Who is Derek Minor? Derek Minor, born Derek Laurence Johnson Jr., is an American Christian rapper born in 1984 in Pontiac, Michigan, and based in Tennessee. First known as PRo, he joined Reach Records before founding his own label RMG and becoming one of the leading figures of American Christian rap for more than fifteen years.
Derek Minor grows up in Tennessee after leaving Michigan with his mother, in a family shaped by music: his father, a jazz musician, introduces him to rap at a young age. As a student in the music program at Middle Tennessee State University, he earns a degree in music business before launching his career under the stage name PRo, co-founding the label Reflection Music Group (RMG) with Doc Watson in 2008.
After signing with Reach Records in 2011 and releasing several notable albums as PRo, he changes his name to Derek Minor in 2012 and follows up with solo projects that top American Christian and gospel charts. Still active independently with his label RMG, he continues to release new music regularly, balancing faith commitment with hip-hop craftsmanship.
- Origin
- Pontiac, Michigan, USA (based in Tennessee)
- Style
- Christian rap, hip-hop
- Active since
- 2006 (as PRo), Derek Minor since 2012
- Good to know
- Co-founder of the label Reflection Music Group (RMG)
How did Derek Minor get started?
Born Derek Laurence Johnson Jr. on December 16, 1984 in Pontiac, Michigan, he moves to Tennessee as a child with his mother. His father, a jazz musician, introduces him to rap during his teenage years. After music studies at Middle Tennessee State University, he launches his music career under the name PRo and co-founds the label Reflection Music Group (RMG) with Doc Watson in 2008, releasing a first album, The Blackout, that same year.
In 2011, PRo signs with Reach Records as part of a joint venture with RMG and releases Dying to Live, which reaches number one on Billboard's Christian Albums chart. In August 2012, he announces his name change to Derek Minor, a new chapter marked by the release of Minorville in 2013, a gold-certified record on the gospel charts that earns him a Dove Award for best rap/hip-hop album.
What makes Derek Minor distinctive?
After leaving Reach Records in 2014 at the end of his contract, Derek Minor chooses independence, signing a distribution deal with Entertainment One. This freedom lets him release projects at his own pace, from full albums like Empire (2015) and Reflection (2016) to the series of short records Up and Away, released between 2017 and 2018. His track Change the World, with Hollyn, even reaches number one on a Billboard radio chart in 2017.
Derek Minor is also recognized as a producer: he contributed to Lecrae's album Gravity, which won a Grammy Award for best gospel album in 2013. This double role as artist and producer, combined with running his own label RMG, makes him an enduring figure in Christian rap, able to bounce back after every industry shift.
Where should you start to discover Derek Minor?
Vigilante, released in 2025 as a duet with rapper Canon, clearly shows the energy and sharp pen that define Derek Minor today. For his history, Minorville (2013) remains the album that launched his career under that name, while his most recent releases, like Up and Lift Me Up, show how active his release schedule still is in 2026.
songs
Vigilante
a duet with rapper Canon, featuring Jarvan Jamerson, released in 2025.
Up
a 2026 single carried by a polished music video (director's cut).
Villain Freestyle
a freestyle that highlights the artist's direct, assertive writing style.
Discography
- 2025Vigilante· with Canon
- 2023Nobody's Perfect
- 2018The Trap
- 2016Reflection
- 2015Empire
- 2013Minorville
- 2011Dying to Live· as PRo
- 2010Redemption· as PRo
- 2008The Blackout· as PRo
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is Derek Minor?
Derek Minor, born Derek Laurence Johnson Jr., is an American Christian rapper born in 1984 in Michigan and based in Tennessee. A former member of the Reach Records roster under the name PRo, he now runs his own label, RMG, as an independent artist.
Is Derek Minor a Christian?
Yes. Derek Minor holds to an evangelical Christian faith at the heart of all his music since his beginnings as PRo, and his artistic path is inseparable from his commitment as a believer.
Why was Derek Minor previously called PRo?
He started his career under the name PRo in 2006, before announcing his name change to Derek Minor in August 2012, a step that coincided with the release of the album Minorville in 2013.
What is Derek Minor's best-known song?
Change the World, a duet with Hollyn, reached number one on a Billboard radio chart in 2017. More recently, Vigilante, with rapper Canon, marked his 2025 discography.
What is Derek Minor's label?
Derek Minor co-founded the label Reflection Music Group (RMG) in 2008 with Doc Watson. After a stint with Reach Records between 2011 and 2014, he continues his career independently through RMG.
Where can you listen to Derek Minor?
His discography is available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer, as well as on his official YouTube channel and his website derekminor.com.