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. Eminem was formerly in a group called Soul Intent along with Proof before leaving and forming with D12.
Eminem's success persuaded Proof to establish D12 on a more permanent basis in early 1999. Bizarre, Eminem, Kon Artis, Bugz, and Kuniva were recruited 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 gun incident at a picnic that turned into a shooting, leading to Kuniva proposing Swift take Bugz's 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 (the latter of which features an appearance from Bugz) on D12 World are also in his memory.
The six members of D12 signed a contract with Eminem's Shady Records and Interscope in 2000. 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. They also made the song to adress the common using of Eminem featuring D12.
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 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.
Sadly, early morning on April 11, 2006, Proof was shot and killed at a Detroit-area nightclub. Proof, real name DeShaun Holton, was 32 years old. Proof was also one of Eminem's best friends and will be missed by fans and friends.
History
Early career and The Underground EP (1996–1998)
In 1997, they released their debut extended play, The Underground EP, which was recorded between 1996 and 1997. In 1997 and 1998, its members began establishing reputations locally. Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainment's "Flava of the Week" and went on to release an album, Attack of the Weirdos. Along with Eminem, Rah Digga and Young Zee, he became an honorary member of The Outsidaz. Proof won a freestyling competition run by The Source. In 1999, Bugz released These Streets EP, and made several appearances on other rappers' songs.
Around the time of Eminem's first record deal, Proof attempted to revive D12. He managed to recruit local Detroit hip hop duo Da Brigade, composed of Kuniva, a local MC, and Mr. Porter, a longtime friend of Eminem and Proof. At the time, Porter was the group's producer (he later produced Eminem's first album, Infinite), but Kuniva persuaded him to join the group as an artist. Later the group was joined by Bugz, and Bugz introduced his longtime friend Swift, who at the time was a member of rap duo Da Rabeez.
Death of Bugz (1999)
On May 21, 1999, Bugz was shot and killed at a picnic. One of his final acts had been a request that Swift join the group. Eminem volunteered to replace Bugz; this led to him rejoining the group. Mr. Obnoxious, his first solo album, was released in February 2000 after his death. D12's first album, Devil's Night, is dedicated to him.
Devil's Night, D12 World and appearances without Eminem (2000–2005)
Their debut album, Devil's Night, referring to the tradition of setting unoccupied buildings on fire the night before Halloween, was released in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the U.S. and number two on the 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 U.S. In 2021, the album was rereleased digitally as an expanded edition to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of its release which featured three bonus tracks, an unreleased freestyle, the a cappella version of "Shit On You" and the instrumentals to "Shit On You", "Purple Pills", "Fight Music" and "Blow My Buzz".
In August 2001, D12 and Esham were kicked off the Warped Tour after members of the group physically attacked Esham over the lyrics of his song "Chemical Imbalance", which contained a reference to Eminem's daughter. Eminem was not present during the tour. D12 World was released on April 27, 2004, featuring production by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Porter and Kanye West, and guest appearances by Obie Trice on the track "Loyalty" and B-Real of Cypress Hill on the track "American Psycho II". It debuted at the top of the U.S., UK, and Australian albums charts, and at number two in Germany—selling over half a million records in its first week of release in the U.S. alone. "My Band", the album's first single, also reached number one in Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. rhythmic top forty, the top five in the UK[9] and Germany, and the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
D12 was eclipsed by Eminem's success, touring without him to promote their second album while he recorded Encore. D12 members Bizarre and Proof managed mildly successful solo careers with the releases of Hannicap Circus and Searching for Jerry Garcia in 2005. D12 performed live, without Eminem, at the House of Blues in Chicago to promote both albums. That concert was released on DVD in 2005 as D12: Live in Chicago. D12, without Eminem, performed on the track "She-Devil" of Tech N9ne's 2002 album Absolute Power. They recorded "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" for Eminem's album Recovery but the song wasn't included on the album. It was eventually included on an Eminem mixtape Straight from the Lab Part 2 in 2011.
