by Cyril Cordor
Born and bred in Oakland, CA, Bay Area rapper Knobody jump-started his career after affiliating with the long-running underground hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics and their label, Hiero Imperium. Knobody first began putting out music when he was 16 years old. He sold his self-pressed material, mainly six- to eight-song EPs, in Oakland at very cheap prices in order to get exposure far and wide. In 2006, Hieroglyphics member and label A&R man Casual went to see Knobody in action at a local show after he was persuaded by a mutual contact. The following year, Casual signed Knobody to a new Hieroglyphics project/label called Triple i League, which was set up to promote established talent in their Oakland hometown. As the label's first signee, Knobody delivered his first proper album, Tha Clean Up, later in 2007.