[Pay What You Can]

2008.
I awoke from a deep hibernation. Asleep for close to seven years. A sink full of dirty dishes and the Beach Boys masterpiece, Pet Sounds, successfully played the role of alarm clock. I was switched on. Ignoring the morning breath and bed sores, I ran with a creative explosion that would reign the next 5 years of my life.

I abandoned what I refer to as my Laundry Room period, but could never forget it, as I would spend half of a decade documenting it.

The words poured out of me. I couldn’t turn the faucet off even if I wanted to. I found my voice and it was the perfect time to say something with it.

Let The Children Die was to be my debut. Urbnet, my record label, wanted to release something right away. Something to wet appetites. Something to remind people I was still alive. We rushed out an EP. The BOOK [Ballad Of Orville Knoblich]. I had already released a re-working of the Iggy Pop classic, The Idiot, telling the story of a relationship between a man and his prostitute love. The Idiot:Hijacked fell on deaf ears. Understandable, since I hadn’t released music in so long. I hoped The BOOK wouldn’t suffer the same fate.

Fortunately, it didn’t. It laid the foundation for what would result in seven critically acclaimed albums over the course of five years, and a platform for my voice and I. It also gave me my first Juno Award Nomination for Best Rap Recording in 2009. This was also the year I developed my addiction to releasing new music.

In November of 2008, I decided to release a mixtape of features, selections from The Idiot:Hijacked and The BOOK, as well as songs that were recorded for the EP, but didn’t make the cut. On January 1st [2009], with help from the incredible DJ Grouch, we released Knoblich|The Complete ’08 Comeback Special [a play on the legendary 1968 Elvis Presley television special].

In May of this year, The BOOK will celebrate its fifth birthday. I feel it’s the perfect time to re-release this time capsule of a moment that defined the artist I am today. And the perfect time to admit I have a thing for Elvis-themed mixtapes.

Also, feel free to pay what you can for this, if you can. I’ve given away a lot of free music. With this one, the option to pay is there if you feel the need to. ☺

“He’s cool, but his old shit is better.”

Sleep tight.
derek.