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D12

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This article is about an American hip-hip group. For other uses, see d12 (disambiguation).
D12

D12 (aka The Dirty Dozen and D-Twizzy) is an American hip-hop group originating from Detroit, Michigan which have had albums reach the top of the U.S., UK and Australian album charts — Devil's Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004. D12 was formed in 1990, but only achieved mainstream success when their most accomplished member, Eminem, had risen to international fame and notoriety, although D12 had been a powerful force in the underground rap scene for several years prior.

Group members

Current members

D12 currently consists of five members:

  • Eminem (Marshall Mathers) aka Slim Shady
  • Swift (Ondre Moore) aka Swifty McVay
  • Kon Artis (Denaun Porter) aka Mr. Porter
  • Kuniva (Von Carlisle) aka Rondell Beene
  • Bizarre (Rufus Johnson) aka Peter S. Bizarre

Deceased members

Former members

  • Charging Soldier; kicked out.
  • Eye-Kyu; left the group.
  • Fuzz Scoota; left the group.
  • Killa Hawk; left the group.
  • Rap King; left the group

Early career

Proof formed D12 as a rap collective of local Detroit MCs including Bizarre, Eminem, Eye Kyu, Killa Hawk and Fuzz. Charging Soldier was in the group briefly, but was kicked out due to arguments with other members. The group was a loose collective in the vein of Wu-Tang Clan. Several members began making names for themselves in hip hop during the late 1990s. Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainment's "Flava of the Week". He would also release an album entitled Attack Of The Weirdos and become a member of The Outsidaz with Eminem, Rah Digga and Young Zee. Proof won a freestyling competition run by The Source in 1998.

Before the group had any success, Killa Hawk, Fuzz and Eye Kyu would all leave the group due to various reasons, leaving only three official members: Eminem, Proof and Bizarre. Proof was set to find other local rappers to join the group, he managed to get his friend Bugz to join the group. To round up the last two members Proof gathered a local Detroit hip hop duo Da Brigade to join. Da Brigade featured longtime Eminem and Proof friend Kon Artis, who also collaborated with Eminem on the Slim Shady EP. The other half of Da Brigade was formed by local emcee Kuniva. After all six members were established, The group made a pact that the first member to achieve solo success would come back for the others.

Rise to fame

Main article: Eminem

The first member of the group to achieve solo success was the now superstar Eminem. After he recorded an independent EP called The Slim Shady EP in 1997 that caught the attention of famed rap producer Dr. Dre and Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine, he was quickly signed to Aftermath/Interscope records. Eminem stuck to his pact and Dr. Dre once stated that while making the Slim Shady LP, his debut album, he kept insisting that he go back to sign the others. Dr. Dre told him to first establish himself as a solo artist, then go back for his friends.

In 1999 he dropped his hit debut The Slim Shady LP and quickly rose to superstardom, as The Slim Shady LP went on to sell four million copies in America. Having taken Dre's advice, he had established himself as a solo artist and decided it was time to gather his friends. As a way to establish D12, he created Shady Records under the Interscope imprint. He then made D12 the first act to be signed to Shady/Interscope Records.

Death of Bugz

Main article: Bugz

After the group was signed to Shady Records, they went on tour with Eminem. Before a show in Detroit, D12 member Bugz attended a picnic which would culminate in his death. Bugz got into a heated argument with another man at the picnic over a water-gun fight. As the argument escalated, the man went to his SUV and retrieved a firearm which he then proceeded to unload in Bugz's direction. Bugz was shot three times and hit by the assailant's vehicle as he fled the scene. The attack was caught on tape and shown on the local news later that night.

D12 was shaken by the incident that darkened the light mood of the rap collective. One of the last things Bugz had asked Proof was that if local rapper and friend Swift could join the group. Due to all six positions being filled at the time, he was unable to join, but following Bugz's death, and with Swift being a longtime friend of the group, they had no problem allowing him to take his place as the sixth member.

In memory of Bugz the group recorded the track "Good Die Young" on their sophomore album D12 World. The album also included a song titled "Bugz '97", which was a 1997 recording of Bugz himself. All six members of D12 bear a tattoo of his name somewhere on their bodies in remembrance of him. The group was forced to record their first LP Devil's Night without Bugz, but the album was in his memory. Eminem's sophomore album The Marshall Mathers LP was also dedicated to Bugz.

Success

The group has released a debut and sophomore album, the former titled Devil's Night and the latter titled D12 World. Both albums debuted at number one on the Billboard music charts in the U.S. and topped the charts in many other countries. The two albums' hit singles included "Purple Pills", "Fight Music", "My Band", and "How Come".

