D12

D12 (aka The Dirty Dozen and D-Twizzy) is an American hip-hop group originating from Detroit, Michigan, which has had albums reach the top of the U.S., UK and Australian album charts — Devil's Night in 2001 and Devil's Night 2 in 2004. D12 was formed in 1990, but only achieved mainstream success when its most accomplished member, Eminem, had risen to international fame and notoriety. Previously, D12 had been a powerful force in the underground rap scene.

Current members
D12 has 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
 * Proof (DeShaun Holton) aka Derty Harry

Former members

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

Deceased members

 * Bugz (Karnail Pitts); shot and killed on May 21, 1999.
 * hanna (Hanna) shot and killed pitts

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
The first member of the group to achieve solo success was the now superstar Proof. After he recorded an independent EP called Electric Cool-Aid: Acid Testing in 2003 that caught the attention of famed rap producer DJ Salam Wreck and Iron Fist Records CEO ........, he was quickly signed to Iron Fist Records and Shady Records 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
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 Devil's Night 2. The album also included a song titled "Bugz '97", which was a 1997 recording of Bugz himself. All 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 Devil's Night 2. 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 overshadowed 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. D12 (minus Eminem) appeared on Tech N9ne's 2002 album entitled Absolute Power on the track "She-Devil".

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 Devil's Night 2 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 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, New Zealand 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 starred in a new movie, titled Have Gun — Will Travel, a modernised remake of the 1957 cowboy western television series of the same name. The rest of the group produced and starred in two movies, one titled Devil's Night — a horror film, and another titled Runyon Cash — about growing up in the streets of Detroit.

D12 Solo Label

 * Shady Records (Eminem)
 * Runyon Ave. Records (Kon Artis and Kuniva)
 * Fyre Dapartment (Swift)
 * Red Head Records (Bizarre)
 * Iron Fist Records (Proof)

Albums

 * The Underground EP (1997)
 * Devil's Night (2001) (5 million worldwide); #1 USA (2x Platinum); #1 UK (Platinum); #1 Aus. (Platinum); #1 Can. (3x Platinum)
 * Devil's Night 2 (2004) (7 million worldwide); #1 USA (2x Platinum); #1 UK (Platinum); #1 Aus. (Platinum); #1 Can. (2x Platinum)
 * The Ambition (2007)

Singles

 * 2001 "Shit On You" #10 UK
 * 2001 "Purple Pills" #19 USA, #2 UK
 * 2001 "Fight Music" #11 UK
 * 2004 "My Band" #6 USA, #2 UK, #1 Aus.
 * 2004 "How Come" #27 USA, #4 UK, #4 Aus.

Features

 * 2000 "Under the Influence" from The Marshall Mathers LP.
 * 2001 "These Drugs" from the Bones soundtrack.
 * 2001 "911" from the film Bad Company by Gorillaz.
 * 2002 "When The Music Stops" from The Eminem LP.
 * 2002 "Rap Game" featuring 50 Cent from the 8 Mile soundtrack.
 * 2002 "She Devil" with Tech N9ne from Absolute Power.
 * 2003 "Outro" from the album Cheers by Obie Trice.
 * 2004 "One Shot 2 Shot" from Eminem's Encore.
 * 2005 "Nuthin' At All" from the album Hannicap Circus by Bizarre.
 * 2005 "Pimplikeness" from the album Searching for Jerry Garcia by Proof.
 * 2005 "My Balls" from The Longest Yard soundtrack.