father, a former musician himself, was incarcerated for ten years and his mother, fearing her children might become criminals themselves, left New York for South Carolina. It is here that McAllister developed his passion for hip-hop and started making music on his personal computer. In 2010, with the help of his father, who had now been released, he put out his debut mixtape ‘Flight Delayed’. In the subsequent years, he collaborated with the likes of Meek Mill and Gucci Mane and released hits such as ‘Lonely’ and the ‘Rico’ trilogy. While he remained unsigned until his death, he had established Talibandz Entertainment, his own record label. After his death in 2014, a cult following has developed around his music.