D12
Encyclopedia
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American
hip hop
group from Detroit, Michigan
. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States
, United Kingdom
, and Australia
. D12 was formed in 1996, and achieved mainstream success after one of its members, Eminem
, rose to international fame.
In 1997 they released their debut album The Underground EP recorded between 1996 and 1997. In 1997 and through 1998, its members began establishing reputations locally. Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainments "Flava of the Week" and went on to release an album called Attack of the Weirdos. Along with Eminem, Rah Digga
and Young Zee he became an honorary member of The Outsidaz
. Proof won a freestyling
competition run by The Source
.
D12 went through many changes during the early days even becoming temporarily inactive when, after being heard by Dr. Dre, Eminem left to pursue a solo career. Around the time of Eminem's first record deal, Proof attempted to bring new life to D12. He managed to recruit local Detroit hip hop duo Da Brigade, which was composed of Kuniva, a local MC, and Denaun, a longtime friend of Eminem and Proof. At the time Denaun Porter was the group's producer and later produced Eminem's first album Infinite, but was persuaded by his partner Kuniva to join him in the group as an artist. Later the group was joined by Bugz and needing one more member, Bugz introduced his long time friend Swift, who at the time was a member of rap duo Da Rabeez.
. An argument with a man over a water-pistol fight escalated, the man went to his SUV
to retrieve a firearm which he then fired in Bugz's direction. He was shot four times as well as being hit by the assailant's vehicle as he fled the scene. The incident, on May 21, 1999, was captured on video and shown later that day on local news.
Members of the group were shaken by the tragic incident, darkening the mood within the collective. One of his final acts had been to request that Swift join the group. Unfortunately, a few weeks after Swift joined, Bugz was killed. Many of the remaining members started to believe the group was finished. Following the death of Bugz, Eminem volunteered as replacement in order to fulfill the group's forthcoming obligations. This led to Eminem eventually rejoining the group.
In memory of Bugz, the group recorded the track "Good Die Young" on their second album D12 World
. The album also included a song titled "Bugz '97", which was a 1997 recording of Bugz, originally from the song "Desperados". All five members of D12 bear a tattoo of his name somewhere on their bodies in remembrance of him. The group recorded their first LP Devil's Night
in his memory. Eminem's third album The Marshall Mathers LP
was also dedicated to Bugz.
and 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
".
In August 2001, D12 and Esham
were kicked off the Warped Tour
after members of the group allegedly physically attacked Esham over the lyrics of his song "Chemical Imbalance," which contained a reference to Eminem's daughter. Eminem was not present during the tour.
The group was often overshadowed by Eminem's massive success, and toured without him for the second album while Eminem 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. D12 (minus Eminem) appeared on Tech N9ne
's 2002 album entitled Absolute Power on the track "She-Devil". They also decided that Eminem would not be as prominent on their upcoming third album, which remains evident even after Proof's death. Their third album is estimated to be 70% completed without any input from Eminem. However, in June 2009, Eminem confirmed he was also working hard on the group's 3rd studio album on an announcement made on Rap city during an interview with Eminem and Denaun Porter. The group recorded a song for Eminem's album Recovery titled "Hit me With Your Best Shot," but it was not featured on the official album.
On April 11, 2006, Proof died from a gunshot wound at a club in Detroit, after fatally shooting Keith Bender, Jr., following an argument over a game of pool. Proof was then shot by the bouncer Mario Etheridge, Bender's cousin. At St. John Health's Conner Creek Campus, he was pronounced dead on arrival shortly thereafter. He was buried on April 19 in The Fellowship Chapel, Detroit, to a full house of 2,660 with thousands mourning outside.
on April 21, 2006, after failing to appear in court. It was due to his attendance as an honorary pallbearer
at the funeral of group member Proof. Already on probation for a DUI
offence, for which he'd served two days in October 2005, he was sentenced by District Court Judge Brian MacKenzie to 93 days in jail for violating the terms of the probation. It resulted in the stalling of recording for D12's third album. Following his release, work commenced on the album.
.
