The creative and human connection between Eminem and Proof is the one of legendary power, the one that survived even after Proof himself had passed away.
Following the recent 14th anniversary since Proof’s death, HotNewHipHop published an article where the edition tried to put together the most memorable moments of their friendship. Sadly, there are no officially released collaboration between this duo, while their creative chemistry is sparklingly evident on D12 records. It is even more upsetting when you can hear all freestyles that Eminem and Proof effortlessly spat outside of the studio.
For the most part, the lone times they connected as a partnership was strict to kick freestyles. Excluding the extensive and highly amusing nineteen-minute epic that is “I’m Rockin Babe,” a song that might very well be one of Eminem and Proof’s first pieces of recorded music.
Things would only go up from there, and their sharpening skills ultimately paved the way for equally well-honed freestyles. A classic video recorded on March 13th, 1999, a few weeks removed from the release of The Slim Shady LP, found Em and Proof gleefully trading bars off the top of the dome; a testament to not only their comfort as friends, but as creatives. “We all up in your sight like cataracts,” spits Proof. “Me and Em tag-team, beat any ya’ll on some battle rap.”
It would be altogether irresponsible to overlook what might very well be their crowning achievement, the seven-plus minute freestyle known as “Just Rhymin’ With Proof.” Originally released as a B-side on the “Quitter” single release in 2000, this masterclass in off-the-dome back and forth freestyling finds both parties deftly toeing the line between outlandish lyricism and genuinely solid rhyme schemes. Based on the sample size of recorded freestyles, Em and Proof are seldom in a serious state, seeming to spur one another into fits of giddy laughter and mutual appreciation for a clever line. The trend continues within D12’s classic half-hour freestyle on Tim Westwood, a cypher that once again finds Em and Proof rhyming as equals — though never missing an opportunity to crack a joke.
Away from the mic, their friendship becomes evident in the remaining pieces of behind-the-scenes D12 footage circulating the internet. One particularly enlightening snapshot arrived during the creation of Tony Touch’s “Get Back,” which found Em, Proof, and Bizarre laying down verses in the studio. In the clip, Em can be seen laughing at Proof’s inability to record a specific line, going so far as to mercilessly troll his inadvertently melodic delivery. “Y’all slipped something into my weed, or something,” remarks a flabbergasted Proof, prompting further laughter from his D12 compatriots.
Of course, this text would not be complete without mentioning Eminem’s songs, songs inspired by Proof, by their friendship and by the loss and grief that Marshall is still carrying.
Songs like the tragic “Difficult” and the triumphant “You’re Never Over” paint two different pictures of the complexities of grief, highlighting the lowest points of loss and the valuable lessons learned through life. […] Songs like “Groundhog Day,” released as a bonus track on The Marshall Mathers LP 2, paint a picture of their dynamic; two young aspiring emcees eager to show off their new music, gauging each other’s improvements and providing constructive criticism as equals. “I remember Proof would visit, couldn’t wait to play him my new shit, he’d go cuckoo ballistic,” rapped Em, lost on memory lane’s scenic route.
Or songs like “Deja Vu”, “Beautiful”, “Cinderella Man”, “Going Through Changes”. Or maybe no songs at all. Marshall admitted recently in his interview with Mike Tyson that without Big Proof there would not be Eminem as we know him:
He was a godsend to me. I know that I would not have made it without knowing him.
You can read the full article on HotNewHipHop
