Today we’d like to introduce you to Prince Derek Doll. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Prince Derek Doll (b. Alonzo S. Blalock) is an American performing artist, media personality, entrepreneur and advocate. Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, the multi-faceted entertainer has experienced most of his career highlights in the NYC metro area and currently resides in the historic city of Newark, New Jersey.
His passion for entertainment was first discovered while attending South Highlands Elementary Magnet School of Performing Arts— Louisiana’s first arts integration school. While enrolled, he excelled as the lead in musicals and participated in orchestra as the second chair cellist. At the age of 10, his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he became the lead tenor for the H.O.Burgess Elementary Choir under the direction of Wayne Stephens. Aside from maintaining stellar grades, most of his time was spent participating in local talent showcases, performing at both private and public events as a soloist, and undergoing studio training as a demo singer.
Throughout high school, he competed as a first tenor soloist and ensemblist in the Minden High School Crimson Chorus under the direction of Cindy Madden where he was first exposed to sight reading and songwriting. While attending Grambling State University, he participated in University Choir, gained the title of Mr. Alpha Kappa Alpha 2006-2007 with a rousing rendition of “I Won’t Complain”, became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated., and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication with a concentration in broadcasting for television and radio. In his spare time, he would write, record, and release rough demos to Myspace and Soundclick, using music creation as a form of therapy to combat depression and anxiety.
Upon college graduation in 2010, the aspiring multimedia artist went on to become an Emmys Foundation intern at ‘Entertainment Tonight’ (CBS) which inspired the development of his first online radio program entitled “Alonzo’s Uglytruth” on Blog Talk Radio. By 2011, Prince Derek Doll was not only the host of Shreveport’s weekly open mic event Words Over Lattes but was also back in the studio recording original music. Even as an openly queer artist in the Deep South, he commanded the respect of his peers and landed collaboration with local artists like DATPIFFMAFIA (f/k/a Eñso Sinatra), Yung Jar, and Dejuari.
In October 2012, he moved to New York where he immediately started performing in showcases and open mics for market exposure. That same December the emerging Neo-Pop/Hip Hop artist released his debut EP ‘GOLDRUSH’— a collection of experimental genres to showcase the breadth of his songwriting skills and performance versatility. In 2015, his songs “It’s Alright” and “Won’t Find Me (Remix)” featuring Tiffany Evans were both included in Pricilla Adams Walker’s award-winning short film “High School Honeys”, while his song “Rihanna (Poppin)” had found it’s way to college radio. The next few years were full of many trials and tribulations, but his passion for the arts could not be denied or deterred. While taking a break from music, he experienced many successes as an improv actor at The Producers Club, featured background artist for Netflix’s “The Get Down”, featured artist alongside Lion Babe for Segura Viudus commercial campaign, and even worked on the “Go Robot” music video for Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In 2019, he made history as the first openly bisexual artist to perform on Hip Hop Culture Day at Lincoln Park Music Festival. Prince Derek then went on to make an international press debut from the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards. Arriving in the official capacity as an interviewer for The Newark Times, his fashion choice unexpectedly garnered features on several best-dressed lists including Essence, GQ Australia, USA Today, and Vogue. In October 2020, Derek surprised fans with new music by releasing the autobiographical hip hop record “BANG” to streaming platforms followed by a 3-page spread in the Feb/March 2020 issue of Out In Jersey magazine. In recognition of his contributions to the local community and creative arts industry, Prince Derek was named 2020 Creative of the Year by Artistic Passion & Purpose— the first to receive the award.
In October 2021, he returned to the stage with a show-stopping 30-minute medley of his classic, current, and upcoming releases including melodic contemporary rap records like “LOVE ME”, introspective tunes like “MIRROR”, and his most successful summer anthem to date— “CHOP”. In 2022, he began working with a newly assembled creative team to ensure his supporters (affectionately regarded as ‘The DollBrigade’) receive a solid music project, new merchandise, and even more live productions than in previous years. Since he has gone on to become the star of hit LGBTQ web-reality series “The Circle NYC”, returned to the 2022 MTV VMAs red carpet as both talent and media and recently released the celebratory EP “GOLDRUSH: X” in commemoration of the 10 year anniversary of his debut.
