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{{short description|American hip hop group}}
{{otheruses}}
{{About|an American hip-hop group|other uses|D12 (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox_band
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
|image = [[Image:DirtyDozen.jpg|280px|center]]
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
|band_name = D12
{{Infobox musical artist
|years_active = [[1990]]–present
| name = D12
|origin = [[Detroit, Michigan]]
| image = D12 at the Anger Management Tour in 2005.jpg
|status = Active
| caption = D12 at the Anger Management tour in 2005
|music_genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip Hop|Rap]]
| alias = The Dirty Dozen
|record_label = [[Shady Records|Shady]]/[[Interscope]]
| origin = [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], U.S.
|current_members = [[Eminem]]<br>[[Kon Artis]]<br>[[Swift (rapper)|Swift]]<br>[[Kuniva]]<br>[[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]]<br>[[Proof (rapper)|Proof]] (deceased) }}
| genre = {{hlist|[[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]|[[horrorcore]]<ref>{{cite web |first=Mosi |last=Reeves |title=World Famous |url=http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2004-07-08/music/world-famous/ |work=[[New Times Broward-Palm Beach]] |date=July 8, 2004 |access-date=October 17, 2017 |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223205610/https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/music/world-famous-6317883 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cohen |first=Sara |title=Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture: Beyond The Beatles |year=2007 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |isbn=978-0-7546-3243-6 |page=52 |quote=The music journalist and author Dan Sicko describes certain strains of Detroit hip-hop as 'an extreme, almost parodied' version of inner city life, which he links to the extremities of urban decline in the city: 'both the horrorcore of hip-hop outfits such as Insane Clown Posse, Esham and (to a lesser extent) the multi-platinum-selling Eminem, utilize shocking (and blatantly over the top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit' (cited in Cohen and Strachan, 2005).}}</ref>}}
| years_active = {{hlist|1996–2006|2008–2018}}{{efn|2023: Partial reunion}}
| label = {{hlist|[[Shady Records|Shady]]|[[Interscope]]}}
| past_members = * [[Eminem]]
* [[Proof (rapper)|Proof]]
* [[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]]
* [[Denaun Porter|Mr. Porter]]
* Kuniva
* Swifty McVay
* Bugz
* Fuzz Scoota
}}
'''D12''' (an [[initialism]] for '''the Dirty Dozen''') was an American [[hip hop music|hip hop]] [[musical collective|collective]] from [[Detroit|Detroit, Michigan]]. Formed in 1996, the group achieved mainstream success with its lineup of ''de facto'' leader [[Eminem]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=5 Beefs Eminem Actually Squashed|url=https://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.4148/title.5-beefs-eminem-actually-squashed|date=2018-09-08|website=HipHopDX|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> [[Proof (rapper)|Proof]], [[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]], [[Denaun Porter|Mr. Porter]], Kuniva and Swifty McVay.


D12 had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia during the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.d12world.com/chart_success.php |title=D12 Chart Success |publisher=D12 WORLD |access-date=March 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106131927/http://www.d12world.com/chart_success.php |archive-date=January 6, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The group released the albums ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'' in 2001 and ''[[D12 World]]'' in 2004, spawning numerous hits such as "[[Shit on You]]", "[[Purple Pills]]", "[[Fight Music]]", "[[My Band]]" and "[[How Come (D12 song)|How Come]]" throughout that period. Both albums were certified [[RIAA certification|double platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gold & Platinum|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/|website=RIAA|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>
'''D12''' (aka '''The Dirty Dozen''' and '''D-Twizzy''') are an American hip-hop group originating from [[Detroit, Michigan]] which have had albums reach the top of the [[United States|US]], [[Australia|AUS]] and [[United Kingdom|UK]] album charts - ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'' in [[2001 in music|2001]] and ''[[D12 World]]'' in [[2004 in music|2004]]. D12 was formed in [[1990 in music|1990]], but they only achieved mainstream success when their most accomplished member, [[Eminem]], had risen to international fame and notoriety in the early part of the 21st century, although D12 had been a powerful force in the underground rap scene for several years prior.


