“I started out as a barber.  After cutting hair for some time, one day I decided that I didn’t want to be a barber any more.  No one could understand why I wanted to quit.  I knew what I wanted to do and no one was going to change my mind.” 

It’s hard to believe this simple conclusion would put Derrick Moore on a path that would lead to him creating a highly acclaimed label, Black Juice Beats.  As a well respected production company in the Virgin Islands , Black Juice Beats is an inspiration for many other labels that has since followed in its footsteps and it is still known by most in the VI industry for the instrumental role it played in diversifying the music scene of the VI in the early 1990s. 

Reminiscing on his journey towards becoming a notable producer in the Virgin Islands community, Derrick lays out the steps he taken to start his label and what he did to survive in this tough industry. 

Initially Derrick spent his first two years reading everything he could get his hands on about the music business: magazines, books, business plans, etc.    It was hard starting out because it wasn’t a locally recognize industry at the time.  That made it hard to get a loan.

Despite all that, Derrick’s initial eagerness to succeed, unwavering determination and passion for music fueled his dreams.  He states:

“Eleven years ago I was cocky.  I thought I was going to build a successful career in this music business, in a matter of months.  Now ten years into the game, I have since realized what the older heads were trying to tell me: it was going to take at least 10 years to make it.”

Derrick began funding his new venture himself; that tacked on another 4 to 5 years.   Those years were full of equipment purchases and lots of self guided tutorials, which made him the well verse studio exec he is today.   Even with all the setbacks, “at the end of the day you know you are going to be successful -- by any means necessary.” 

Derrick is credited for discovering, managing and recording groups like The Star Lion Family.  This star studded camp nurtured current solo artists like Pressure and Niyorah to name a few.  He continued to network with several artists and other producers, and managed to expand his album credits in the process.

After years of building a reputation for himself as a producer, Derrick met up with Dan McGuiness of Island Sound Works through a mutual friend in 2005.    Realizing that they had similar goals they eventually began negotiations.  By November of 2005 Derrick became the CEO of ISW Studios shortly after studios C & D were added to the initial studios A & B.  This expansion brought ISW from a studio to a full fledge audio/visual media production company. 

ISW is known throughout the Virgin Islands community for its work with Project Safe Neighborhoods’ “Speak your Peace” campaign which afforded 18 students split up between St. Thomas , St. Croix and St. John the opportunity to record an album against violence.