Death of Proof and Eminem Presents: The Re-Up (2006)
On April 11, 2006, Proof "pistol-whipped an unarmed man and shot him in the head", and was in turn fatally shot by the man's cousin. On December 5, 2006, Shady Records released Eminem Presents: The Re-Up which featured performances by Eminem, D12, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Stat Quo, Bobby Creekwater and Cashis while affiliated artists such as Lloyd Banks, Akon and Nate Dogg, made guest appearances. Some tracks were collaborative performances from D12 members, such as "Murder" by Bizarre and Kuniva and "Whatever You Want" by Swifty McVay and Mr. Porter. The track "Trapped" by Proof included an intro by Eminem paying his final respects saying, "Big Proof, rest in peace dudey we love you. We just wanna keep making you proud."
Member changes, hiatus, mixtapes and comeback (2007–2013)
After four years of inactivity D12 released a new mixtape Return of the Dozen Vol. 1 (2008), without Eminem who was working on his solo album Relapse. There were solo performances by D12 members such as Kuniva's "If You Want It", similar to Eminem's solo performance "Girls" on Devil's Night. The mixtape Return of the Dozen Vol. 2 (2011) followed three years later. It featured Fuzz Scoota, an original member of D12 who left in 1999. Eminem performed on one track. Because Eminem was on tour promoting Recovery with Mr. Porter his hype man D12 had only four active members, Bizarre, Kuniva, Fuzz and Swift.[citation needed] D12 performed at the Kanrocksas Music Festival on August 5, 2011. The track, "Outro", off the Return of the Dozen Vol. 2 mixtape, had a music video released on September 1, 2011, though the video did not feature either Eminem or Mr. Porter. The group also stated intentions to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of the Devils Night album, though the celebration was held on the actual Devil's Night on October 30 in Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit, Michigan, even though the album was released months earlier on June 19, 2001. In 2012 Bizarre left D12, citing creative differences, and Mr. Porter left to pursue a solo career, leaving D12 with four members. Asked about the group's status in 2012, Kuniva replied that it's "not over, we're still coming. However, when Mr. Porter was asked in 2013 about a possible new D12 album he responded "Not happening bro sorry".
Bizarre and Kon Artis rejoin, Shady XV, unreleased third studio album and The Devil's Night Mixtape (2014–2015)
In January 2014, Mark Bass of the Bass Brothers confirmed that D12 had been recently recording at the F.B.T. studio and he had been mixing their recorded material. He also confirmed that Eminem was featured on at least three songs that had been completed. February 2014, Bizarre confirmed that he was back in the group and that D12 would be releasing their third studio album during 2014. On August 25, 2014, a press release on Eminem's official website also revealed D12 to be featured on the label's upcoming 2-disc compilation album, titled Shady XV. The album, released on November 24, 2014, featured one greatest hits disc and one disc with new material from a variety of Shady Records recording artists including D12. The new D12 song was entitled "Bane", which features the return of Kon Artis and was also produced by him. The song did not feature Eminem or returning member Fuzz Scoota.
On August 18, 2015, D12 confirmed on Tim Westwood TV that they had already recorded a large number of songs for the album and will release it "when the time is right."[25] On October 1, 2015, it was announced that D12 would be releasing a new mixtape, The Devil's Night Mixtape was released on October 30, 2015, and it featured Lazarus, King Gordy, Royce da 5'9", Bizarre, Swifty McVay, Kuniva and Mr. Porter. It also included a freestyle by Eminem for its introduction although he wasn't present on any other tracks throughout the whole mixtape. It was hosted by DJ Whoo Kid.
Solo careers, collaborative works and breakup (2017–2018)
In 2017, D12 had been focusing on their respective solo careers. On February 17, Swifty McVay released his debut album Grey Blood. Bizarre released his new mixtape Tweek Sity 2,in addition to working on collaborations with other artists such as Riff Raff, King Gordy and Qom Qazamah respectively. Swifty McVay and Kuniva are currently working on their collaboration album, titled My Brother's Keeper. On August 31, 2018, Eminem released a song titled "Stepping Stone" on his album Kamikaze. On it, Eminem announced that D12 was officially broken up due to the death of Proof.