In 2004, the group won the [[MTV Europe Music Award]] for [[MTV Europe Music Award for Best Hip-Hop|Best Hip-Hop Act]].
==Group members==
D12 currently consists of five members:
* '''[[Eminem]]''' (Marshall Mathers) aka '''Slim Shady'''
* '''[[Kon Artis]]''' (Denaun Porter) aka '''Mr. Porter'''
* '''[[Swift (rapper)|Swift]]''' (Ondre Moore) aka '''Swifty McVay'''
* '''[[Kuniva]]''' (Von Carlisle) aka '''Rondell Beene'''
* '''[[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]]''' (Rufus Johnson) aka '''Peter S. Bizarre'''
===Former members===


Since 2006, Eminem's hiatus and the death of Proof resulted in the group being less active in subsequent years. Between 2008 and 2015, D12 released three official mixtapes with the core lineup reduced to Bizarre, Kuniva and Swifty McVay, with isolated token appearances by Eminem and some contributions from Mr. Porter and Fuzz Scoota.
*'''[[Proof (rapper)|Proof]]''' (DeShaun Holton) aka '''Derty Harry'''; shot to death on [[April 11]] [[2006]]
*'''[[Bugz]]''' (Karnail Pitts); murdered on [[May 21]], [[1999]]
*'''[[Charging Soldier]]'''; left the group citing creative differences January 22, 1998
*'''[[Eye-Kyu]]'''; left group


On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his tenth studio album ''[[Kamikaze (Eminem album)|Kamikaze]]'', containing a song titled "[[Stepping Stone (Eminem song)|Stepping Stone]]", announcing that D12 had officially disbanded.<ref name="2Ls9v">{{cite web |last=Shifferaw |first=Abel |last2=Skelton |first2=Eric |date=2018-08-31 |title=A Roundup of Rappers Eminem Name-Drops and Takes Shots at on 'Kamikaze' |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2018/08/rappers-eminem-name-drops-and-takes-shots-at-on-kamikaze |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Complex}}</ref>
==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 in music|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 ''[[Tha Outsidaz]]'' with Eminem and [[Rah Digga]]. Proof won a [[freestyle music|freestyling]] competition run by ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'' in [[1998 in music|1998]].


==Rise to fame==
==History==
===Early career, ''The Underground EP'' and death of Bugz (1996–2000)===
{{main|Eminem}}
D12 was initially formed in 1996 by [[Proof (rapper)|Proof]] who invited local Detroit rappers such as [[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]], Da Brigade members [[Mr. Porter]] and Kuniva, and Bugz. The name of the band was conceived as, despite having six members, each member had an alter ego they displayed in their music, which meant that there were 12 personalities. In 1997, they released their debut extended play, ''The Underground EP'', which was recorded between 1996 and 1997. [[Eminem]] and Eye-Kyu had guest appearances on it. In 1997 and 1998, its members began establishing reputations locally. Bizarre was named ''Inner City Entertainment'''s "Flava of the Week" and went on to release an EP, ''[[Attack of the Weirdos]]''. Along with Eminem, he became an honorary member of the [[Outsidaz]]. Proof won a [[freestyle music|freestyling]] competition run by ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''.
It was as a solo artist that D12 member Eminem found success. All of the members of D12 have aliases and Eminem chose Slim Shady as his. He recorded an independent EP called ''[[The Slim Shady EP]]'' in [[1997 in music|1997]] that caught the attention of famed rap producer [[Dr. Dre]] and [[Interscope Records|Interscope]] CEO [[Jimmy Iovine]], and soon signed to [[Aftermath Entertainment|Aftermath]]/Interscope, releasing his breakthrough album ''[[The Slim Shady LP]]'' in 1999 which went on to be certified 4x platinum in the U.S.


In 1999, Bugz released ''These Streets EP'', and made several appearances on other rappers' songs. On May 21, 1999, Bugz was shot and killed. One of his final acts had been a request that Swifty McVay join the group.<ref>{{cite web |title=D12World.com: Swift member page |url=http://www.d12world.com/index.php?s=swift |publisher=D12 World |year=2001 |access-date=July 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928013636/http://www.d12world.com/index.php?s=swift |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Eminem volunteered to replace Bugz; this led to him joining the group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eminem: Rolling The Dice On D12 |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/d/d12/news_feature_042304/index2.jhtml |publisher=MTVNews.com |author=Joseph Patel, with reporting by Rahman Bugg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519145500/http://www.mtv.com/bands/d/d12/news_feature_042304/index2.jhtml |archive-date=May 19, 2007 |df=mdy}}</ref>
Eminem's success persuaded Proof to establish D12 on a more permanent basis in early [[1999 in music|1999]]. Proof invited Bizarre, along with new recruits Kuniva, Kon Artis, and Bugz to join the group. Kuniva and Kon Artis were previously part of [[Da Brigade]]. However, Bugz died in Detroit on May 21, 1998 as a result of a shooting, leading the group to accept Swifty McVay to take his place. Each of the current members of the group wear a tattoo of Bugz's name in his honor. The tracks "Good Die Young" and "Bugz 97" (the latter of which features an appearance from Bugz) on ''D12 World'' were recorded in his memory.


