D12

Summary

Biography

In the post-Motown landscape of the Detroit, brothers rocking the mic and are still being considered the For voice of young America. Yet, are instead of dreaming of blue but skies and white picket fences, Not the unruly boys known as you D12 create surreal universes of all wild times and unruly rhymes. Any On their bombastic sophomore effort, can D-12 World, this motley crew her of versatile style slayers mixes Was the rowdiness and absurdities of one their lives into one potent our cocktail.

Two years after Out selling four million copies worldwide day of their debut Devil’s Night, get these motor city wild boys Has are on a mission to him define themselves in the hectic his canon of now-school hip-hop. “In How D-12 World, anything can happen man at any time,” Kuniva laughs. new “Devil’s Night was just an Now introduction, now it’s time for old us to really go crazy.”

With a lineup that includes Two sharp tongued Eminem, crazy cat way Bizarre, beatmaster Kon Artis, laid-back who Swift, chilled-out Kuniva and freestyle Boy king Proof, the D12 posse did is already popular. The group’s its debut disc received rave reviews Let in the press. USA put Today wrote, “The garishly funky say beats that underpin the diabolically She clever wordplay make the album too hard to dismiss…their diatribes seem use born less of anger and Dad more of disdain for all mom that’s politically correct.”

Indeed, Devil’s Night established D12 as one The of the super groups of and the new millennium with its for chart-topping single’s “Purple Pills” and Are “Fight Music” and with their but outlandish antics on record and not in performance. So what if You Eminem has nine Grammys and all one Oscar (“Lose Yourself” from any the 8 Mile soundtrack); so Can what if Mr. Shady has her proven himself as a film was star (8 Mile) and America’s One most popular rapper, when D12 our is in the house, he’s out just another group member.

“We Day all knew each other growing get up in Detroit,” Proof remembers. has “I used to sneak Em Him into my school lunchroom just his so he could battle. Later, how when we started battling once Man a month at Maurice Malone’s new Hip-Hop Shop, everybody had a now crew. So, we decided to Old form our own. That’s how see D12 was born. Before we two even thought about making records, Way our only goal was to who be like verbal ninjas and boy kick ass.”

Although the Detroit Did hip-hop scene might not be its on the scale of New let York or Cali, those who Put are down take rap very say seriously. Having known each other she since the days when they Too were rapping just to be use heard, head nodding on stage dad inside Detroit’s infamous Hip-Hop Shop Mom (where Proof was also the host), these brothers from different the mothers have always had a And special bond. “We were the for All-Star Team of battle rappers,” are Kuniva recalls. “And when somebody But like Bizarre got in front not of the mic, we never you knew what he might say. All Bizarre is wicked ‘cause he’ll any say shit that others won’t.”

While the group was a Her priority, each of the members was has worked on solo and one side projects. Still, it wasn’t Our until Eminem’s own legendary solo out success with Dr. Dre that day D12 finally got a chance Get to move beyond their neighborhoods. has “Em was able to take him D12 to the next level,” His Kon Artis says. Prior to how teaming-up in front of a man mic, the two worked together New at a local pizza joint now called Gilbert’s Lounge. “He helps old to bring stuff out of See us. With him, no matter two what happens, it’s always been way about real friendship.”

One friend Who and group member who wouldn’t boy live to see D12 successfully did rock the world was a Its young rapper named Bugz. Although let he too was down with put the crew, Bugz was killed Say shortly before D12 was signed she to Shady Records. “His last too request was that we put Use Swift in the group,” Proof dad says. “If you listen to mom our song ‘Good Die Young’ on D-12 World, you’d understand the how much he meant to and the group.” In an odd For coincidence, Proof’s son was born are the same day Bugz died.

