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D12 (aka The Dirty Dozen) are an American rap group originating from Detroit, Michigan which have had albums reach the top of the US and UK album charts - Devil's Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004. D12 was formed in 1990, but they only came into the hip hop spotlight when their most accomplished member, Eminem, had risen to international fame and notoriety in the early part of the 21st century, although D12 had been a powerful force in the underground rap scene for several years prior.
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Early career
D12 was initially formed in 1990 by Proof who invited local Detroit rappers such as Bizarre, Eminem and other members who would leave the crew before it achieved success including Eye Kyu, Killa Hawk and Fuzz. The group was a loose collective. 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 Tha Outsidaz with Eminem and Rah Digga. Proof won a freestyling competition run by The Source in 1998.
However, it was as a solo artist that D12 member Eminem found success. All of the members of D12 have aliases and Eminem chose Slim Shady as his. He recorded an independent EP called The Slim Shady EP in 1997 and after signing to Interscope Records released his breakthrough album The Slim Shady LP which went on to sell over four million records in the US.
Eminem's success persuaded Proof to establish D12 on a more permanent basis in early 1999. As well as Eminem and Bizarre, he recruited Kuniva, Kon Artis and Bugz to join the group. Kuniva and Kon Artis were previously part of Da Brigade. However, Bugz passed away in Detroit on May 21, 1999 because of a water gun incident at a picnic that turned into a fistfight, leading the group to recruit Swift to take his place. Each of the members of the crew wears a tattoo of Bugz's name in his honor. The tracks "Good Die Young" and "Bugz 97" on D12 World are also in his memory.
The six members of D12 signed a contract with Eminem's Shady Records and Interscope in 1999. The fact that D12 rose to prominence after Eminem led many people to assume that the other members had less significance in the group - this would be the concept of the group's 2004 hit single "My Band".
Despite Eminem's prominence in the music industry, D12 insists that there is no frontman in the group and that Eminem is just another member. In spite of this, D12 have recently began to tour as a separate entity to Eminem, a controversial move that could lead to confusion among concert-goers who may believe they are paying to see Eminem as well as the other five performers.
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" (originally "Purple Pills" before radio refused to play it) 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; and
- "Fight Music", featuring Ice T and Fat Joe in its music video, reached the UK top 20 and Australian Top 40.
The group's second album was D12 World released on April 7, 2004 featured production by Dr. Dre, Eminem himself and Kanye West and guest appearances by Obie Trice and B Real. It debuted at the top of the US, UK and Australian album charts and number 2 in Germany, selling over half a million records in its first week of release in the US alone. "My Band", the first single, also has been successful reaching number one in Australia and the US rhythmic top 40, top 5 in the UK and Germany and top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Group members
As of 2005, D12 consists of six members:
- Eminem aka Slim Shady;
- Proof aka Derty Harry;
- Kon Artis also Mr. Denaun Porter;
- Swift aka Swifty McVay;
- Kuniva aka Rondell Beene; and
- Bizarre, aka Peter S. Bizarre.
As each member of the crew has an alias (or alter ego) the number rounds up to an even dozen.
Past members of the group include Bugz, Eye-Kyu, Killa Hawk B-Flatand Fuzz.
Discography
Albums
- Devil's Night (2001) #1 US, #1 UK
- D12 World (2004) #1 US, #1 UK
Singles
- Non-album single/some ions or bonus disc of Devil's Night
- 2001 "Shit on You" #10 UK
- From Devil's Night
- 2001 "Purple Hills" #19 US, #2 UK
- 2001 "Fight Music" #11 UK
- Non-album single (free download single from Gorillaz website - http://www.gorillaz.com/)
- 2001 "911" (with Gorillaz featuring Terry Hall)
- From D12 World
External links
- D12's official website
- Shady Records official website
- MTV's D12 page
- All Music's D12 page
- D12 WORLD DIRTY DOZEN D-12 WORLD