As an up-and-coming artist, Derek Portea (a.k.a. DPIH*) brings versatility to the industry. He plays the guitar and keys, and doesn’t place himself into one particular genre because he believes that self-expression is exactly that, self-expression. He produces songs heavily influenced by hip-hop, but when it comes to live shows, he trumpets acoustic, folk and R&B styled versions.
From a very early age, Derek’s diverse upbringing in Los Angeles afforded him comfort in accepting his dual cultures as a Filipino and American. Born in Koreatown and raised in West Covina, it would be his personal struggles with English, traditionally conservative parents, and social anxiety on stage that he learned to overcome.
Derek doesn't take anything for granted, and credits his visits to the Philippines as a source of inspiration and passion for two opposite careers: music and nursing.
• “…I remember trying to assimilate into American culture being hard because I grew up speaking Tagalog, which is the native tongue of the Philippines.” •
- Derek on switching from his mother tongue to English during childhood
English as a Second Language (ESL) became Derek’s primary struggle when he entered the school system, which was ethnically diverse and similar to his West Covina neighborhood full of Filipinos, Hispanics and Blacks. He was personable and hung out with all types of kids, but remembers hiding his ESL status from his friends because it was embarrassing. By 8th grade, he was free from his secret. No more ESL classes.
His parents? They emigrated from a small town in the Philippines called Pagbilao (about 4 hours from Manila), and brought with them their traditionally conservative views for how they would raise their children. In time, Derek's younger sister (by 5 years) would play a huge role in pushing their parents to where they are today – more progressive.
“Growing up, I had an unwarranted resentment towards my parents. I definitely felt conflicted. I did’t understand why my friends got to do things that I wasn’t able to do. But looking back as a mature adult, I’m good now because of the way they chose to raise me.”
Derek had a curfew, unless there was a school function. He wasn’t allowed to date until he got to college. “Of course that never happened. [laughter]”
His strict upbringing also included weekly piano lessons. Although it felt like a chore, Derek is the one that got the ball rolling on that one. “The mall by my house where I grew up, there was a keyboard sale and a guy playing the piano. It wasn’t classical, it was like 80s pop songs. And I thought, ‘This guy looks cool.’ I was around 7 at the time and I begged my mom to buy me a keyboard. When we bought it, they were also offering free piano lessons for one month. So that’s when my formal training started.”
This vivid memory is where Derek’s love for music began. But don’t forget his parents’ vision…Derek was not to fall in love with music. Instead, he was expected to follow the “normal” path to success.
At 19, he started the University of California in Riverside (UC Riverside).
Derek’s parents suggested pharmacy, so he decided to major in bio chemistry. It was ok at first, until organic chemistry came into the picture. He instantly knew that pharmacy was not for him.
In the meantime, he continued to pursue music. Between 18 and 20, Derek recalls using MySpace to put out content as an artist. “It was a very easy medium to get your content out there…I did covers of random songs that I listened to and gained exposure that way.”
He recalls his first on-stage experience as DPIH: during freshman year in college, his high school invited him and other Filipino-American artists to perform. “I had a lot of social anxiety when it came to performing back then. I remember being really nervous and feeling out of place because it was totally new to me and I didn’t know how to interact with the crowd…It was just me and a guitar, and I just sung my little heart out.”
Immediately afterwards, students came up to him for his contact information. That calmed his nerves and let him know, “Hey, I can do this.”
Music was in the picture, and pharmacy was a no-go. Academically he was lost, so his then-girlfriend’s mom introduced him to nursing. He admits that it’s very common to see Filipino nurses, so when he was asked to become one, he said “Uhhhh, no!”
She insisted and threw in something that he had to hear at the time: ‘My friend is a nurse and she only works 3 times a week…for those other 4 days, you can dedicate yourself to your passion.’ For her friend it was acting; for Derek, it was music.
He was sold.
From UC Riverside, he went to Cal State in Los Angeles to complete his prerequisites to get into nursing. Since he was waitlisted, he ended up at West Coast University in Ontario, California. Nursing school became his primary focus, and music was placed on the back burner until after he graduated with a bachelor’s in nursing in 2012.