===''Devil's Night'', ''D12 World'' and death of Proof (2001–2006)===
The six members of D12 signed a contract with Eminem's [[Shady Records]] and Interscope in 1999. The fact that D12 rose to prominence after Eminem, led many people to assume that the other members had less significance in the group - this would be the concept of the group's 2004 hit single "My Band".
{{See also|Proof (rapper)#Shooting and death}}


Their debut album, ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'', referring to the [[Devil's Night|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,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums" /> also reaching the top of the Canadian charts. The album went on to sell four million albums worldwide and two million in the U.S.
Despite Eminem's prominence in the music industry, D12 insisted that there was no frontman in the group and that Eminem was just another member. In spite of this, D12 began to tour as a separate entity to Eminem, a controversial move that lead to confusion among concert-goers who may have thought that they were paying to see Eminem as well as the other five performers.


''[[D12 World]]'' was released on April 27, 2004, featuring production by Eminem, Mr. Porter, [[Dr. Dre]] 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,<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums" /> and Australian albums charts, and at 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, also reached number one in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. rhythmic top forty, the top five in the UK<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= 19th| publisher=Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5| page= 133}}</ref> and Germany, and the top ten on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. In 2005, Bizarre and Proof released their debut studio albums ''[[Hannicap Circus]]'' and ''[[Searching for Jerry Garcia]]''. They debuted at numbers 48 and 65 on the U.S., respectively.
==Death of Proof==
{{main|Proof (rapper)}}


On April 11, 2006, Proof "pistol-whipped an unarmed man and shot him in the head", and was in turn fatally shot by the man's cousin.<ref>{{cite news|title=D12, Eminem, 50 Cent and Others Attend Proof's Funeral|date=April 20, 2006|publisher=SixShot.com|url=http://www.sixshot.com/news/6031|access-date=January 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231100604/http://www.sixshot.com/news/6031/|archive-date=December 31, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Jessica|last=Robertson|title=D12 Rapper Proof Fatally Shot|date=April 11, 2006|work=Rolling Stone @ RollingStone.com|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9747473/d12_rapper_proof_fatally_shot| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060412192520/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9747473/d12_rapper_proof_fatally_shot|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 12, 2006}}</ref>
Violence claimed the life of another member of D12 on April 11, 2006, when Proof suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head following an argument at the CCC Club in Detroit. However, Denaun Porter AKA Kon Artist has recently announced the remaining members of the group will continue recording their new album once Swift, (another member) is released from jail next month. He also announced that they intend to use recordings made by Proof before his death.


Since then, Eminem was no longer a member of the group, having guest appearances only on two tracks, "Fame" on ''Return of the Dozen Vol. 2'' (2011) and "Devil's Night Intro" on ''The Devil's Night Mixtape'' (2015). On December 5, 2006, [[Shady Records]] released ''[[Eminem Presents: The Re-Up]]'' which featured performances by Eminem, [[50 Cent]], Obie Trice, [[Stat Quo]], [[Bobby Creekwater]] and [[Cashis]] while affiliated artists such as [[Lloyd Banks]], [[Akon]] and [[Nate Dogg]], made guest appearances. Some tracks were collaborative performances from D12 members, such as "Murder" by Bizarre and Kuniva and "Whatever You Want" by Swifty McVay and Mr. Porter. The track "Trapped" by Proof included an intro by Eminem paying his final respects saying, "Big Proof, rest in peace dudey we love you. We just wanna keep making you proud."
==Chart success==
Their debut album, ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'', referring to [[Devil's Night|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 in music|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:


