Searching for Jerry Garcia is the only studio album by Detroit rapper Proof of D12, released on August 9, 2005. It was the only solo album that Proof released on a major record label before his death. The album is named after Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia. The album's release date, August 9, 2005, intentionally coincided with the ten-year anniversary of Garcia's death.
Album title
Proof found inspiration in an unlikely person — the late jam rocker Jerry Garcia, saying to Rolling Stone Magazine: "I was watching Searching for Bobby Fischer and Mark Hicks (D12's manager) put in a Jerry Garcia documentary. In this movie, he talked about never doing the same show twice. I did that to D12 sets overseas. Plus, he didn't care about record sales — he just wanted to make fans happy."
The album was released August 9, 2005, the tenth anniversary of Garcia's death, on Proof's independent label, Iron Fist Records. "I called his estate, and I couldn't believe they gave me permission [to use the name]!" says the rapper. "They didn't ask for money. So I'm like a disciple, preaching the gospel of Jerry Garcia. The dude is phenomenal."
Besides Garcia, Proof also gives a shout-out to Nirvana's late frontman in Searching's closing track, "Kurt Kobain" [sic]. "The circumstances of Kurt's death are freaky to me. I don't think he killed himself," Proof says. "But I'm not trying to keep Elvis alive, and I'm not saying that Tupac is in Cuba."
Recording & composition
Songs included on this album had been recorded as early as 2002. The original version of "72nd & Central" was available to download for free under the title "1x1" that year on his official site along with "Violence" and "Yzark", the latter appearing on I Miss the Hip Hop Shop. The original version "Clap Wit Me" was released in 2003 on a DJ Thoro mixtape. "Ali" was also released as a vinyl single in 2002 under the name "One, Two" with it also being included on The Electric Coolaid Acid Testing EP.
Commercial performance
It debuted at number 65 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums Chart.
Track listing
Samples
"Clap wit Me" contains a sample from "Total Satisfaction" by Brief Encounter
"Forgive Me" contains a sample from "Ghetto Qu'ran (Forgive Me)" by 50 Cent
"High Rollers" contains a sample from LTD
"No. T. Lose" contains a sample from "Snowflake" by Tamita
"M.A.D." contains a sample from "W.A.S.P." by The Doors. It also references to "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson "Black Wrist Bro's" contains a sample taken from the motion picture The Boondock Saints "Kurt Kobain" contains a sample from "Blue Sky and Silver Bird" by Lamont Dozier
Notes
For a "limited time" this album shipped as a box set including "clean" and "explicit" album editions as well as a "special edition" DVD, containing interviews and other similar content. On the clean / edited version of the album the track "Jump Biatch" was listed as "Jump B***ch". The limited DVD contains unreleased footage from D12's European Tour, also included is a behind the scenes look at the making of Searching for Jerry Garcia.