Icons such as LL COOL J, Crazy Legs, Doug E. Fresh, Queen Latifah, and Will Smith have been able to pivot, explore other talents, and reinvent themselves in an industry where longevity isn't always attainable.

Add to that list, D-Nice, formerly of Boogie Down Productions, who started as a Human Beat Box, MC, and producer, and has since gained international acclaim as a photographer and world class DJ.

In an exclusive with Rock The Bells, he talks about his Bronx upbringing, his perseverance, and his upcoming 3-day residency at D.C.'s Kennedy Center.

The Jump Off

D-Nice, born Derrick Jones, says that seeing and hearing Hip-Hop in his formative years in the Bronx immediately drew him into the culture.

"I'm from the early Hip-Hop days, and I heard not only Run-DMC, but Peblee Pooh and The Funky 4 Plus One," he explains. "Even though I was a little shorty, I was always drawn to the music. I'd walk by laundromats in the Bronx that were playing the music and I always had this B-Boy vibe anyway."

D-Nice reveals that a family connection led to his entry into the music business.

"I got into the Hip-Hop culture as an artist because my cousin's boyfriend was a security guard at a men's shelter in the Bronx," he says. "I went to drop some food off to him and he introduced me to a social worker who worked there by the name of DJ Scott La Rock. Scott introduced me to someone who lived in the shelter named KRS-One. As an artist I literally walked into this career. When I walked into Scott's office he looked at me and said that he wanted me to be in his group."

The Beginning

D-Nice hit most of our radars as the Human Beat Box on the B side of Boogie Down Productions' game-changing 1986 hit "South Bronx." "The P Is Free" featured KRS-One telling a "La Di Da Di"-like tale suited for the crack era, with D-Nice also known as the Human TR-808 providing the human percussion.

"When I was in BDP at the age of 15 I'd complain to Scott that I wished I was rapping on songs," he remembers. "When you live in the shadow of a prolific lyricist like KRS-One there's no room to be 15 year old D-Nice because my lyrics were nothing like what he was kickin'.

The way that Scott encouraged me was that he told me to learn how to do everything including producing and DJing. Scott taught me how to DJ by cuttin' up 'It's My Thing' by EPMD because its starts with this off beat, and he taught me how to count bars. The first time that I touched a drum machine was in the studio working on 'South Bronx.' I was 15 and he taught me how to do that, so my love of music and the ability to do multiple things literally stemmed from my relationship with DJ Scott La Rock."

The Record Deal

In 1990, with the help of KRS-One, D-Nice signed to Jive Records. He reveals that he was never officially signed to B-Boy Records, as he was too young to sign. "I was never signed to B-Boy so technically they weren't supposed to put that record ["D-Nice Rocks The House"] out. Even with 'South Bronx' I was too young to sign at 15, so they couldn't sign me," he says. "I just happened to be on 'South Bronx' and 'The P is Free', but had no contract as it was an independent company. When they put out 'D-Nice Rocks The House' that was a demo that I did, but they had the masters to it, but technically that record should have never been released."

D-Nice credits KRS-One and his signing to Jive Records as his official entry into the recording industry. "When I signed to Jive it was because KRS went over to Jive and that was a massive deal," he says. "KRS told Jive that he needed them to sign me, and it's funny how life works. I have love and respect for Jive and their executives, but my deal was a very low deal! It was definitely a sidekick deal, but I was happy just to have a deal, I was a young kid in the Bronx making records."

The Photographer

D-Nice also wears the hat of photographer, having photographed iconic album covers and campaigns. He has shot many major campaigns with some pretty big names. "I shot the cover for Pharoahe Monch's War album, album covers for Talib Kweli, Carl Thomas, a campaign for Reebok with 50 Cent and so many things,"he reveals. "I was a featured photographer on America's Next Top Model, I also had a Hennesy campaign, but DJing took up so much time that I couldn't continue to shoot the way that I was."