In a video posted on April 6, 2011, Bizarre announced that Fuzz Scoota, a former member from the early incarnation of D12, has rejoined the group. D12 released their mixtape Return of the Dozen 2 on April 12, 2011, which included Fuzz. Eminem was only present on one track throughout the whole mixtape, though he wasn't present at all in the previous one. Due to Eminem being on tour for his album Recovery and because of Kon Artist being his current hype man there are only four active members of D12(Bizarre, Kuniva, Swift & Fuzz) but they are still members of D12. In a video posted on YouTube by Eminem & Royce da 5'9" on June 13, 2011, Eminem stated that he was back in the studio with D12 after not being a very active member for nearly three years. D12 performed at the Kanrocksas Music Festival
on August 5, 2011.
The track, "Outro", off the Return of the Dozen Vol. 2 mixtape, had a music video released on September 1, 2011, though the video did not feature either Eminem or Kon Artis. The group also stated intentions to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of the Devils Night album, though the celebration will be held on the actual Devil's Night on October 30th in St. Andrew's Hall
in Detroit, Michigan
, even though the album was released months earlier on June 19, 2001.
was granted "2/5 mics" for his sophomore effort, The Marshall Mathers LP
, by infamous Hip-Hop magazine The Source
during early 2000. This did not go over well with Eminem, and he mocked The Source in a few songs.
However, an argument did not follow until Source co-owner, Ramond 'Benzino
' Scott, released a
diss track
aimed at Eminem, and granted his own rap group's album "4/5" mics, as well as a front page cover on the magazine. Beef quickly ensued, where Eminem, along with Shady Records
artists, 50 Cent
, Obie Trice
, and D12 ripped apart The Sources credibility, citing that
nowadays with Scott as the owner, the magazine was corrupt. Competing Hip Hop magazine, XXL
also became entangled with the feud, and eventually Scott retired from his position at The Source. Since then, Benzino has attempted to discredit the reputation of Eminem and other upcoming artists such as Slaughterhouse and Shady Records
by leaking racist comments made by a youthful Eminem. Eminem's last known response to Benzino was on the track, "The Sauce"
was notified while on the Anger Management Tour
that former House of Pain
member, Everlast
, had mocked him on a song. Everlast claimed that while passing by Mathers in a hotel lobby, Mathers gave him a "weird look." Taking offense to this, Eminem quickly began work on a retaliatory song, "I Remember" and later teamed up with D12 to make the song, "Quitter". It was reported that long-time friends of Eminem, group Limp Bizkit
, were meant to be featured on "Quitter", but Fred Durst
canceled at the last moment. The record continued its release without featuring Limp Bizkit, causing the Everlast-Mathers dispute to continue. In a TRL
interview, Limp Bizkit member DJ Lethal
made a statement that if Mathers and Everlast were to fight in real life, Everlast would win. This angered Eminem to the point of rage, and an insulting track aimed at both Everlast and Limp Bizkit appeared on D12's mainstream debut, Devil's Night
, as a hidden track called "Girls". Recently, things seem to have settled, and Eminem has no longer been heard insulting Everlast or Limp Bizkit. It is currently unknown if the dispute is resolved.
, who had already had a feud with Eminem off his new record Melatonin Magik
which was called "Air Strike (Pop Killer)". Canibus name dropped Eminem's long time deceased friend Proof
, Canibus said "If Proof Was Alive He'd Be Dying Inside". D12 member Swift responded to the record publicly, and had the following to say about DZK (another rapper featured on the track). "[He] asked us to do a track with him when he already was teamed up with Canibus without us knowing. They dissed Em, took our verses and added them to the song so they can bring traffic and make it seem like we turning on Em... as a desperate attempt to be heard after ducking and dodging Em for 7 years. It was a straight hoe move."
, referring to the tradition
of setting unoccupied buildings on fire the night before Halloween
, was released in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the U.S. and number two on the 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 U.S. It featured the following hit singles:
The group's second album was D12 World
released on April 27, 2004, featuring production by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kon Artis and Kanye West
, and guest appearances by Obie Trice
on the track "Loyalty", and B-Real
of Cypress Hill
on the track "American Psycho II". It debuted at the top of the U.S., UK, and Australia
n 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, New Zealand and the U.S. rhythmic top forty, the top five in the UK and Germany, and the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100
.
and has had cameo appearances in several films and shows, while Proof also appears in 8 Mile as a freestyle rapper called "Lil' Tic".
The group appear in 2005's The Longest Yard
credited as "Basketball Convicts". For the movie, the group recorded the song "My Ballz" for The Longest Yard. Although Eminem was the only D12 member not to appear in the movie, he does perform the chorus and a verse in "My Ballz".
