Derek Gaines was born and raised in California, but found his comedy chops in Philadelphia. He currently calls New York City his home where he regularly performs and brings a unique perspective to growing up African American in the suburbs. Derek's first break came when he reached the semi finals of Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes in 2010. Also in 2010, Derek was a finalist in Philadelphia's Funniest Person Competition. Derek made his stand-up comedy television debut in 2014 when he appeared on AXS TV's Gotham Comedy Live and was selected by the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival as part of their New Faces showcase. Derek has been a contributor to VH1’s Big Morning Buzz and starred in Morgan Spurlock’s docu-series Connected on AOL Originals. Derek was also the co-host of MTV’s hilarious pop-up game show, Broke Ass Game Show. When he’s not quizzing people on the street, Derek is touring colleges and clubs around the country and can be seen regularly in New York and Los Angeles at The Comedy Store, Standup NY, The Stand and The Hollywood Improv.