The group was often shadowed by Eminem's massive success, and toured without him for the second album while Em was busy recording Encore. Although shadowed by Eminem's success, other members Bizarre and Proof managed to prevail with mildly successful solo careers with the releases of Hannicap Circus and Searching For Jerry Garcia in 2005. They also decided that Eminem would not be as prominent on the third album [citation needed], however this all changed dramatically after the death of Proof in April 2006.

Death of Proof

Main article: Proof (rapper)

On April 11, 2006, Proof suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head at approximately 4:30am EDT (08:30 UTC) at the CCC Club on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan after fatally shooting Keith Bender Jr. Proof fired the first shots into Bender's head after taking his pistol and striking Bender several times in the face. The eruption is suspected to have been due to an argument over a game of pool, which quickly escalated. Proof was then allegedly shot by the bouncer Mario Etheridge, Bender's cousin. He was then taken by private vehicle to St. John Health's Conner Creek Campus, an outpatient emergency treatment site, and was pronounced dead on arrival shortly thereafter. Exact details of his death and the events that led to it remain unclear.

He was buried on April 20 in The Fellowship Chapel, Detroit to a full house of 2,000 with thousands mourning outside. Eminem and Obie Trice read eulogies at the service. An excerpt from Eminem's speech: "I'm sure everybody who has ever met him, even just once, can testify to the fact that he illuminated a room when he walked in it. I believe that Proof loved people and people loved him. He was a magnet. He lured you in. You wanted to learn about him, follow his swagger. Without Proof, there would be no Eminem, no Slim Shady, and no D12." Many rap artists offered their condolences to Proof's family after the passing. Proof is survived by his mother Sherallene; father McKinley; wife Sharonda; sons DeShaun Rice and Elijha Abel; and daughters Katieva Walker, Nassan, and Nyeem.

Swift's incarceration

Main article: Swift (rapper)

On April 21, 2006, Swift was arrested in Novi, Michigan, after he failed to appear in court. He skipped the court date to attend fallen band-mate Proof's funeral, where he served as an honorary pallbearer. Swift was on probation from a drunken-driving case and served two days in prison in October of 2005 for failing a drug-test when they found alcohol in his blood stream. Swift was sentenced by District Court Judge Brian MacKenzie to 93 days in prison for violating terms of his probation. His incarceration stalled the recording process of D12's third album, and prevented him from appearing in magazine interviews or being reached for comment on Proof's death. He has now been released and is currently working on the third D12 album, The Ambition.

Chart success

Their debut album, Devil's Night, referring to the old Detroit tradition of setting abandoned buildings on fire (something that has since become a thing of the past in Detroit) the night before Halloween, was released in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the US and UK chart, also reaching the top of the Canadian charts. Devil's Night went on to sell four million albums worldwide and two million in the US. It featured the following hit singles:

  • "Purple Hills" (the clean version of "Purple Pills") went top 20 on the Billboard 100 and number 1 on the rap tracks charts in 2001 as well as number 2 in the UK and top 10 in Australia.
  • "Shit On You" reached the UK top 10 and Canadian top 5.
  • "Fight Music", featuring Ice T, Angie Martinez and Fat Joe in its music video, reached the UK top 20 and Australian Top 40.

The group's second album was D12 World released on April 7, 2004 featured production by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kon Artist and Kanye West, with guest appearances by Obie Trice on "Loyalty", and B-Real of Cypress Hill on "American Psycho II". It debuted at the top of the U.S., UK and Australian album charts, and number two in Germany — selling over half a million records in its first week of release in the U.S. alone. "My Band", the album's first single, was also successful reaching number one in Australia and the U.S. rhythmic top 40, top five in the UK and Germany, and top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Appearances in film

The members of the group have also, on occasion, turned to acting. Eminem is the lead actor in 8 Mile and has a cameo appearance in The Wash, while Proof also appears in 8 Mile as a freestyler called "Lil' Tic." The entire group (without Eminem) appear in 2005's The Longest Yard credited as "Basketball Convicts."

D12 member Eminem is set to star in a new movie, as of 2006, titled Have Gun — Will Travel, a modernised remake of the 1957 cowboy western television series of the same name. The rest of the group was previously stated to be producing and starring in two movies, one titled Devil's Night — a horror film, and another titled Runyon Cash — about growing up in the streets of Detroit. Since this statement however, there has been no official word about these releases.


D12 Solo Label

Discography

Main article: D12 discography

Albums

  • The Underground EP (1997)
  • Devil's Night (2001) (7 million worldwide); #1 USA (2x Platinum); #1 UK (Platinum); #1 Aus. (Platinum); #1 Can. (3x Platinum)
  • D12 World (2004) (6 million worldwide); #1 USA (2x Platinum); #1 UK (Platinum); #1 Aus. (Platinum); #1 Can. (2x Platinum)
  • The Ambition (TBA)

Singles

Features

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