D12 Forever Brings the Group Back

D12 Forever Brings the Group Back

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Legendary Detroit rap collective released its third album after a long break, and fans are happy to hear the familiar sound and energy.

D12 Forever dropped into a well-prepared, hyped-up audience after three singles, a music video, and a methodical promo campaign. The two remaining active members, Kuniva and Swifty McVay, carry the torch for D12’s legacy, reviving its spirit and summoning the ghosts of the past, almost literally, by using vocal tracks of their late friend Proof.

Jake Bass, the Bass Brothers’ heir, handled the production with the respect the band’s legacy deserves while making full use of modern recording technology. Being the second generation of the same family producing for the band, he grew up around them. According to his own post, he “met these guys at just 6 years old, watched them record Devil’s Night at 11”. Now, Jake had what he called “the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to produce their first album in 22 years”, and he brought his best work. The sound moves from hardcore hip hop to boom bap and from G-funk to rap rock, showcasing Swifty and Kuniva’s lyricism and strong delivery.

Standout Moments

Overall, the album stands as a cohesive piece of work with the details and themes tying the tracks into logical and emotional progression. For instance, besides several skits, there is “Kill the Engineer” that reads like a skit itself, with the dialogue and a story woven into the verses. A hefty dose of grit and humour gives the project the signature D12 flavour sorely missed by fans.

There are several songs that fans were looking forward to, intrigued by their history, even before the release. One is “Proof & Eli”, which promised a posthumous duo with his son, now grown and making music himself. And it indeed delivers a convincing, never-before-released verse from late Deshaun Holton, followed by his son’s stage name Eli Ble$$ed’s contribution.

However, it is not the only Proof verse on the album. Swifty and Kuniva did not mark Proof as a featured artist on the tracklist, as he remains the band’s founding member. But it means that fans discover two more songs with his posthumous verses only by listening to the album in full. These songs are “Even Kings Kneel” and “Forever”. Another fallen member, to whom D12 pays homage today, is Bugz. “Bugz ’98” follows the “Bugz ’97” track released on D12 World, again reinforcing ties to the past and the band’s legacy.

Perhaps the most discussed track pre-release was “My Salsa”. It seemed the tongue-in-cheek promise from the “My Band” outro finally about to be fulfilled. 22 years ago, Eminem sang in a horrendous accent, “Look out for my next single, it’s called ‘My Salsa’”. Whether Eminem would appear remained an open question.

On the one hand, Marshall said at the end of “Stepping Stone” that D12 was over. On the other hand, if he chose to return for one last joke, they did not have to mention him on the tracklist as a guest artist following the same logic they used with Proof, treating him as a permanent member rather than a guest. Finally, the song is out, and now it is evident that Marshall did not join the band. “My Salsa” still maintains continuity with D12’s past. Kuniva’s line about pulling a knife on Slim connects it to “My Band” lyrics just as well as samples from “My Band” do on the music level.

So, another ghost from D12’s past hovers over the album, but never fully appears

Shout out to Eminem

Nevertheless, the band acknowledged Marshall’s involvement in a long message marking the album release.

“Today is a special day for us”, the post reads. “D12 Forever: Volume 1 is officially out now on all streaming platforms.
We’re doing our best to keep this legacy alive and represent everyone who helped build it.
A special thank you to Marshall for believing that we could pull this project off, even when we were doing it on our own. Thank you for the encouragement and for carrying our CD with you as the project progressed. Even with your incredibly busy schedule, you still tried to make the project deadline, and that means a lot”.

This message is a little bit cryptic. The part with the encouragement is understandable. For this, they are also grateful for Paul. The reference to Eminem carrying the CD remains unclear. One interpretation is that Eminem was considering contributing a verse to the project, but was unable to meet a deadline. Maybe Kuniva and Swifty will reveal the backstory in future interviews.

But for now, the project is out, and both of them can be proud of the work they have done. They have delivered a project that honours D12’s past without being trapped by it.

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