Aside from being a lifelong performer, he is an award-winning LGBTQ community advocate. He is a 2020 Leadership Newark Public Policy Fellow, Inaugural Fellow of the Dr. Ron L. Simmons Leadership Institute, Producer of the annual Newark Pride Festival (2020, 2021, 2022), and the latest recipient of the 2022 Equality Leadership Award. He’s appeared on the Insider NJ OUT 100 Power List (2021, 2022) for leveraging his artistic platform to influence public policy and was recently invited to The White House for the Inaugural LGBTQ Black History Briefing.
Even when he’s off stage, he is constantly working to ensure that future generations understand the power of music and theatre. This past December he facilitated a custom piano donation in collaboration with Mars Wrigley, Sing For Hope, and Lil Nas X to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where he serves as the manager off In-School Program— a position that allows him to place teaching artists throughout the state of New Jersey in schools that currently do not have performing arts programs. He is an artist’s artist and cannot wait to share his forthcoming debut album, “Trophy Season” with the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pursuing a career in entertainment hasn’t been easy, but each struggle provided a lesson that would prepare me for whatever the next level has for me. My first obstacle came in 1998. I was 11 years old, living in College Park with my pregnant mom and little brother. I had been working the circuit singing throughout Atlanta for a little over a year and was given the opportunity to be developed by a major recording label. Due to my pregnancy and the relocation requirement, she turned down the deal. The next year, a new artist of the same age came out with a song of which I had recorded the demo. It was heartbreaking. Over the years, family issues took a toll on me and led me into depression and a wave of eating disorders. By the age of 25, I’d already attempted suicide three times before fully realizing my purpose and allowing my passion to be the fuel.
I moved to New York in 2012 and was immediately met with challenges. Due to Hurricane Sandy, I was trapped in Long Island for two weeks with no electricity, minimum travel, and essentially no way to make money. I found myself homeless in Manhattan, sleeping in a car, bathing in hotel public restrooms, and using Starbucks for wifi until I was invited to East Orange, NJ by a college friend. The next few years were spent working in restaurants, hosting live gigs, and managing an abusive relationship that eventually led me back into homelessness. It took me years to recover and rebuild, but I allow these experiences to inform my music and advocacy.Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a recording artist, media personality, community advocate, and entrepreneur. It’s hard for me to say what I’m most known for, as each sector of my professional career always seems to intersect–and I’m grateful for that. Most people now know me as the star of “The Circle NYC”, which is an LGBTQ reality web series produced by OurViewTV. Though I’m always thrilled when new people discover my music, I’m most proud of the work I’ve done for the community.
I currently serve as the Executive Vice President of Newark Pride, Inc. and the Festival Producer of the Newark LGBTQ Pride Festival. Over the last seven years, I’ve been able to build out this event into one that is much more inclusive, diverse, and influential than ever before. Our stage has now housed over 60 LGBTQ artists, collaborated with 40+ businesses/organizations/
I cannot speak to what motivates the work of other artists, but I believe that my intentional authenticity in what I create enough space for me to not instantly be compared. I create each song as a tribute to moments in my real life and don’t follow any standards or formulas. I just want to be able to share my story in a way that others may be able to relate, be inspired by, and enjoy.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in balance and manifestation. Throughout my life, there have been many times where I didn’t feel favored or that life had become unnecessarily hard. It wasn’t until I started appreciating those low moments that I was truly able to tap into my intuition. Everything I’ve gone through, whether good or not so good, has informed my creativity and business model. My mindset is one of gratitude and that allows me to experience high levels of favor and to command even higher levels of grace. It’s part of the give and take, and I’ve grown comfortable despite which end of the spectrum I am in at any given time because I know that the pendulum will continue to swing both ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thederekdoll.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thederekdoll
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/princederekdoll
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/thederekdoll
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/princederekdoll
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@princederekdoll
- SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/thederekdoll
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/prince-derek-doll/1540899215