Former members
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group from Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. D12 was formed in 1996, and achieved mainstream success after one of its members, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, rose to international fame.
Early career
In order to make up the dozen, it was decided the six members at the time would each create an alter-ego. Proof chose Dirty Harry, Bizarre became Peter S. Bizarre, Kuniva became Hannz G. (which later became Rondell Beene), Kon Artis chose Mr. Porter, Bugz became Robert Beck and Eminem created the character Slim Shady.In 1997 they released their debut album The Underground EP recorded between 1996 and 1997. In 1997 and through 1998, its members began establishing reputations locally. Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainments "Flava of the Week" and went on to release an album called Attack of the Weirdos. Along with Eminem, Rah Digga
Rah Digga
Rah Digga is an American rapper. Well known as a long time member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes, she parted ways amicably with the group in 2007. She has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by Allmusic and "one of hip-hop's most skilled female MCs" in...
and Young Zee he became an honorary member of The Outsidaz
Outsidaz
The Outsidaz was a hip hop group from Newark, New Jersey, perhaps best known through their affiliation with fellow New York area rappers, the Fugees, and Detroit area rappers D12.-History:...
. Proof won a freestyling
Freestyle music
Freestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
competition run by The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
.
D12 went through many changes during the early days even becoming temporarily inactive when, after being heard by Dr. Dre, Eminem left to pursue a solo career. Around the time of Eminem's first record deal, Proof attempted to bring new life to D12. He managed to recruit local Detroit hip hop duo Da Brigade, which was composed of Kuniva, a local MC, and Denaun, a longtime friend of Eminem and Proof. At the time Denaun Porter was the group's producer and later produced Eminem's first album Infinite, but was persuaded by his partner Kuniva to join him in the group as an artist. Later the group was joined by Bugz and needing one more member, Bugz introduced his long time friend Swift, who at the time was a member of rap duo Da Rabeez.
Death of Bugz
Prior to a show in Detroit, Bugz attended a picnic at which an incident took place that led to his fatal assaultAssault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
. An argument with a man over a water-pistol fight escalated, the man went to his SUV
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
to retrieve a firearm which he then fired in Bugz's direction. He was shot four times as well as being hit by the assailant's vehicle as he fled the scene. The incident, on May 21, 1999, was captured on video and shown later that day on local news.
Members of the group were shaken by the tragic incident, darkening the mood within the collective. One of his final acts had been to request that Swift join the group. Unfortunately, a few weeks after Swift joined, Bugz was killed. Many of the remaining members started to believe the group was finished. Following the death of Bugz, Eminem volunteered as replacement in order to fulfill the group's forthcoming obligations. This led to Eminem eventually rejoining the group.
In memory of Bugz, the group recorded the track "Good Die Young" on their second album D12 World
D12 World
Notes* The skit titled "Bugz" is from the song "Desperados" by Eminem Featuring Proof, Bugz & The Almighty Dreadknaughts.* The song "Just Like U" doesn't appear on the clean version of the album....
. The album also included a song titled "Bugz '97", which was a 1997 recording of Bugz, originally from the song "Desperados". All five members of D12 bear a tattoo of his name somewhere on their bodies in remembrance of him. The group recorded their first LP Devil's Night
Devil's Night (album)
*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
in his memory. Eminem's third album The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
was also dedicated to Bugz.
Success
The group has released two albums, Devil's NightDevil's Night (album)
*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
and D12 World
D12 World
Notes* The skit titled "Bugz" is from the song "Desperados" by Eminem Featuring Proof, Bugz & The Almighty Dreadknaughts.* The song "Just Like U" doesn't appear on the clean version of the album....
. 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
Purple Pills
"Purple Pills" is a hip hop single by D12 from their 2001 debut album Devil's Night...
", "Fight Music
Fight Music
"Fight Music" is a hip hop single by the rap group D12 from their debut album Devil's Night.The song features various lyrics about violence and dangerous street fighting except in two verses: Bizarre's and Eminem's "Fight Music" (known censored as "Flight Music") is a hip hop single by the rap...
", "My Band
My Band
"My Band" is a 2004 rap single by the rap group D12. It is the first single from their second album D12 World. The song is a parody of the false concept that Eminem is the lead singer of the "band" D12. The single became the group's most successful so far , reaching #2 in the United Kingdom, #6 in...
