Derek Covington Smith was raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi. He grew up surrounded by a conservative culture that challenged him to push boundaries in himself and his artwork. Smith started admiring the lines and colors in comic books and pop culture at a young age. He has an Associates in Fine Arts and a Culinary Degree in Pastry and Baking. He still decorates cakes from time to time but is truly passionate about traditional, nontraditional, and pop art. In 2002 Derek moved to Orlando, FL, a successful professional artist for ten years. From 2016 - 2019 Smith spent time in New York, where he teamed up with the pop culture gallery THNK1994. After moving back to Mississippi, Smith now has a creative studio in his hometown called The Little Yellow Building. There he spends his time teaching, recording podcasts interviewing other Mississippi Artists, and coming up with new ways to collaborate across the state.​