'Speaker Knockerz'(AKA Derek McAllister) was a young, self driven, completely solo, full-package-artist who rose to the pinnacle of success in modern rap before turning 20, and today marks his 28th birthday. Autotune is a common part of most rap songs today, but in early 2012 a 16-year-old Speaker Knockerz brought autotune to a genre that wasn’t familiar with the tool at the time. Not only did he popularize it, but he also made it the trademark and focal point of his music. A young Speaker Knockerz found his introduction to the mainstream audience when he had a stint of songs he produced climb the Billboard charts performed by artists including Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and Meek Mill. This exploded his influence to the point where Kanye West began adopting his style to his later albums such as "808s & Heartbreak" and "Yeezus," where his main vocal tracks consisted almost entirely of autotune. Speaker Knockerz was on his way to having the world at his disposal, with his influence stretching to present day and his image continually inspiring the masses years after his death. Found already passed on in his garage from a suspected overdose in 2014, the world never got to see Speaker Knockerz flourish to his fullest extent, but Derek McAllister will nonetheless be remembered as an artist of a generation, and today we wish him a happy birthday. May he rest in peace.
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