Cleveland's Indie-rap scene hasn't been the same since lyricist D. Roof shot to the top of the pack. Versed in both wisdom and vocabulary that most artist could only dream of, D. Roof has managed to take Ohio by storm at twenty-one years of age. His subject matter strays from today's radio singles laced in false realities. "We already have enough followers, enough fakes, enough yellow 5...what we need is people that stick to it and don't switch as soon as the money comes." He chooses to embrace the positive, poking fun at those building up a life of crime, emphasizing education and hard work. D. Roof (born Deontae Ruth) was born to a strong woman by the name of, Rainda Ruth. D. Roof grew up and lived in some of the roughest neighborhoods in Cleveland, an area plagued by poverty and dying industry. He fell in love with hip-hop starting back in grade school, "during those lunch periods watching my peers form a circle around lunch tables beating on tables with ink pens, and pencils while some other kids spit raps off the rhythms. It was that energy, that freedom, that got me into music." He began free styling off of hip-hop and r&b Instrumentals, until one day his Eighth grade math teacher Mr. Kennedy (a.k.a. Stay High) got a hold of one of his mix tapes. D. Roof was thirteen years old when he began working in the studio, developing a style and sound that he still stays true to. Deontae grew into the man they call D. Roof, a vegetarian (who doesn't go searching for rap beef), who lives more the Zen lifestyle rather than that of a rapper. He lives his music anytime anyway from his 7 a.m. to his 3 p.m., or his 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. job at Whole Foods and Starbucks. "He literally goes around the store singing, rapping, or making fun of the music playing on the speaker," says one co-worker. While you're sleeping, he's creating music. D. Roof is a meld of old school hip-hop, r&b, modern day society, politics, and the dirt and grit of the city of Cleveland. D. Roof is about, "turning cities of poverty in to cities of Prosperity!"