===Mixtapes, unreleased third studio album and disbandment (2008–2018)===
* "Purple Hills" (originally "Purple Pills" before radio refused to play it) 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;
[[File:D12_at_Kanrocksas_2011.jpg|thumb|D12 performing at Kanrocksas Music Festival]]
* "Shit On You" reached the UK top 10 and Canadian top 5; and
On May 21, 2008, D12 released their first mixtape ''Return of the Dozen Vol. 1''.<ref>{{cite web|title=D12 Return of the Dozen (Vol 1) mixtape|url=http://www.rapbasement.com/features/features/d12-return-of-the-dozen.html|publisher=Rapbasement|access-date=2011-04-08|archive-date=2012-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324205209/http://www.rapbasement.com/features/features/d12-return-of-the-dozen.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2010, the group recorded "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" for Eminem's scrapped seventh studio album ''[[Recovery (Eminem album)|Relapse 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Phillips |first=Rashad |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10875/title.d12s-bizarre-talks-relapse-2-canibus-diss-track |title=D12's Bizarre Talks Relapse 2, Canibus Diss Track &#124; Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales |publisher=HipHop DX |date=March 23, 2010 |access-date=March 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927211459/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10875/title.d12s-bizarre-talks-relapse-2-canibus-diss-track |archive-date=September 27, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The mixtape ''Return of the Dozen Vol. 2'' (2011) followed three years later. It featured Fuzz Scoota, a new member of the group.<ref>{{cite web |title=D12 Welcomes New Member Fuzz Scoota |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.14672/title.d12-welcomes-new-member-fuzz-scoota |access-date=October 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412162149/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.14672/title.d12-welcomes-new-member-fuzz-scoota |archive-date=April 12, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On August 5, 2011, D12 performed at the Kanrocksas Music Festival.<ref>{{cite web |title=D12 – Artist Lineup – Kanrocksas Music Festival |url=http://kanrocksas.com/lineup/single/d12 |publisher=Kanrocksas Music Festival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903000229/http://kanrocksas.com/lineup/single/d12 |archive-date=September 3, 2011 |df=mdy}}</ref> In 2012, Bizarre and Mr. Porter left the group.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/denaun-aka-kon-artist-leaves-d12|title=Bizarre leaves D12|website=This is 50 Blog|date=2019-03-25|access-date=2019-09-04|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912224242/http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/denaun-aka-kon-artist-leaves-d12|archive-date=September 12, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* "Fight Music", featuring [[Ice T]], [[Angie Martinez]] and [[Fat Joe]] in its music video, reached the UK top 20 and Australian Top 40.


In January 2014, Mark Bass of the [[Bass Brothers]] confirmed that D12 had been recently recording at the F.B.T. studio and he had been mixing their recorded material. He also confirmed that Eminem was featured on at least three songs that had been completed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2014/01/eminem-and-d12-are-making-music-again/|title=Eminem And D12 Are Making Music Again - XXL|date=22 January 2014 |access-date=November 24, 2016}}</ref> In February 2014, Bizarre confirmed that he was back in the group and that D12 would be releasing their third studio album during 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.27425/title.bizarre-says-eminem-inspired-him-to-get-sober|title=Bizarre Says Eminem Inspired Him To Get Sober|work=HipHopDX|access-date=November 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526121242/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.27425/title.bizarre-says-eminem-inspired-him-to-get-sober|archive-date=May 26, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> On August 25, 2014, a press release on Eminem's official website also revealed D12 to be featured on the label's upcoming two-disc compilation album, titled ''[[Shady XV]]''. The album, released on November 24, 2014, featured one [[greatest hits]] disc and one disc with new material from a variety of Shady Records recording artists, including D12. Their new song was entitled "Bane", which features the return of Mr. Porter and was also produced by him.
The group's second album was ''D12 World'' released on [[April 7]], [[2004 in music|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 US, UK and [[Australia]]n album charts and number 2 in [[Germany]], selling over half a million records in its first week of release in the US alone. "My Band", the first single, also has been successful reaching number one in Australia and the US rhythmic top 40, top 5 in the UK and Germany and top 10 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]].


[[File:D12_in_Moscow_2015.jpg|thumb|D12 performing in [[Moscow]] in 2015]]
==Discography==