", and "How Come
How Come
"How Come" is a 2004 rap single by the rap group D12. It is the second single from their second album D12 World. The song is about the tenuous relationship between the members of D12 There have been speculations that this song is about rapper Royce Da 5'9". However Royce Da 5'9" has stated he...
".
In August 2001, D12 and Esham
Esham
Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
were kicked off the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
after members of the group allegedly physically attacked Esham over the lyrics of his song "Chemical Imbalance," which contained a reference to Eminem's daughter. Eminem was not present during the tour.
The group was often overshadowed by Eminem's massive success, and toured without him for the second album while Eminem was busy recording Encore. Although shadowed by Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's success, other members Bizarre
Bizarre (rapper)
Rufus Arthur Johnson , better known as Bizarre is an American recording artist best known for his work with Detroit hip-hop group D12. His songs are often about subjects which create shock value such as rape and drugs.-Early life:Bizarre was born as Rufus Arthur Johnson on July 5, 1976 in Detroit,...
and Proof
Proof (rapper)
DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
managed to prevail with mildly successful solo careers with the releases of Hannicap Circus
Hannicap Circus
Note: On the edited Version, all skits were cut and it left only 17 tracks. Also all profanity was blanked on the edited version with the exception of "Fuck Your Life", which allegedly contained backmasking....
and Searching for Jerry Garcia
Searching for Jerry Garcia
-Samples:*"Clap wit Me" contains a sample from "Total Satisfaction" by Brief Encounter* "Forgive Me" contains a sample from "Ghetto Qu'ran " by 50 Cent*"High Rollers" contains a sample from LTD*"No. T...
in 2005. D12 (minus Eminem) appeared on Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
's 2002 album entitled Absolute Power on the track "She-Devil". They also decided that Eminem would not be as prominent on their upcoming third album, which remains evident even after Proof's death. Their third album is estimated to be 70% completed without any input from Eminem. However, in June 2009, Eminem confirmed he was also working hard on the group's 3rd studio album on an announcement made on Rap city during an interview with Eminem and Denaun Porter. The group recorded a song for Eminem's album Recovery titled "Hit me With Your Best Shot," but it was not featured on the official album.
Death of Proof
On April 11, 2006, Proof died from a gunshot wound at a club in Detroit, after fatally shooting Keith Bender, Jr., following an argument over a game of pool. Proof was then shot by the bouncer Mario Etheridge, Bender's cousin. At St. John Health's Conner Creek Campus, he was pronounced dead on arrival shortly thereafter. He was buried on April 19 in The Fellowship Chapel, Detroit, to a full house of 2,660 with thousands mourning outside.
Swift's incarceration
Swift was arrested in Novi, MichiganNovi, Michigan
Novi is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,224, an increase over the 2000 census count of 47,386. The city is located approximately northwest of the center of Detroit, and northeast of the center of Ann Arbor. The city is located...
on April 21, 2006, after failing to appear in court. It was due to his attendance as an honorary pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
at the funeral of group member Proof. Already on probation for a DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
offence, for which he'd served two days in October 2005, he was sentenced by District Court Judge Brian MacKenzie to 93 days in jail for violating the terms of the probation. It resulted in the stalling of recording for D12's third album. Following his release, work commenced on the album.
Fuzz Scoota rejoins and Return of the Dozen Vol. 2
In May 21, 2008, after 4 years drought and the passing of Proof, D12 released a new mixtape, Return of the Dozen Volume 1. The mixtape was designed to get D12 back on their feet, in preparation for new possible content. The mixtape lacked appearance from Proof (who had passed) and Eminem (who was working on his solo album, Relapse (although several D12 members were working on their own solo albums/mixtapes at the time)). It contains several guest features from rappers such as Royce da 5'9" (whom they had a feud with) and King Gordy. Some tracks were solo performances from a D12 member, such "If You Want It" by Kuniva, in a similar way to how Eminem performed "Girls" from Devil's NightDevil's Night (album)
*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
.
