Derek McAllister, Jr. was a rapper from the United States. He was better known by his stage name ‘Speaker Knockerz.’ McAllister, a native of New York, grew up in a household that pushed him to pursue his musical dreams. His father, a former musician, was imprisoned for ten years, and his mother fled New York for South Carolina, fearful her children would become criminals themselves. It was here that McAllister discovered his love of hip-hop and began composing songs on his computer. In 2010, he released his debut mixtape, ‘Flight Delayed,’ with the support of his now-released father.
In the years afterward, he has worked with artists such as Meek Mill and Gucci Mane and has recorded songs such as ‘Lonely’ and the ‘Rico’ trilogy. While he remained unsigned until his death, he had started his own record label, Talibandz Entertainment. Following his death in 2014, his music has gained a cult following. McAllister released his first mixtape, ‘Flight Delayed,’ in 2010 under the stage moniker Speaker Knockerz. It drew a tremendous response, attracting the attention of several well-known industry personalities.
His beats were used by Meek Mill, Gucci Mane, French Montana, Lil’ Scrappy, 2 Chainz, and a slew of other artists throughout the next few years. Soon after, he began writing lyrics to accompany his music. While he never signed with a major music company, he posted over 50 videos to his YouTube website, and his original tunes, such as ‘Lonely’ and the ‘Rico’ trilogy, became extremely famous, with 1.9 million and 3.5 million views, respectively. Speaker Knockerz released three albums: ‘Fitness Father,’ ‘Married to the Money,’ and ‘Married to the Money II,’ all in 2013. (2014). His debut mixtape, ‘Flight Delayed,’ was released as an album two years after his death. He had 49 featured tunes on iTunes when he died in March 2014.
