D-Sisive

Derek Christoff, better known by his stage name D-Sisive, is a Canadian rapper, best known for his Juno-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").

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 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.