D-Sisive
Encyclopedia
D-Sisive is the stage name of Derek Christoff, a prolific Canadian
rapper, best known for his Juno Award
-nominated EP
The Book, his hit single "Nobody With A Notepad" (for which D-Sisive and collaborator Muneshine won SOCAN's fourth annual ECHO Songwriting Prize) and his 2009 Polaris Music Prize
-nominated album Let the Children Die (which was launched by the success of "Nobody With A Notepad").
hip hop scene, but took a six-year break from performing and writing due to a battle with depression
following his mother's death in 2001 and father's death in 2007. The death of his mother inspired him to release the EP J.A.C., named after her, while Christoff's response to losing his parents is heavily documented on releases such as The Book
and Let the Children Die
.
Despite this absence, his talents were showcased on DJ Format
's popular 2005 album If You Can't Join 'Em... Beat 'Em, and Christoff performed alongside fellow Canadian rapper Abdominal
in the music video for DJ Format's hit single '3 Feet Deep'. Further, a collection of recordings from the early period of D-Sisive's career has been released on a widely available bootleg entitled Yesterday. The Mixtape.
came to an end when he was unexpectedly inspired by lyrics spontaneously coming to him while singing along to The Beach Boys
' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" on the radio — lyrics that became his breakthrough hit, "Brian Wilson". He signed to URBNET Records
, which released The Book
on June 3, 2008 and Let the Children Die
on May 3, 2009. Later that year, D-Sisive took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic
. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had him reflecting on Planet Mars, an underground hip-hop showcase that changed his life. Christoff capped off his SOCAN award win and closed 2009 with a free album entitled Jonestown.
2010 saw the release of another album, Vaudeville
, as well as numerous singles, including a song inspired by the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil
and a music video entitled 'First Winter' for The C4 Experiment hosted by Christopher Walken
. Christoff also began working with rapper Buck 65
for an upcoming collaborative album entitled The Ricardo Christoff Apparatus. In early 2011, D-Sisive continued his Hijacked series with a single entitled 'If I Live To See Tomorrow', based on a song by Sigur Rós
. The release of a new album, Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye, scheduled for free distribution online in late 2010, has been pushed back to later in 2011. On January 14, 2011 it was announced via Christoff's Twitter
that he was nearly done work on his long-rumoured charity single, "Live Your Life (The World Song)" feat. Buck 65
, Punky Brewster
, Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters
, 1980s Leonard Cohen, Stompin' Tom Connors
, and Gucci Mane
. The song is set for a Valentine's Day
release.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rapper, best known for his Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-nominated EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
The Book, his hit single "Nobody With A Notepad" (for which D-Sisive and collaborator Muneshine won SOCAN's fourth annual ECHO Songwriting Prize) and his 2009 Polaris Music Prize
2009 Polaris Music Prize
The 2009 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 21, 2009 in Toronto at the Masonic Temple and broadcast live online for the first time in its short history...
-nominated album Let the Children Die (which was launched by the success of "Nobody With A Notepad").
Beginnings and Withdrawal From Spotlight
D-Sisive first emerged in the late 1990s with a number of independent singles which were popular in the TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
hip hop scene, but took a six-year break from performing and writing due to a battle with depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
following his mother's death in 2001 and father's death in 2007. The death of his mother inspired him to release the EP J.A.C., named after her, while Christoff's response to losing his parents is heavily documented on releases such as The Book
The Book (EP)
The Book is an 2008 comeback EP by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The release was nominated for a Juno Award.-Track listing:# Intro # Brian Wilson# Ambulance# ThisIsWhatItSoundsLikeWhenWhiteboysListenToHipHop# Up# Kneecaps...
and Let the Children Die
Let the Children Die
Let the Children Die is a 2009 album by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The album was nominated for a 2009 Polaris Music Prize.-Track listing:# Introduction# Switzerland# Let the Children Die# Nobody with a Notepad# Father# Back Then# Song to Sing...
.
Despite this absence, his talents were showcased on DJ Format
DJ Format
Matt Ford, better known as DJ Format , is a hip hop DJ born in Southampton, England who lives in Brighton...
's popular 2005 album If You Can't Join 'Em... Beat 'Em, and Christoff performed alongside fellow Canadian rapper Abdominal
Abdominal (rapper)
- Biography :He grew up in Toronto and attended Northern Secondary School in the late 80s and early 90s, gaining a reputation there for his cartoons and graphic design work. Using the name Abdominal, he formed his first rap crew with DJ Serious and Scott C. called Rushholme and they started...
in the music video for DJ Format's hit single '3 Feet Deep'. Further, a collection of recordings from the early period of D-Sisive's career has been released on a widely available bootleg entitled Yesterday. The Mixtape.
Prolific Return (2008 - Present)
Christoff's bout of writer's blockWriter's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
came to an end when he was unexpectedly inspired by lyrics spontaneously coming to him while singing along to The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" on the radio — lyrics that became his breakthrough hit, "Brian Wilson". He signed to URBNET Records
URBNET Records
URBNET Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. URBNET was formed by Darryl Rodway and Janusz Jarosinski in 1999 to provide distribution, marketing and promotional services to Hip Hop artists throughout Canada...