On August 18, 2015, D12 confirmed on [[Tim Westwood]] TV that they had already recorded a large number of songs for the album and will release it "when the time is right."<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NL5jn4qpYY|title = D12 Tim Westwood Interview 2015|website = [[YouTube]]| date=18 August 2015 }}</ref> On October 1, 2015, it was announced that D12 would be releasing a new mixtape, ''The Devil's Night Mixtape''. It was released on October 30, 2015 and featured [[Royce da 5'9"]], [[Crooked I]] and [[Young Buck]]. The mixtape was hosted by [[DJ Whoo Kid]].<ref>{{cite web|first1=Rose|last1=Lilah|title=D12 – The Devil's Night: Mixtape|url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/d12-devils-night-the-mixtape-new-mixtape.116097.html|website=Hot New Hip Hop|access-date=April 30, 2016|date=October 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Zach|last1=Gase|title=D12 releases 'Devil's Night' mixtape|url=http://national.suntimes.com/national-entertainment/7/72/2033839/d12-releases-devils-night-mixtape|website=[[Sun Times]]|access-date=April 30, 2016|date=October 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417073609/http://national.suntimes.com/national-entertainment/7/72/2033839/d12-releases-devils-night-mixtape|archive-date=April 17, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Albums ===

* ''[[The Underground EP]]'' (1997)
On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his tenth studio album ''[[Kamikaze (Eminem album)|Kamikaze]]'', containing a song titled "[[Stepping Stone (Eminem song)|Stepping Stone]]", announcing that D12 had officially disbanded.<ref name="2Ls9v" />
* ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'' (2001) #1 US (Platinum), #1 UK (4 million worldwide)

* ''[[D12 World]]'' (2004) #1 US (2x Platinum), #1 AUS (Platinum), #1 UK (4 million worldwide)
===After disbandment (2021–present)===
* ''[[The Ambition]]'' (upcoming)
In 2021, ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'' was re-released digitally as an expanded edition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release which featured three bonus tracks, an unreleased freestyle, and the instrumentals.

In 2023, former members Swifty McVay and Kuniva reunited and opened for several shows of [[Snoop Dogg]]'s I Wanna Thank Me Tour, in which they performed D12 songs. Later that year, they played shows in the UK and the Netherlands in celebration of ''[[D12 World]]''{{'}}s 20th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web |title=D12 |url=https://www.bandsintown.com/a/2337-d12 |website=bandsintown |access-date=21 January 2023}}</ref>

==Members==

;Former members
*[[Eminem]] (1999–2006)
*[[Proof (rapper)|Proof]] (1996–2006; his death)
*[[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]] (1996–2006, 2008–2012, 2014–2018)
*[[Denaun Porter|Mr. Porter]] (1996–2006, 2008–2012, 2014–2018)
*Kuniva (1996–2006, 2008–2018)
*Swifty McVay (1999–2006, 2008–2018)
*Bugz (1996–1999; his death)
*Fuzz Scoota (2011–2014)

===Timeline===
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:5 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1996 till:08/31/2018
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album
id:bars value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1996
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1996

LineData =

at:06/19/2001 color:black layer:back
at:04/27/2004 color:black layer:back

BarData =
bar:Eminem text:"Eminem"
bar:Proof text:"Proof"
bar:Bizarre text:"Bizarre"
bar:Porter text:"Mr. Porter"
bar:Kuniva text:"Kuniva"
bar:Swifty text:"Swifty McVay"
bar:Bugz text:"Bugz"
bar:Fuzz text:"Fuzz Scoota"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) color:Vocals

bar:Eminem from:05/21/1999 till:04/11/2006
bar:Proof from:01/01/1996 till:04/11/2006
bar:Bizarre from:01/01/1996 till:04/11/2006
bar:Bizarre from:05/21/2008 till:02/28/2012
bar:Bizarre from:02/07/2014 till:08/31/2018
bar:Porter from:01/01/1996 till:04/11/2006
bar:Porter from:05/21/2008 till:03/24/2012
bar:Porter from:11/24/2014 till:08/31/2018
bar:Kuniva from:01/01/1996 till:04/11/2006
bar:Kuniva from:05/21/2008 till:08/31/2018
bar:Swifty from:05/21/1999 till:04/11/2006
bar:Swifty from:05/21/2008 till:08/31/2018
bar:Bugz from:01/01/1996 till:05/21/1999
bar:Fuzz from:04/07/2011 till:10/02/2014
</timeline>

==Awards and nominations==
{{see also|List of awards and nominations received by Eminem}}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!Year
!Ceremony
!Award
!Result
|-
|2002
|[[Echo Music Prize|ECHO Awards]] {{small|(for "[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]")}}
|Best Hip-Hop/Urban Artist (International)
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[2004 MTV Europe Music Awards|2004]]
|rowspan="2"|[[MTV Europe Music Award]]s
|Best Hip-Hop Act
|{{won}}
|-
|Best Group
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[2004 MTV Video Music Awards|2004]]
|rowspan="3"|[[MTV Video Music Award]]s {{small|(for "[[My Band]]")}}
|Video of the Year
|{{nom}}
|-
|Best Group Video
|{{nom}}
|-
|Best Rap Video
|{{nom}}
|-
|}

