The past year has been a turbulent one for the artist known as Marshall Mathers a.k.a. Eminem. It’s been 12 months plagued by lawsuits, divorces and criminal charges. His diabolical views mixed with a mad poet’s anguish attracted controversy like flies to shit. On the other hand, that unique characteristic led to a full year of otherwise positive attributes. As we speak, Em continues to garner critical praise for his record-breaking sophomore release, The Marshall Mathers LP (8x Platinum in Canada). He’s received countless award-winning merits from some of the music industry’s most respected musical outlets. And in a test of true showmanship, the blond-haired rap-phenom dazzled viewers with a classic performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards. So what’s next?
Three Grammys, 2 Source Awards and 14 Million records later, the artist known as Eminem continues to exceed expectations. This June, Marshall Mathers (entrepreneur) will officially introduce the world to 5 more of Detroit’s wildest wordsmiths via his new imprint, Shady Records. D12 (Eminem, Proof, Denaun, Bizarre, Kuniva and Swifty) will make their bloody red carpet debut on the highly anticipated Devils Night.
Labelled after the notorious night before Halloween in which the city’s relentless youth run amok in a barbaric fashion, Devils Night will feature Em and Co. tearin’ mics over production from Dr. Dre (N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, Nas), DJ Head, D12’s Kon Artis and Eminem himself.
Raw and rambunctious from the outset, D12 includes Em, plus five of his Motor City co-di’s who, like him, double up on their personas in order to unleash more contained rowdy energy. Denaun Porter a.k.a. Kon Artis, Big Proof a.k.a. Derty Hairy, Swift a.k.a. Swifty McVay, Kuniva a.k.a. Rondell Beene and Bizarre a.k.a. Peter S. Bizarre.
The 6-man crew met seven years ago at Detroit’s HIP HOP shop, a local hangout where emcees of all calibres would gather in hopes of droppin’ a verse or two during the stores “Saturday open-mic sessions”. Meanwhile, word about the “the ill white boy” was getting around to another of Detroit’s most notorious emcees, MC Proof. The two squared off and instantly gained respect for each other. “I remember we both said the same obscure punchline to each other,” remembers Proof. “That’s when I knew he did his homework as an emcee.”
Most members of D12 had already established themselves throughout hip-hop’s underground segment with their respective solo careers. Bizarre independently released his debut EP, Attack of the Weirdos in 1997. Swifty was earnin’ stripes as one half of the BMG/Mecca Don Records recording artists, Rabeez, while veteran emcee Proof, released an indie single, “Searchin” b/w “Anywhere”, in 1995
“We were all these little stragglers,” says Proof, “so we thought that we would form together in a group and be the illest.” Instantly finding a common bond with their outrageous subject matter, the six assembled forces and honed their skills under the alias D12 (six members plus alter egos). It was actually D12’s idea to create alter egos, one that led to the infamous alias, Slim Shady.
“We made a pact years ago,” says the clique’s most notorious member, Eminem. “Whichever one of us gets signed, comes back for the rest.”
Devils Night attests to that team loyalty D12 abides by. While all members made their debut on “Under The Influence”, off the classic Marshall Mathers LP, the world got an official full dose of D12 with their first release, “Shit On You,” a relentlessly sinister yet off the wall tirade featuring the production of DJ Head.
“D12 is just a throwback to the Motor City’s legacy on music history,” says Proof. “We try our best to exploit Detroit culture and make sure that Detroit is felt – and remind ourselves of the old Motown days.”
Not surprisingly, D12’s debut album is loaded with controversial material. The first single off of Devils Night, “Purple Pills”, already reeks of trouble as D12 takes listeners on a psychedelic ode to the “ultimate non-prescribed medicine”. Another party-on record takes place on “Blow My Buzz”, a celebration of substance abuse and the effects of other people’s tendency to ruin a good “buzz”. While dark humour is the vibe of choice for these Motor City Madmen, things get a bit serious on songs like “Pistol, Pistol”, in which D12, over a slick, yet sinister, violin proceed to pay homage to their weapon of choice. In “American Psycho”, D12’s maniac-at-large, Bizarre, attempts to push the limits of parental discretion with lyrics too controversial to put on paper.
Staying true to his disrespective demeanour, Em “lets-off-a-little-steam” to say the least on “Girls”. According to Em, his targets this time are “those who decide to stick their heads outside the window in the middle of a shootout. If there a public feud with me and a certain individual, don’t throw your two cents in for the sake of media coverage,” warns Eminem, “cause you’re liable to catch it just as quick.”
Not one to miss out on the commotion, the great spin-doctor, Dr. Dre, steps to the table providing four tracks on the highly anticipated Devils Night.
One that’s sure to lure attention is “Revelation”, a call to arms for all those fed up with what society deems correct. Another song that undoubtedly captures D12’s rambunctious chemistry at its best is “That’s How…” a humorous meeting of the minds on consequences that cause people to get “fucked up, locked up, messed up and beat up” just to name a few.
Coming from a place that seems to be breeding some of the sickest emcees in the game look for Detroit’s D12 to carry on the aggressive moniker made famous by Em this Summer on Shady Records.
“Detroit What?!”