D says that he keeps a camera with him these days for the purposes of documentation, and his upcoming book that chronicles the journey of Hip-Hop. "I've photographed everyone from Ice T to early Kendrick before he had a record out. I've been doing this for a long time, but DJing took over," the "Crumbs on The Table" MC explains.

D-Nice attributes much of his photographic journey to some iconic figures. "My journey happened because I was photographed with a bunch of rappers by Gordon Parks for "A Great Day in Harlem" for XXL magazine," he recalls. "At that time I didn't have any records out, I wasn't producing websites and I was an old school artist who didn't know very many of the artists who were there. I kept to myself and I just wanted to be in this picture. I kept watching Mr. Parks loading film and I knew that i wanted to feel like that in my 70's as far as still loving what I do. I ran into Mr. Parks later at a one man show at City College in New York, it was Paul Robeson starring Avery Brooks. I was by myself and Mr. Parks sat next to me. I asked him a few questions, I didnt wanna be disrespectful, but I wanted to get that energy, and I was trying to find myself and I just fell in love with photography."

D recalls another pivotal moment in his journey as a photographer. "When I started doing well with my web company I was headed to an early morning meeting in The Village and on my way to the client I passed this place called The Morrison Gallery," he says. "They were hanging these images and I recognized them as Jim Marshall's work. I walked in and Jim was there - I said hello to him, I had a camera around my neck and he didn't know who I was. This is the act of being kind to people, I told him that I was a fan, and he told me the story of every single image being hung there. In that moment to me everything changed. I'd done album covers and everything, but I wanted to be Jim Marshall to some young kid, and share the stories behind the images."

The Pandemic

In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic that had the country quarantined in our homes, D-Nice made a move that would change his career as a DJ forever, and make him a household name.

"I got the idea for what became Club Quarantine the day before I went online with it for the first time. I'd never DJ'd online before that," he shared. "I never thought that anyone would be interested in seeing me do that. It wasn't until I was quarantined at home that I decided to jump on and play some music. Five days later it changed the world."

I've done a lot of big events in my career — from Super Bowl to Oscar parties and inaugural balls — but Club Quarantine is the first time in my career that I felt I could truly just be me," he shares. "I can play the music, there's no one standing in front of me, or that I can see not dancing making me feel that i need to change the vibe. If you wanted to hear the music and vibe with me you chose to stay there and that's the first time that I've felt that I could play the music the way that I hear it."

By the third night of Club Quarantine, D-Nice knew that he had created something next level. "I wasn't actually DJing the first couple of days. I was just playing songs. I didn't even have any turntables hooked up," he says. "I played songs from my computer and shared stories. By day three I hooked turntables up and actually starting DJing, and on the morning of the fourth day which was a Friday that's when I realized that this was something different. Drake popped in, then The Rock and JLo. I was like whoa! I didn't even know, in fact my daughter told me that Drake was there. The next day I protected it. I didn't want anyone promoting it, I took no money, it was an opportunity to just play music and keep people inspired. Im glad that I remained true to why I enjoy doing it, and here we are doing it live and its great!"

The Kennedy Center

D-Nice's upcoming three-day residency at Kennedy Center's Opera House is his second time playing that venue. He played it last year and sold it out - the first time that a DJ ever headlined.

"They came to me and suggested a residency this time - three nights. I didn't wanna do the same thing every night, so I decided on a comedy night, a regular Club Quarantine night, then a praise and worship on Sunday. I started reaching out to friends like Chris Spencer, Flex Alexander, and Sherri Shepherd and they immediately got involved. I have Jadakiss, MC Lyte, and Camp Lo, but it's not just Hip-Hop. There's Kem, Muni Long, and Tracie Spencer."

It's all about the music and what resonates," he says. "Every Sunday during the lockdown I played Gospel music, and the Gospel artists started coming in hanging out and sharing stories. When I've done CQ Live I've always had a Gospel artist, but never an entire Gospel line up. We did something similar in Vegas but not like this!"

Get tickets for the event here