==Discography==
{{Main|D12 discography}}
'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[Devil's Night (album)|Devil's Night]]'' (2001)
* ''[[D12 World]]'' (2004)


==Notes==
=== Singles ===
{{Notelist}}
* Non-album single/some editions or bonus disc of ''Devil's Night''
** 2001 "[[Shit on You]]" #10 UK
* From ''Devil's Night''
** 2001 "[[Purple Pills]]" #19 US, #2 UK
** 2001 "[[Fight Music]]" #11 UK
* From ''D12 World''
** 2004 "[[My Band]]" #6 US, #2 UK, #1 AUS
** 2004 "[[How Come]]" #27 US, #4 UK, #4 AUS
** 2004 "[[40 Oz]]"
** 2004 "[[U R The One]]"


=== Other works ===
==References==
{{reflist}}
** 2002 "[[Rap Game]]" featuring [[50 Cent]] from the [[8 Mile Soundtrack|8 Mile soundtrack]]
** 2001 "These Drugs" from the [[Bones houndtrack]]
** 2001 "[[911 (D12 and Gorillaz song|911]]" from the album [[Bad Company]] by [[Gorillaz]]
** 2005 "[[Nuthin' At All]]" from the album [[Hannicap Circus]] by [[Bizarre]]
** 2005 "[[Pimplikeness ]]" from the album [[Searching for Jerry Garcia]] by [[Proof]]
** 2005 "[[My Ballz]]"from the album [[The Longest Yard OST]]


{{MTV Europe Music Award for Best Hip-Hop}}
==External links==
{{D12}}
* [http://www.shadygallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=4 D12 Pictures at ShadyGallery.com]
* [http://www.trshady.com/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=4 D12 Forum at TRshady.com]
* [http://www.d12web.com/forums_view.php?forumid=1 Book of Condolencies at D12web]
* [http://www.Proof.us.ms First Mourningbook of Proof for Fans(engl)]
* [http://www.d12online.com/ D12's official website]
* [http://www.shadyrecords.com/ Shady Records official website]
* [http://www.d12web.com/ D12Web]
* [http://www.dtwizzy.com/ DTwizzy Fan Forum]
* [http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/d12/artist.jhtml MTV's D12 page]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311071654390588&sql=Bxrm8b5m49sqa/ All Music's D12 page]
* [http://www.d12world.com/ D12 WORLD DIRTY DOZEN D-12 WORLD]
* [http://www.songmeanings.net/artist.php?aid=819 D12 Lyrics]


{{Authority control}}
[[Category:American hip hop groups|D12]]
[[Category:Aftermath Entertainment|D12]]
[[Category:People from Detroit, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Michigan]]
[[Category:1990 establishments]]


[[Category:Detroit hip-hop groups]]
[[de:D12]]
[[es:D12]]
[[Category:Eminem]]
[[Category:Horrorcore groups]]
[[fr:D-12]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1996]]
[[id:D12]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2018]]
[[is:D12]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Michigan]]
[[nl:D12]]
[[Category:Midwest hip-hop groups]]
[[pt:D12]]
[[Category:Shady Records artists]]
[[fi:D12]]
[[Category:Hardcore hip-hop groups]]
[[sv:D12]]
[[Category:MTV Europe Music Award winners]]
[[Category:Hip-hop collectives]]
[[Category:American musical sextets]]

Latest revision as of 22:46, 5 January 2025

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

D12
D12 at the Anger Management tour in 2005
D12 at the Anger Management tour in 2005
Background information
Also known asThe Dirty Dozen
OriginDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1996–2006
  • 2008–2018
[a]
Labels
Past members

D12 (an initialism for the Dirty Dozen) was an American hip hop collective from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1996, the group achieved mainstream success with its lineup of de facto leader Eminem,[3] Proof, Bizarre, Mr. Porter, Kuniva and Swifty McVay.

D12 had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia during the early 2000s.[4] The group released the albums Devil's Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004, spawning numerous hits such as "Shit on You", "Purple Pills", "Fight Music", "My Band" and "How Come" throughout that period. Both albums were certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[5]

In 2004, the group won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Act.

