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 andvocabulary that most artist could only dream of, D. Roof has managedto take Ohio by storm at twenty-one years of age.His subject matter strays from today's radio singles laced in falserealities."We already have enough followers, enough fakes, enoughyellow 5...what we need is people that stick to it and don't switch assoon as the money comes." He chooses to embrace the positive, pokingfun at those building up a life of crime, emphasizing education andhard work.D. Roof (born Deontae Ruth) was born to a strong woman by the nameof, Rainda Ruth. D. Roof grew up and lived in some of the roughestneighborhoods in Cleveland, an area plagued by poverty and dyingindustry. He fell in love with hip-hop starting back in grade school,"during those lunch periods watching my peers form a circle aroundlunch tables beating on tables with ink pens, and pencils while someother kids spit raps off the rhythms. It was that energy, thatfreedom, that got me into music."He began free styling off of hip-hop and r&b Instrumentals, until oneday his Eighth grade math teacher Mr. Kennedy (a.k.a. Stay High) got ahold of one of his mix tapes. D. Roof was thirteen years old when hebegan working in the studio, developing a style and sound that hestill stays true to.Deontae grew into the man they call D. Roof, a vegetarian (who doesn'tgo searching for rap beef), who lives more the Zen lifestyle ratherthan that of a rapper. He lives his music anytime anyway from his 7a.m. to his 3 p.m., or his 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. job at Whole Foods andStarbucks."He literally goes around the store singing, rapping, ormaking 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 isabout,"turning cities of poverty in to cities of Prosperity!"