Derrick Milano Recalls Hit Records With Nothing In His Bank Account

Derrick Milano said having big records did not always mean he had money in the bank. He discussed that gap while talking about pay and credit for Black creatives.

“There have been times when I’ve had big records and my bank account was zero,” Milano told the Los Angeles Sentinel.

He named pay, recognition and credit as challenges Black creatives faced. He did not identify the periods he meant or name an artist or company as owing him money.

The question of how to value his work has come up in his studio accounts, too. In a separate June K-ALL interview, Milano explained that his work on BTS’ ARIRANG pushed him to see the worth of a melody, even when he did not write the words.

He described recording multiple takes of melodies and flows for producer Pdogg, who pulled parts from different takes to build the songs. At first, that was a change from his usual approach of supplying both melodies and lyrics.

Milano told K-ALL he wanted people to understand what he added without taking credit from the writers whose lyrics told their own stories. He said talking through the process in interviews helped him feel more connected to the finished album.

He recalled RM and j-hope telling him that those wordless vocal ideas helped them find the words and rhythms for their parts.

That attention to credits was practical as well. He said he and his manager checked that his contributions were documented. While reviewing the album credits, he found his name listed for background vocals, too. His voice remained on “Merry Go Round.”

The work also brought public recognition. BMI honored Milano and fellow songwriter A.Chic for BTS’ “Swim” at its Atlanta office on June 17. The event celebrated their work on the chart-topping song, with each honoree receiving a commemorative songwriter microphone.

Looking beyond his own credits, Milano told the Sentinel he would like to own a label built around women artists. He described developing those performers without forcing them to give up the music they wanted to make. He wanted to help them create songs that could cross over to a broader audience.