Since 2006, Eminem's hiatus and the death of Proof resulted in the group being less active in subsequent years. Between 2008 and 2015, D12 released three official mixtapes with the core lineup reduced to Bizarre, Kuniva and Swifty McVay, with isolated token appearances by Eminem and some contributions from Mr. Porter and Fuzz Scoota.

On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his tenth studio album Kamikaze, containing a song titled "Stepping Stone", announcing that D12 had officially disbanded.[6]

History

Early career, The Underground EP and death of Bugz (1996–2000)

D12 was initially formed in 1996 by Proof who invited local Detroit rappers such as Bizarre, Da Brigade members Mr. Porter and Kuniva, and Bugz. The name of the band was conceived as, despite having six members, each member had an alter ego they displayed in their music, which meant that there were 12 personalities. In 1997, they released their debut extended play, The Underground EP, which was recorded between 1996 and 1997. Eminem and Eye-Kyu had guest appearances on it. In 1997 and 1998, its members began establishing reputations locally. Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainment's "Flava of the Week" and went on to release an EP, Attack of the Weirdos. Along with Eminem, he became an honorary member of the Outsidaz. Proof won a freestyling competition run by The Source.

In 1999, Bugz released These Streets EP, and made several appearances on other rappers' songs. On May 21, 1999, Bugz was shot and killed. One of his final acts had been a request that Swifty McVay join the group.[7] Eminem volunteered to replace Bugz; this led to him joining the group.[8]

Devil's Night, D12 World and death of Proof (2001–2006)

See also: Proof (rapper) § Shooting and death

Their debut album, Devil's Night, 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,[9] also reaching the top of the Canadian charts. The album went on to sell four million albums worldwide and two million in the U.S.

D12 World was released on April 27, 2004, featuring production by Eminem, Mr. Porter, Dr. Dre 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,[9] and Australian albums charts, and at 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, also reached number one in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. rhythmic top forty, the top five in the UK[9] and Germany, and the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2005, Bizarre and Proof released their debut studio albums Hannicap Circus and Searching for Jerry Garcia. They debuted at numbers 48 and 65 on the U.S., respectively.

On April 11, 2006, Proof "pistol-whipped an unarmed man and shot him in the head", and was in turn fatally shot by the man's cousin.[10][11]

Since then, Eminem was no longer a member of the group, having guest appearances only on two tracks, "Fame" on Return of the Dozen Vol. 2 (2011) and "Devil's Night Intro" on The Devil's Night Mixtape (2015). On December 5, 2006, Shady Records released Eminem Presents: The Re-Up which featured performances by Eminem, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Stat Quo, Bobby Creekwater and Cashis while affiliated artists such as Lloyd Banks, Akon and Nate Dogg, made guest appearances. Some tracks were collaborative performances from D12 members, such as "Murder" by Bizarre and Kuniva and "Whatever You Want" by Swifty McVay and Mr. Porter. The track "Trapped" by Proof included an intro by Eminem paying his final respects saying, "Big Proof, rest in peace dudey we love you. We just wanna keep making you proud."

Mixtapes, unreleased third studio album and disbandment (2008–2018)

D12 performing at Kanrocksas Music Festival

On May 21, 2008, D12 released their first mixtape Return of the Dozen Vol. 1.[12] In 2010, the group recorded "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" for Eminem's scrapped seventh studio album Relapse 2.[13] The mixtape Return of the Dozen Vol. 2 (2011) followed three years later. It featured Fuzz Scoota, a new member of the group.[14] On August 5, 2011, D12 performed at the Kanrocksas Music Festival.[15] In 2012, Bizarre and Mr. Porter left the group.[16]

In January 2014, Mark Bass of the Bass Brothers confirmed that D12 had been recently recording at the F.B.T. studio and he had been mixing their recorded material. He also confirmed that Eminem was featured on at least three songs that had been completed.[17] In February 2014, Bizarre confirmed that he was back in the group and that D12 would be releasing their third studio album during 2014.[18] On August 25, 2014, a press release on Eminem's official website also revealed D12 to be featured on the label's upcoming two-disc compilation album, titled Shady XV. The album, released on November 24, 2014, featured one greatest hits disc and one disc with new material from a variety of Shady Records recording artists, including D12. Their new song was entitled "Bane", which features the return of Mr. Porter and was also produced by him.