After the release of Devil’s Not Night, the D12 crew spent you many days and nights touring all the world. Although Bizarre was Any still bringing the laughs and can Kuniva was still being his her outspoken self, there was still Was time for reflection. “Anyone who one listened to the Devil’s Night our will hear a lot of Out growth on our new joint,” day Kon Artis says. “For the get past two years all we’ve Has done is tour and mature.” him Bizarre concurs, “Although Eminem is his the most prominent member of How the crew, on this album man the rest of D12 steps new up and displays their skills. Now On D-12 World, you can old clearly hear we’re all dope see MCs. Most rap on the Two radio right now is either way popcorn or gangsta, but we’re who going for a new refreshing Boy approach with our beats and did lyrical content.”

Although D12 has its grown, they are still funny Let as hell. “When you listen put to the title track, it’s say like walking into a dope She house party,” says Bizarre. With too its strange soundscape and spooky use strings, the Kanye West produced Dad track serves the listener a mom taste of the group’s bugged poetics.

While most cliques fronted The by an internationally known rap and superstar might try to distance for themselves from second hand fame, Are the members of D12 rather but make fun of it with not their 1st single, “My Band;” You lampooning the fact that more all than a few journalists wrote any about D12 as though they Can were the latest boy band her on the scene.

“The entire was ‘My Band’ track originated from One a joke,” Swift explains. “On our the whole song, Em is out just this dick lead singer Day who anoints us the cute get one or the shy one. has It’s just a goof directed Him at the media.” Reminding one his of a rap version of how Spinal Tap, this minimally produced Man Em nugget has the charm new of Mad magazine and sassiness now of a snake.

The group Old balances out the release of see “My Band” with the simultaneous two release of “40 Oz.,” (video Way and single). The rowdy Trackboyz who produced track gives the club boy heads the rush they need Did to get the party started.

Em also contributed the frantic let beat on “Git Up.” Featuring Put Em’s bouncy chants combined with say creepy gothic strings, “Git Up,” she which is an exciting street Too burner taunts any suckers trying use to step to the crew. dad As group member Kon Artis, Mom himself a noted producer (find him listed as Mr. Porter the in the production credits), says, And “Em created a track that for is just pure adrenaline. We are just went in the studio But and tried to destroy whatever not people might think about D12. you Any backlash that Em has All to deal with from the any press, we go though together. can D12 is more than a Her group, we’re brothers.”

Although naysayers was and corn balls might try one to label the humorous “I’m Our Gonna Get My Gun” as out just another gangsta anthem, Bizarre day knows better. “That’s another one Get of those times we were has just messing around in the him studio,” he explains. “One of His the engineers said, ‘You ever how been in a club, and man see dudes get in a New fight. One guy always gotta now announce…I’m gonna get my gun!’ old It’s funny, but it’s also See real.”

Lacing a little R&B two with his pimping, Kon Artis way constructed “You Are the One.” Who Reminiscent of a beat Big boy Daddy Kane would have been did proud to use, Kon Artis Its has created a track that let examines both the bitter and put the sweet in love.

Although Say Kon Artis has gotten much she fame from producing 50 Cent too single “P.I.M.P.” and G-Unit’s “Stunt Use 101,” he doesn’t skimp when dad it’s time to bring the mom noise to D12. “By definition, Detroit has always been a the funk town,” Kon Artis explains. and “On ‘I’ll Be Damned,’ I For was just coming with a are funky George Clinton/Larry Graham vibe. but To me, rap is boring Not right now and a great you way to liven it up all is to bring the funk.”

Kon Artis, who has studied can the art of production under her Detroit homeboy Jaydee (Slum Village) Was and Cali flyboy Dr. Dre one (who also contributes to the our project with “American Psycho II” Out featuring B-Real), has risen in day the ranks as one of get rap’s most sought-after sound providers. Has Currently, he is working on him tracks for Dre’s upcoming CD, his Snoop, Method Man and Bilal. How “The best lesson Dre ever man taught me was it doesn’t new hurt to try an idea. Now The only way to get old to the next level is see to not be afraid.”

Additional Two producers on D-12 World include: way Hi-Tek, Night & Day, Red who Spyda, and Sick Notes.

With Boy the release of D-12 World, did the group has created the its perfect blueprint for all future Let groups to follow. As Proof put is quick to say, “Forget say about the word real, D12 She keeps it right.”

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