Out of college and into a new career as a Registered Nurse (RN), Derek’s love for helping people became a passion for which he excelled, but music was still calling his name. “It was that gnawing feeling: what am I doing besides nursing? I should be staying true to myself. As long as I can remember, music has been a part of my life.”
There was no set date or event that prompted him to jump back into music, it just happened organically.
• “It made me value what I have here and to never take any of this stuff for granted. It’s a privilege that I get to share my music and create.” •
- Derek on returning to the U.S. after his visits to the Philippines
The Midnite Society
In college, “The Midnite Society was my brain love child that I came up with when I was deep in my studies. So I thought, ‘Right when I get out of college, I’m going to get a job first. Then, I’m going to call up a couple of my friends who are musically inclined, and we’re going to start a collective and release content’…”
The group launched in June 2016, and consists of artists that are geographically dispersed. Some are in the Bay Area, San Jose, Miami, and a traveling nomad currently in the Philippines.
“We’re definitely a group that brings diversity and positive energy. We share that philosophical value of: You either create or don’t do anything. So you might as well create and express yourself.”
Their recent song, “I Can’t Stay (I Gotta Go),” stems from wanting more in life. Each artist wrote their verse, and explored a different kind of ‘letting go’ and finding peace in knowing there’s something to look forward to. “The hook and 1st verse is mine: it’s about letting go of a very comfortable and stagnate state, and wishing for more in life. The 2nd verse by Ashley Jean could be interpreted in a romantic sense or not. And the 3rd verse by the rapper, Yun J, he’s literally exploring the letting go of a loved one.”
Unlike his first time on stage, Derek now knows how to vibe with the crowd and transfer his energy. He performs with a band that includes a percussionist, bassist and pianist.
His primary influence comes from extracting beauty from the little things in life. This ideology stemmed from his third visit to the Philippines in 2014. During his 1-month trip, Derek was further humbled “…knowing that where I’m making music and getting all these opportunities in the States, there are people in the Philippines that aren’t able to do that. It made me value what I have here and to never take any of this stuff for granted. It’s a privilege that I get to share my music and create.”
Secondly, Derek credits the following artists as inspiration: #1 is The Dream because of his outstanding songwriting and producing skills. #2 is R&B singer Allen Stone. #3, Drake because “He made it ok to be vulnerable in hip-hop culture, so that has affected my songwriting style as well.”
As he continues to happily balance his career as an RN and artist, his dream is to one day pursue music full-time.
Expect more collaborations within The Midnite Society, and solo wise, an acoustic album, a tongue and cheek mixtape titled “Songs About Nothing,” and an album consisting of everything engineered by himself – lyrics, production and beats.
“I didn’t think 2017 was going to be so busy, but I’m definitely humbled by these opportunities.”
His parents take on his traditional vs. non-traditional career:
“They still don’t see why I’m doing music, but they’re way more supportive now than if I were to pursue it during my college years. They’re ecstatic that I’m a nurse tho! [laughter]”
How connected he feels towards his Filipino and American cultures:
“Filipino culture didn’t limit my potential. It only pushed me forward to not only become an RN, but to also be the artist and musician that I am right now. Because of that, I feel very close to Filipino culture and I am also as American as can be.”
His advice for his 16-year-old self:
“Jokingly: with all the stuff my sister got away with, I should’ve told myself ‘I can do more.’ [laughter]”
In all seriousness, “To never lose focus, and to always be true to myself.”
• • •
*The creation of his stage name, DPIH, was an honest mistake. At the time, his MySpace page name was Derek Portea ‘Is Hyphee,’ linked to the popular Bay Area rapper E-40’s song, “Tell Me When To Go.” His then-girlfriend utilized graphic design tools to redesign his MySpace banner to look more professional. In the process, she mistook his artist name ‘Derek Portea’ with ‘Derek Portea Is Hyphee’ and put it on the banner. Unable to change it, the name stuck and has since been shortened to DPIH.
- Images courtesy of Derek Portea/Hannah R.J.A. Song