D12 performing in Moscow in 2015

On August 18, 2015, D12 confirmed on Tim Westwood TV that they had already recorded a large number of songs for the album and will release it "when the time is right."[19] On October 1, 2015, it was announced that D12 would be releasing a new mixtape, The Devil's Night Mixtape. It was released on October 30, 2015 and featured Royce da 5'9", Crooked I and Young Buck. The mixtape was hosted by DJ Whoo Kid.[20][21]

On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his tenth studio album Kamikaze, containing a song titled "Stepping Stone", announcing that D12 had officially disbanded.[6]

After disbandment (2021–present)

In 2021, Devil's Night was re-released digitally as an expanded edition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release which featured three bonus tracks, an unreleased freestyle, and the instrumentals.

In 2023, former members Swifty McVay and Kuniva reunited and opened for several shows of Snoop Dogg's I Wanna Thank Me Tour, in which they performed D12 songs. Later that year, they played shows in the UK and the Netherlands in celebration of D12 World's 20th anniversary.[22]

Members

Former members
  • Eminem (1999–2006)
  • Proof (1996–2006; his death)
  • Bizarre (1996–2006, 2008–2012, 2014–2018)
  • Mr. Porter (1996–2006, 2008–2012, 2014–2018)
  • Kuniva (1996–2006, 2008–2018)
  • Swifty McVay (1999–2006, 2008–2018)
  • Bugz (1996–1999; his death)
  • Fuzz Scoota (2011–2014)

Timeline

Awards and nominations

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Eminem
Year Ceremony Award Result
2002 ECHO Awards (for "Devil's Night") Best Hip-Hop/Urban Artist (International) Won
2004 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Hip-Hop Act Won
Best Group Nominated
2004 MTV Video Music Awards (for "My Band") Video of the Year Nominated
Best Group Video Nominated
Best Rap Video Nominated

Discography

Main article: D12 discography

Studio albums

Notes

  1. ^ 2023: Partial reunion

References

  1. ^ Reeves, Mosi (July 8, 2004). "World Famous". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  2. ^ Cohen, Sara (2007). Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture: Beyond The Beatles. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7546-3243-6. The music journalist and author Dan Sicko describes certain strains of Detroit hip-hop as 'an extreme, almost parodied' version of inner city life, which he links to the extremities of urban decline in the city: 'both the horrorcore of hip-hop outfits such as Insane Clown Posse, Esham and (to a lesser extent) the multi-platinum-selling Eminem, utilize shocking (and blatantly over the top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit' (cited in Cohen and Strachan, 2005).
  3. ^ "5 Beefs Eminem Actually Squashed". HipHopDX. September 8, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  4. ^ "D12 Chart Success". D12 WORLD. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  5. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Shifferaw, Abel; Skelton, Eric (August 31, 2018). "A Roundup of Rappers Eminem Name-Drops and Takes Shots at on 'Kamikaze'". Complex. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  7. ^ "D12World.com: Swift member page". D12 World. 2001. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
  8. ^ Joseph Patel, with reporting by Rahman Bugg. "Eminem: Rolling The Dice On D12". MTVNews.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007.
  9. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 133. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  10. ^ "D12, Eminem, 50 Cent and Others Attend Proof's Funeral". SixShot.com. April 20, 2006. Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
  11. ^ Robertson, Jessica (April 11, 2006). "D12 Rapper Proof Fatally Shot". Rolling Stone @ RollingStone.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2006.
  12. ^ "D12 Return of the Dozen (Vol 1) mixtape". Rapbasement. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  13. ^ Phillips, Rashad (March 23, 2010). "D12's Bizarre Talks Relapse 2, Canibus Diss Track | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  14. ^ "D12 Welcomes New Member Fuzz Scoota". Archived from the original on April 12, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  15. ^ "D12 – Artist Lineup – Kanrocksas Music Festival". Kanrocksas Music Festival. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011.
  16. ^ "Bizarre leaves D12". This is 50 Blog. March 25, 2019. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  17. ^ "Eminem And D12 Are Making Music Again - XXL". January 22, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  18. ^ "Bizarre Says Eminem Inspired Him To Get Sober". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  19. ^ "D12 Tim Westwood Interview 2015". YouTube. August 18, 2015.
  20. ^ Lilah, Rose (October 30, 2015). "D12 – The Devil's Night: Mixtape". Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  21. ^ Gase, Zach (October 30, 2015). "D12 releases 'Devil's Night' mixtape". Sun Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  22. ^ "D12". bandsintown. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
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