DEREK "LA" JACKSON

CEO of Hustla Inc. and Industry veteran Derek "L.A." Jackson has helped guide the careers of such legends as Marley Marl, Lords of the Underground, Warren G and The Roots. He is now starting his own record label and continueing to take the careers of Dallas based GRAMMY Award winning producers Play-N-Skillz and platinum producer Scott Storch to extraordinary levels.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Derek Jackson entered the music business just as hip-hop was getting off the ground. Jackson received a degree in Radio & Television from Shaw University, and his cousin Marley Marl offered him his first opportunity in management.

"I was blessed to come in with Marley when he was new. I was rushed into a space where he was a king. He was the person that brought hip-hop to the masses," Derek remembered. "That's when we did 'Mama Said Knock You Out,' the Cold Chillin stuff. I was blessed to catch that wave."

90's hip-hop proved fruitful for Jackson. He and Marl brought out Jersey rap trio Lords of the Underground, whose successful run earned Derek a reputation for having a great ear. Jackson also began working at Def Jam under the tutelage of Lyor Cohen. It was during his stint there that he discovered The Roots. Derek traveled to Philadelphia at the invitation of Boyz II Men singer, Wanya Morris, who wanted him to hear another R&B group, but De La Soul affiliate MC Shortie convinced Derek to stop by a nearby Roots performance.

Jackson and business partner Francesca Spiro went to work setting up showcases for The Roots, before David Geffen eventually signed them.

Jackson would play a role in the careers of the Bomb Squad, Easy Mo Bee, Neptunes' Chad and Pharrell, Sha Money, Coolio and others, but none of his working relationships surpassed the dynamic Jackson had with Scott Storch, who he has managed since his Roots days.

"There was a lot of days of taking meetings with everyone, people not believing that he made the beats, thinking that I was Scott for real and it was a set up. We had meeting after meeting after meeting, then it started to click. It was a lot of meetings, but we started to do stuff. He had the little run with Timbaland, we did 'Cry Me A River' and that Janet record on the Justin Timberlake album, from there it just started to blossom."

In 2004 Jackson lead Storch to a breakthrough with chart-toppers from Terror Squad ("Lean Back"), Mario ("Let Me Love You") and 50 Cent ("Candy Shop"), cementing him as one of music's most sought after producers. 2007 has a few suprises for this chart topper!!

Derrick Jackson's Playography
Projects

Scott Storch - "This year is the year we're going to unleash Scott's label on the world."
D Black- rapper
Merj- R&B group, almost in the vein of Blackstreet Frank White - Atlanta rapper- "He has the most ferocious game of spit that I've ever heard in my life. I never heard a white boy spit like this. It's special. I've never heard anything like him before."

Watchlist
Frank White
Big D - Producer formerly of Usual Suspects
Wakean- "A guy who works with me that's definitely got the spirit of a killer. He's next on the executive side at Hustla Inc."

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LAST MONTH'S FEATURE: Lenny S.