The raw sound of the streets, driven by an edge of identity, comedy, and fearless conviction on the mic – Detroit’s D12, the Dirty Dozen; a hip-hop collective renowned for their distinct contribution to the genre. D12’s members Proof (Derty Harry), Kon Artis (Mr.Porter), Kuniva (Rondell Beene) and Eminem (Slim Shady) all from the Eastside with Bizarre (PeterSBizarre), Swift (SwiftyMcVay) and Bugz (Robert Beck) from the Westside. Proof, Kuniva and Kon Artis knew one another from the neighborhood. Proof and Eminem met outside of Osborn battle rapping. All of the other members met at the Hip Hop Shop. Before the music deals, Proof and Eminem worked at Little Caesars until they were fired. Later, Kuniva, Kon Artis and Eminem worked at Gilberts Lounge. Proof wanted to create a group of the best MCs from the hip hop shop, ultimately uniting Proof, Bizarre, Kuniva, Kon Artis, Bugz, and Swifty McVay for the final line-up, with Eminem being a D12 affiliate. Eminem was previously a part of the initial D12 line-up before venturing to do his solo projects. It was at that time Proof started the pact between all solo artists in the band – that whoever broke out into the mainstream first would come back for D12 as a group and elevate them into the spotlight. Bugz originally added Swift to the roster, however it was this same year that Bugz was tragically murdered; an event that would hit the band and the scene with immeasurable impact. Shortly afterwards, Eminem expressed his desire to be an official D12 member attempting to keep alive the sheer energy that Bugz had gifted their set-up. Bugz was an artist with no filter, fun, wild, charismatic and fearless all qualities that remained a trademark of the band throughout time – he was everything they embodied, fearlessly bold and faultless with his raps and lyricism. To this day his bars remain some of hip-hop’s most impressive and cleverly framed. D12 released their debut EP The Underground in 1997, injecting a level of style and carefree performance into the local hip-hop scene. D12 travelled to New Jersey to start work on some demos. They later headed to New York to check out Eminem’s album ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, and to collaborate for his single ‘Under the influence’. On hearing their completed demo, Eminem was excited to get things started for the band. Instead of waiting on Interscope to get the ball rolling, he created his own label Shady Records, and soon released D12’s debut single ‘Shit On You’ to massive audience acclaim. Proof appeared in the video for the release, but did not feature on the actual track. Their debut album ‘Devil’s Night’ would emerge in 2001, promptly reaching the top spots in the US and UK charts. Massive global tours followed, seeing the band extend their audience and fanbase to reach immense levels and flip the entire industry on its head. The group called their fanbase “Dertyheadz”Champions of the underground but also breakthrough mainstream legends with a multitude of awards, accomplishments, releases and arena tours to their history, the D12 legacy lives on. The band’s strength of collaboration and freedom of style paved the way for many of today’s biggest artists. Historically, 2004 was a huge year for the band, seeing them take home ‘Best Hip Hop Act’ at the MTV Europe Awards, ‘Best Video’ at the MTV Music Awards, and ‘Best Rap Artist’ at the Teen Choice Awards. In addition, the chart toppers boasted several MTV Video Award Nominations that year, including ‘Best Rap Video’, ‘Best Group Video’, and ‘Video of the Year’, for ‘My Band’, They also received a ‘Best Group’ nomination for their overall presence in music. Timeless legends on the Detroit circuit, D12 have repeatedly been nominated in their hometown’s Detroit Music Awards, with 2001 putting them forward for ‘Best Hip Hop Artist (Urban/Funk/Hip Hop)’, and 2002 nominating ‘Purple Hills’ for ‘Outstanding National Single’. They also received four nominations in 2005 – ‘Outstanding National Major Label Recording’ for ‘D12 World’, ‘Outstanding National Single’ and ‘Outstanding Video/Major Budget’, for ‘My Band’, and the same category for their release ‘40 OZ’. given the devastating death of Proof in 2006, D12’s commitment to the brand and fanbase has become a lifelong dedication, We will always honor Proof's legacy and all that he has gifted to hip hop and our lives.
Yo! Wassup?
Welcome to AllthingsD12! The Home of OFFICIAL D12 Merch and information about the Dirty Dozen, The multi-Platinum group composed of Eminem, Swifty McVay, Kuniva, Proof, Mr. Porter, and Bizarre. Thank you for being on this journey with us. Our apparel represents a part of our journey. From being on MTV, TRL, BET, talk shows, and in films like The Longest Yard, to even starring in our own video game CRIME LIFE. Performing Purple Pills, Shit Can Happen, Fight Music, Revelations, 40 ounce, My Band, How Come, and all of your favorites on tours all over the world. We will never forget during those times how Proof would be sitting on the tour bus late at night with papers everywhere. Full of plans, ideas, business ventures, and determination. He had so much excitement about his future plans for D12. We will continue to keep this movement alive in his honor and in our supporter's (Derty Headz) honor. Loyalty, Longevity, Legacy. It's the D12 way Thank you for visiting our website. Listen to our catalog, watch some videos or check out some merchandise. Much Love -D12
