Derek Christoff, better known by his
stage name
A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
D-Sisive, is a Canadian
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
, best known for his
Juno-nominated
EP ''The Book'', his hit single "Nobody with a Notepad" (for which D-Sisive and collaborator
Muneshine won the 2009 annual
SOCAN Songwriting Prize
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, SOCAN Songwriting Prize, formerly known as the ECHO Songwriting Prize, was an annual competition recognizing the best in Canadian emerging music, both anglophone and francophone, fro ...
) and his
2009 Polaris Music Prize-nominated album ''Let the Children Die'' (which was launched by the success of "Nobody with a Notepad").
["CBC Radio3 Announces Polaris Prize Longlist"](_blank)
June 15, 2009.
Beginnings and withdrawal from spotlight
D-Sisive first emerged in the late 1990s with a number of independent singles which were popular in the
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
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 1997 and father's death in 2007.
[Errol Nazareth, . '']Toronto Sun
The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices are located at Pos ...
'', May 30, 2008. 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
The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the 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.''
D-Sisive also collaborated with actor
Stu Stone, co-writing the track "Rollin' with Saget". The song was the lead single of the ''
Blowin' Up'' album from Stone and fellow actor
Jamie Kennedy. Actor
Bob Saget
Robert Lane Saget (May 17, 1956 – January 9, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and television host. He portrayed Danny Tanner on the sitcom ''Full House'' (1987–1995) and its sequel '' Fuller House'' (2016–2020). ...
guested on the song and appeared in the video.
Return (2008–present)
Christoff's bout of
writer's block
Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.
Writer's block has various degrees of severity, from difficulty in coming ...
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 are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
' "
Wouldn't It Be Nice
"Wouldn't It Be Nice" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys and the opening track from their 1966 album '' Pet Sounds''. Written by Brian Wilson, Tony Asher, and Mike Love, it is distinguished for its sophisticated Wall of Soun ...
" on the radio — lyrics that became his breakthrough hit, "Brian Wilson".
He signed to
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. U ...
, 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
''City Sonic'' is a documentary series about Toronto-based musicians and the places that influenced their music.http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2009/8/Watch-This-City-Sonic-Film-Series The first five ''City Sonic'' films were previewed at Toronto's 2 ...
. 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
The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, an American religious movement under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became in ...
''.
2010 saw the release of another album, ''
Vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
'', as well as numerous singles, including a song inspired by the documentary
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
''Anvil! The Story of Anvil'' is a 2008 Canadian rockumentary film about the Canadian Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Anvil (band), Anvil. The film is directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi, in his directorial debut, and features interviews wi ...
and a music video entitled 'First Winter' for The C4 Experiment hosted by
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Christopher Walken on stage and screen, His work on stage and screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Walken, accolades includin ...
. Christoff also began working with rapper
Buck 65
Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop rapper. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country ...
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 () is an Icelandic post-rock band that formed in 1994 in Reykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jónsi, Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal soun ...
. 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, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that he was nearly done work on his long-rumoured charity single, "Live Your Life (The World Song)" feat.
Buck 65
Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop rapper. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country ...
,
Punky Brewster
''Punky Brewster'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and ag ...
, Jamie Hyneman from ''
Mythbusters
''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television series created by Peter Rees (producer), Peter Rees and produced by Beyond International in Australia. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast in ...
'', 1980s Leonard Cohen,
Stompin' Tom Connors
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, Order of Canada, OC (February 9, 1936 – March 6, 2013) was a Canadian country music, country and folk music, folk singer-songwriter. Focusing his career exclusively on his native Canada, he is credited wi ...
, and
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
. The song is set for a
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
release.
In January 2019, Christoff was the featured guest i
Cypher, a webseries pilot funded by the Telus Fund. The pilot marked Christoff's re-emergence into the music scene after a four-year hiatus on account of mental health. The pilot features a new song, "Tell Me." The series was greenlit for a full season in February, with Christoff staying on as the series music supervisor, collaborating in each episode with a different Canadian bands or artist.
Name change
In late 2010, D-Sisive announced that he was changing his stage name to ''Derek From Northcliffe'', a nod to his childhood home's street name, 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
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.
#LetDerekSwim phenomenon
Since February 2021, D-Sisive had made headlines on
blogTO after having made numerous attempts to contact
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
through social media platform
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
to ask if he can swim in his multi-million-dollar swimming pad.
D-Sisive, as of May 6, 2023 has not yet received a response.
Discography
Albums
Solo
:* ''
Let the Children Die'' (2009)
:* ''
Jonestown
The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, an American religious movement under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became in ...
'' (2009)
:* ''
Vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
'' (2010)
:* ''Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye'' (2011)
:* ''Run with the Creeps'' (2011)
:* ''Jonestown 3: The Dream Is Over'' (2012)
Collaborative
:* ''Wolves'' (2013)
(with Bix, Ghettosocks
Darren Pyper, better known by his stage name Ghettosocks, is a Juno-nominated Canadian hip hop artist and member of the Backburner collective. In early 2010, Ghettosocks' album ''Treat of the Day'' spent several weeks at #1 on ChartAttack's Can ...
, Muneshine & Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census.
...
, as Wolves)
EPs, mixtapes, singles
EPs
:* ''J.A.C. (Just a Child / Joan Anne Christoff)'' (1999)
:* ''D-Day'' (1999)
:* ''
The Book'' (2008)
:* ''Like This (Plus Three)'' EP (2008)
:* ''Nobody with a Notepad (Plus Three)'' EP (2008)
:* ''Raging Bull'' (2013)
(with Tone Mason)
:* ''Cloth Soup'' (2015)
(as Orville Knoblich)
:* ''Knoblich Gardens
ne' (2022)
:* ''The Playground
ne' (2022)
:* ''Knoblich Gardens
wo' (2022)
:* ''The Playground
wo' (2023)
:* ''Knoblich Gardens
hree The Blue Boat'' (2023)
Mixtapes
:* ''Yesterday: The Mixtape (1997–2003)'' (2003)
:* ''The Idiot: Hijacked'' (2008)
:* ''Knoblich: The Complete '08 Comeback Special'' (2008)
:* ''Asian Elvis (The Mixtape)'' (2012)
:* ''The D.Ark Tape'' (2013)
(with The Arkeologists)
:* ''The Great Mr. Nobody (One)'' (2014)
:* ''Farty's Oyster Barn Presents... Pass The Nog! D-Sisive Croons the Ol' Christmas Classics at the Yuletide Jamboree'' (2014)
:* ''Vanilla Ice - To the Extreme: Hijacked'' (2015)
:* ''I’ll Change Your Life If You Change Mine
boyinaroom' (2015)
:* ''The Foolish Follies of Fatty Arbuckle'' (2016)
Singles
:*"Lost Sight" featuring
Abdominal
The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...
(1999)
:*"Like This" (featuring
Guilty Simpson
Byron Dwayne "Guilty" Simpson is an American rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan whose recording career spans more than 20 years. He is signed to Stones Throw Records, and is known for being one of the late producer J Dilla's favorite r ...
and DJ Grouch) (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)
References
External links
D-Sisiveon
Myspace
Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
D-Sisiveat
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. U ...
Vaudeville Review at Lesson Six
{{Authority control
Living people
Canadian male rappers
20th-century Canadian rappers
Rappers from Toronto
Sampling controversies
21st-century Canadian rappers
20th-century Canadian male musicians
21st-century Canadian male musicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)