In a video posted on April 6, 2011, Bizarre announced that Fuzz Scoota, a former member from the early incarnation of D12, has rejoined the group. D12 released their mixtape Return of the Dozen 2 on April 12, 2011, which included Fuzz. Eminem was only present on one track throughout the whole mixtape, though he wasn't present at all in the previous one. Due to Eminem being on tour for his album Recovery and because of Kon Artist being his current hype man there are only four active members of D12(Bizarre, Kuniva, Swift & Fuzz) but they are still members of D12. In a video posted on YouTube by Eminem & Royce da 5'9" on June 13, 2011, Eminem stated that he was back in the studio with D12 after not being a very active member for nearly three years. D12 performed at the Kanrocksas Music Festival
Kanrocksas Music Festival
Kanrocksas is a music festival that took place between August 5th and 6th, 2011 outside the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The festival is expected to be an annual event in the likes of other Midwestern music festivals such Lollapalooza and the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival...
on August 5, 2011.
The track, "Outro", off the Return of the Dozen Vol. 2 mixtape, had a music video released on September 1, 2011, though the video did not feature either Eminem or Kon Artis. The group also stated intentions to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of the Devils Night album, though the celebration will be held on the actual Devil's Night on October 30th in St. Andrew's Hall
St. Andrew's Hall
St. Andrew's Hall, was a public building in Charleston, South Carolina, on Broad Street. The hall served as headquarters for the St. Andrew's Society of Charleston, South Carolina. It was also an important part of the social life of upper-class Charlestonians. It was used for balls, banquets,...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, even though the album was released months earlier on June 19, 2001.
Benzino and
The Source Rapper EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
was granted "2/5 mics" for his sophomore effort, The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
, by infamous Hip-Hop magazine The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
during early 2000. This did not go over well with Eminem, and he mocked The Source in a few songs.
However, an argument did not follow until Source co-owner, Ramond 'Benzino
Benzino
Raymond Scott from Boston Massachusetts, better known by hisstage name Benzino is an American hip hop media executive, and record producer....
' Scott, released a
diss track
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
aimed at Eminem, and granted his own rap group's album "4/5" mics, as well as a front page cover on the magazine. Beef quickly ensued, where Eminem, along with Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
artists, 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, Obie Trice
Obie Trice
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
, and D12 ripped apart The Sources credibility, citing that
nowadays with Scott as the owner, the magazine was corrupt. Competing Hip Hop magazine, XXL
XXL
XXL may refer to:* XXL , in London, UK* XXL , an American hip-hop magazine* Penny Market XXL, a Romanian hypermarket chain-Film and television:* XXL , a French comedy* XXL , an adult TV station-Music:...
also became entangled with the feud, and eventually Scott retired from his position at The Source. Since then, Benzino has attempted to discredit the reputation of Eminem and other upcoming artists such as Slaughterhouse and Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
by leaking racist comments made by a youthful Eminem. Eminem's last known response to Benzino was on the track, "The Sauce"
Everlast and Limp Bizkit
EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
was notified while on the Anger Management Tour
Anger Management Tour
The inaugural Anger Management Tour was founded and started in the fall 2000 by Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, and after the release of The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem. Originally targeted at both rap and rock fans, the first "Anger Management" outing took place in 2000. It had two separate legs.The...
that former House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
member, Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
, had mocked him on a song. Everlast claimed that while passing by Mathers in a hotel lobby, Mathers gave him a "weird look." Taking offense to this, Eminem quickly began work on a retaliatory song, "I Remember" and later teamed up with D12 to make the song, "Quitter". It was reported that long-time friends of Eminem, group Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, were meant to be featured on "Quitter", but Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
canceled at the last moment. The record continued its release without featuring Limp Bizkit, causing the Everlast-Mathers dispute to continue. In a TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
interview, Limp Bizkit member DJ Lethal
DJ Lethal
Leor Dimant , better known as DJ Lethal, is a turntablist and producer and member of the bands Limp Bizkit, House of Pain and La Coka Nostra.-Early life:Leor Dimant was born in Riga, Latvia, when this country was still part of the Soviet Union...
made a statement that if Mathers and Everlast were to fight in real life, Everlast would win. This angered Eminem to the point of rage, and an insulting track aimed at both Everlast and Limp Bizkit appeared on D12's mainstream debut, Devil's Night
Devil's Night (album)
*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
, as a hidden track called "Girls". Recently, things seem to have settled, and Eminem has no longer been heard insulting Everlast or Limp Bizkit. It is currently unknown if the dispute is resolved.