Mrs. Pitts
D12 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rip Big P Forever
Rip J Dilla
The Dozens
[Hook: King Gordy]
I thought we'd see forever you and I (Oh I thought we'd see forever)
You was my home boy I was your guy (You were my best friend)
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry (Ooh I'm so sorry, ooh I'm so sorry)
See he was an inspiration to me (You were my only inspiration)
You were supposed to make it with me (You were supposed to be there)
Lord I don't know what to say but plead
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry
[Verse 1: Bizarre]
Karnail Pitts will never never die
As long as I'm breathing and my groups still alive
And I can't lie I miss my nigga
Every time I see Belle Isle and Detroit River
Mrs. Pitts you done lost two sons
Proof dying that's like the 3rd one
And I wanna thank you for showing up to my court cases
Standing in front of the judge three years I'm facing
Told me to be proud and dry my tears
Be a grown man and show no fear
We all love driving, reminiscing about how me you and Proof used to go fishing
I wanna give you a call but I don't know what to say
That's why I get on my knees every night and I start to pray
Drive down 6 Mile I circle your block
Park in front of your house but I'm scared to knock
I miss you (Carolynn)
[Hook: King Gordy]
I thought we'd see forever you and I (Oh I thought we'd see forever)
You was my home boy I was your guy (You were my best friend)
Now when I rhyme I look at the sky
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry (Ooh I'm so sorry, ooh I'm so sorry)
See he was an inspiration to me (You were my only inspiration)
You were supposed to make it with me (You were supposed to be there)
Lord I don't know what to say but plead
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry
[Verse 2: Swift]
Now every Saturday after shop
You gave me props I gave you props too
Respected each other and as time grew
He always took the time to ride thru
And ask me if I had a verse ready to rock at St. Andrews
And as for you I'm sorry we never took the time to see you
When we got signed we came up to your job
Now that was a long time ago
I thought I'd let you know that you was on my mind
Through this rhyme I apologize
[Verse 3: Kuniva]
As time goes on and the pain starts to easy up
Just know your son's memory will never leave us
And you can call on us if you ever need us
Cause life's road is full of hard knocks and speed bumps
You so strong and I wish you the best
I wish you more stress so you can pass life's test
If you feel like you drowning we'll be your life vest
I had to get it off of my chest
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry
[Hook: King Gordy]
I thought we'd see forever you and I (Oh I thought we'd see forever)
You was my home boy I was your guy (You were my best friend)
Now when I rhyme I look at the sky
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry (Ooh I'm so sorry, ooh I'm so sorry)
See he was an inspiration to me (You were my only inspiration)
You were supposed to make it with me (You were supposed to be there)
Lord I don't know what to say but plead
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry
Oh I'm so sorry Oh I'm so sorry
[Talking: Bizarre]
We miss you
Carolynn Pitts you lost three sons
But you got four more still alive and breathin'
And there for you
What up Moe
Rip Suge
50150
Yea
Mrs. Pitts we love you
D12 4 Life
Yeah!
The song "Mrs. Pitts" by D12 ft. King Gordy is a tribute to the late Proof, a fellow member of the group, who passed away in 2006 due to a gunshot wound. The song expresses the artists' feelings of sadness and loss at the untimely death of their friend and inspiration. The chorus repeatedly apologizes to Proof's mother, Mrs. Pitts, for the loss of her son and emphasizes the importance that he held in their lives.
The first verse, performed by Bizarre, talks about how difficult it is for him to come to terms with Proof's death. He reminisces about their time together and how much he misses him. He also expresses his gratitude towards Mrs. Pitts for supporting him during difficult times, including his court cases. Swift, in the second verse, confesses that he regrets not being able to visit Proof often enough when he was alive. He also mentions how Proof used to check up on him every Saturday to see if he was ready to perform at St. Andrews. The third verse is performed by Kuniva, who reassures Mrs. Pitts that Proof's memory will always be alive in their hearts, and they will be there for her whenever she needs them.
