It is said that many artists and entertainers struggle to hold on to the truth in their art once they’ve reached a certain level of success in their career. Rappers in particular commonly suffer from a “sellout” factor where hard core fans love them for that raw, thirsty style-ridden flow that eventually leads to their success and a large mainstream audience. But, once those MCs get on, they lose their hard core fans by switching up their style in trying to keep that mainstream audience and mass appeal. Proof, one member of the D-12 and Eminem’s life-long friend, doesn’t have that problem.

With a top-selling D-12 album, a successful world tour, and a role in a major motion picture underneath his belt, Proof has ample opportunity to lose his footing on what made him a success in the world of hip hop - his love for the music. However, with the recent release of his solo album “Searching for Jerry Garcia” and the launch of his independent label, he proves he’s still as deeply rooted in hip hop as his days of battling in ciphers on the streets of Detroit. The Proof is in his words.

“I really love hip hop. Whether rich or poor, famous or unknown, that’s my art form, and that’s what I live and breathe. I’ll die for it,” said Proof, in a raspy voice.

“Even though we get into the game to sell records, and there are machines that push records. I feel no way about anything…that’s why I went independent so, I can say what I want to say and do what I love. When you got to wake up and say, ‘I need a radio record, or I need this type of shit or that.’ Or you got to do a certain feature with a certain person just to generate sales in certain regions that is when you really left the graces of hip hop. That’s when it becomes something other than you.”

For Proof, finding one’s self is essential as an artist. So when he took on his solo project, he said it slowly became a journey into the complexities that made him…a journey that in some ways he found synonymous with that of Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. The album covers a broad scope of sounds, featuring collaborations with 50 Cent, Method Man, Nate Dogg, and others.

“I’m glad I got the opportunity to work with the people who I wanted to work with and find myself. That’s why the name of the album is titled ‘Search’ cause it’s about finding myself. It ties into the title that way, plus Jerry Garcia is one of the most profound artists to me. He did all kinds of joints in music, stood up for what he believed in with protesting, did drugs and all kind of dumb shit, but ultimately what led to his demise was the stress and drugs,” said the MC.