Derek Minor: ‘Empire’ album review

All eyes seem to be on rapper Lecrae and his rise to stardom, but waiting patiently in the wings we find Derek Minor with this new release called Empire. While Minor lacks a bit of the musical nuances of Lecrae, he holds his own with songs like “Save Me,” and the gospel feel of “Fly” takes off with a strong vocal performance. There’s a hint of disconnect on “Who You Know,” with its ultra-repetitive lyrics and ho-hum arrangement. Overall, Empire is a promising preview — with his superior songwriting and performance, we expect to hear much more from Derek Minor in the years to come!