, which released The Book
The Book (EP)
The Book is an 2008 comeback EP by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The release was nominated for a Juno Award.-Track listing:# Intro # Brian Wilson# Ambulance# ThisIsWhatItSoundsLikeWhenWhiteboysListenToHipHop# Up# Kneecaps...
on June 3, 2008 and Let the Children Die
Let the Children Die
Let the Children Die is a 2009 album by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The album was nominated for a 2009 Polaris Music Prize.-Track listing:# Introduction# Switzerland# Let the Children Die# Nobody with a Notepad# Father# Back Then# Song to Sing...
on May 3, 2009. Later that year, D-Sisive took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic
City Sonic
City Sonic is a documentary series about Toronto-based musicians and the places that influenced their music. The first five City Sonic films were previewed at Toronto's 2009 North by North East Music and Film Festival.-Films:...
. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had him reflecting on Planet Mars, an underground hip-hop showcase that changed his life. Christoff capped off his SOCAN award win and closed 2009 with a free album entitled Jonestown.
2010 saw the release of another album, Vaudeville
Vaudeville (album)
Vaudeville is an album by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The first single from the album was '"Ray Charles ". The album sees D-Sisive experiment with a broader range of styles, including pop influences such as those seen on the single "I Love a Girl".-Track listing: # Vaudeville # The Riot...
, as well as numerous singles, including a song inspired by the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a 2008 documentary film about the Canadian heavy metal band, Anvil. The film is directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi, whose previous credits include The Big Tease and The Terminal....
and a music video entitled 'First Winter' for The C4 Experiment hosted by Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
. Christoff also began working with rapper Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
for an upcoming collaborative album entitled The Ricardo Christoff Apparatus. In early 2011, D-Sisive continued his Hijacked series with a single entitled 'If I Live To See Tomorrow', based on a song by Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
. The release of a new album, Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye, scheduled for free distribution online in late 2010, has been pushed back to later in 2011. On January 14, 2011 it was announced via Christoff's Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that he was nearly done work on his long-rumoured charity single, "Live Your Life (The World Song)" feat. Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
, Punky Brewster
Punky Brewster
Punky Brewster was an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster being raised by her foster parent...
, Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
, 1980s Leonard Cohen, Stompin' Tom Connors
Stompin' Tom Connors
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC is one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singers.He lives in Wellington County, Ontario.- Early life :...
, and Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
. The song is set for a Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
release.
Name Change
In late 2010, D-Sisive announced that he was changing his stage name to Derek From Northcliffe, a nod to his childhood hometown, citing misspelling by venues as a major contributing factor. However, following an apparent change of heart regarding the change, Christoff flirted with the idea of simply operating under his birth name. Currently, it is not known which name Christoff will pursue, an issue that the rapper wryly addressed by crediting his first 2011 release to 'Derek (From Northcliffe) D-Sisive Christoff'.Lamont Dozier Sample Controversy and Settlement
Controversy interrupted D-Sisive's 2009 winning streak when it was revealed that "Nobody With A Notepad" borrowed heavily from "Peddlin Music On The Side," an early-70s solo recording by legendary songwriter Lamont Dozier (who, with Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote many of Motown's biggest hits of the 1960s). "Nobody With A Notepad" contains extensive instrumental, melodic and vocal sections of Dozier's composition and recording, including Lamont's unaltered vocal performance. After Dozier's initial efforts to privately resolve D-Sisive's unauthorized use of his material were rebuffed, Dozier sued D-Sisive (and his producer and label) for copyright infringement in August and the lawsuit was amicably settled a few months later..Albums
- Let the Children DieLet the Children DieLet the Children Die is a 2009 album by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The album was nominated for a 2009 Polaris Music Prize.-Track listing:# Introduction# Switzerland# Let the Children Die# Nobody with a Notepad# Father# Back Then# Song to Sing...
(2009) - Jonestown (2009)
- VaudevilleVaudeville (album)Vaudeville is an album by prolific Canadian rapper D-Sisive. The first single from the album was '"Ray Charles ". The album sees D-Sisive experiment with a broader range of styles, including pop influences such as those seen on the single "I Love a Girl".-Track listing: # Vaudeville # The Riot...
(2010) - Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye (2011)
- Run With The Creeps (2011)
Singles
- "Like This" (2008)
- "Nobody With A Notepad" (2008)
- "Wonderful World" (2009)
- "West Coast" (2009)
- "Anvil" (2010)
- "Ray Charles (Looking For a Star)" (2010)
- "I Love a Girl" (2010)
- "First Winter" (2010)
- "If I Live to See Tomorrow" (2011)
External links
- D-Sisive at URBNET RecordsURBNET RecordsURBNET Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. URBNET was formed by Darryl Rodway and Janusz Jarosinski in 1999 to provide distribution, marketing and promotional services to Hip Hop artists throughout Canada...
- Vaudeville Review at Lesson Six