Canibus
During the time Eminem and Mr. Porter started recording Recovery the rest of D12 were featured on a diss song towards Eminem with rapper CanibusCanibus
Germaine Williams , better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-born American rapper. He is a part of supergroup The HRSMN. Canibus rose to fame in the mid-nineties...
, who had already had a feud with Eminem off his new record Melatonin Magik
Melatonin Magik
- Charts :...
which was called "Air Strike (Pop Killer)". Canibus name dropped Eminem's long time deceased friend Proof
Proof (rapper)
DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
, Canibus said "If Proof Was Alive He'd Be Dying Inside". D12 member Swift responded to the record publicly, and had the following to say about DZK (another rapper featured on the track). "[He] asked us to do a track with him when he already was teamed up with Canibus without us knowing. They dissed Em, took our verses and added them to the song so they can bring traffic and make it seem like we turning on Em... as a desperate attempt to be heard after ducking and dodging Em for 7 years. It was a straight hoe move."
Chart success
Their debut album, Devil's NightDevil's Night (album)
*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
, referring to the tradition
Devil's Night
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween. It is related to the "Mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan from the...
of setting unoccupied buildings on fire the night before Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, was released in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the U.S. and number two on the 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 U.S. It featured the following hit singles:
- "Purple Hills" (the clean version of "Purple Pills") reached the top twenty on the Billboard 100 and number one on the rap tracks charts in 2001 as well as number two in the UK and the top ten in Australia.
- "Shit on You" reached the UK top ten and the Canadian top five.
- "Flight Music", (the clean version of "Fight Music"), featuring Ice TIce TTracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
, Angie MartinezAngie MartinezAngela "Angie" Martinez is an American radio personality and occasional rapper.-Radio career:Angie Martinez got her first break in radio at the age of 16 answering hot lines at the urban radio station WQHT . There she met popular DJ Funkmaster Flex, and began working as his protégé...
and Fat JoeFat JoeJoseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
in its music video, reached the UK top twenty and the Australian top forty.
The group's second album was D12 World
D12 World
Notes* The skit titled "Bugz" is from the song "Desperados" by Eminem Featuring Proof, Bugz & The Almighty Dreadknaughts.* The song "Just Like U" doesn't appear on the clean version of the album....
released on April 27, 2004, featuring production by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kon Artis and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, and guest appearances by Obie Trice
Obie Trice
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
on the track "Loyalty", and B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
on the track "American Psycho II". It debuted at the top of the U.S., UK, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n album charts, and number two in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
— 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, New Zealand and the U.S. rhythmic top forty, the top five in the UK and Germany, and the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Appearances in film
The members of the group have also, on occasion, turned to acting. Eminem is the lead actor in 8 Mile8 Mile (film)
8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
and has had cameo appearances in several films and shows, while Proof also appears in 8 Mile as a freestyle rapper called "Lil' Tic".
The group appear in 2005's The Longest Yard
The Longest Yard (2005 film)
The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film remake of the 1974 film of the same name. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, a disgraced former professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, who is coerced to form a team from the prison inmates to play...
credited as "Basketball Convicts". For the movie, the group recorded the song "My Ballz" for The Longest Yard. Although Eminem was the only D12 member not to appear in the movie, he does perform the chorus and a verse in "My Ballz".
Members
- BizarreBizarre (rapper)Rufus Arthur Johnson , better known as Bizarre is an American recording artist best known for his work with Detroit hip-hop group D12. His songs are often about subjects which create shock value such as rape and drugs.-Early life:Bizarre was born as Rufus Arthur Johnson on July 5, 1976 in Detroit,...
- Kon ArtisKon ArtisDenaun Porter , known by his stage name Kon Artis or his alter ego Mr. Porter, is an American rapper and record producer, who is best known for being an original member of the Detroit rap group D12, as well as the co-founder of Runyon Ave. record label...
- Kuniva
- Swifty McVay
- EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
- Fuzz Scoota
Former members
- ProofProof (rapper)DeShaun Dupree Holton better known as Proof his stage name, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Squad, 5 Elementz, Promatic, and most notably D12...
(deceased) - Bugz (deceased)
Discography
Studio albums- Devil's NightDevil's Night (album)*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
(2001) - D12 WorldD12 WorldNotes* The skit titled "Bugz" is from the song "Desperados" by Eminem Featuring Proof, Bugz & The Almighty Dreadknaughts.* The song "Just Like U" doesn't appear on the clean version of the album....
(2004)