Overall, "Mrs. Pitts" is an emotional tribute that perfectly captures the grief and loss felt by the members of D12 after their dear friend's death. They take this opportunity to express their love and appreciation for Proof and his family.
Line by Line Meaning
Rip Big P Forever
Rest in peace Big P, forever remembered
Rip J Dilla
Rest in peace J Dilla
The Dozens
Refers to a competitive game in which players come up with increasingly inventive insults to hurl at one another
I thought we'd see forever you and I (Oh I thought we'd see forever)
I believed our friendship would last forever
You was my home boy I was your guy (You were my best friend)
You were my closest friend and I was yours
Now when I rhyme I look at the sky
When I rap now, I look up to the sky in remembrance of my friend
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry (Ooh I'm so sorry, ooh I'm so sorry)
I apologize deeply to Mrs. Pitts for the loss of her son
See he was an inspiration to me (You were my only inspiration)
He served as my sole inspiration
You were supposed to make it with me (You were supposed to be there)
You were meant to be by my side and achieve success with me
Lord I don't know what to say but plead
I'm at a loss for words except to beg for forgiveness
Karnail Pitts will never never die
The memory of Karnail Pitts will always live on
As long as I'm breathing and my groups still alive
As long as I or my group D12 are still alive, the memory of Karnail will live on
And I can't lie I miss my nigga
I can't deny that I miss my friend
Every time I see Belle Isle and Detroit River
Whenever I see Belle Isle and the Detroit River, I think of him
Mrs. Pitts you done lost two sons
Mrs. Pitts has lost two of her sons
Proof dying that's like the 3rd one
Proof's death feels like another loss
And I wanna thank you for showing up to my court cases
I want to express my gratitude for Mrs. Pitts showing up to my legal proceedings
Standing in front of the judge three years I'm facing
She stood beside me during my three-year legal battle
Told me to be proud and dry my tears
She encouraged me to be strong and not cry
We all love driving, reminiscing about how me you and Proof used to go fishing
We all shared a love for driving and often fondly remembered our fishing trips
I wanna give you a call but I don't know what to say
I want to reach out to you, but am at a loss for words
That's why I get on my knees every night and I start to pray
I pray for you and your family every night
Drive down 6 Mile I circle your block
I drive around your neighborhood
Park in front of your house but I'm scared to knock
I'm afraid to knock on your door
I miss you (Carolynn)
I miss you deeply (referring to Mrs. Pitts)
Now every Saturday after shop
Every Saturday after shopping
You gave me props I gave you props too
You gave me praise and I returned it
Respected each other and as time grew
We gained more respect for each other as time passed
He always took the time to ride thru
He always took the time to come through
And ask me if I had a verse ready to rock at St. Andrews
And asked me if I had a rap verse ready to perform at St. Andrews
And as for you I'm sorry we never took the time to see you
I apologize for not taking the time to see you
When we got signed we came up to your job
When we got signed, we visited your workplace
Now that was a long time ago
That was quite a while back
I thought I'd let you know that you was on my mind
I wanted to let you know that you were on my mind
Through this rhyme I apologize
Through this rap, I apologize
As time goes on and the pain starts to easy up
As time passes and the pain lessens
Just know your son's memory will never leave us
Know that we will never forget your son
And you can call on us if you ever need us
You can rely on us if you ever need help
Cause life's road is full of hard knocks and speed bumps
Life is full of challenges and obstacles
You so strong and I wish you the best
You are so strong and I wish you all the best
I wish you more stress so you can pass life's test
I hope you experience more stress so you can overcome adversity and challenges
If you feel like you drowning we'll be your life vest
If you ever feel overwhelmed, we'll be your support
Mrs. Pitts I'm sorry
I apologize deeply, Mrs. Pitts
We miss you
We miss you dearly
Carolynn Pitts you lost three sons
Carolynn Pitts has lost three of her sons
But you got four more still alive and breathin'
You still have four sons who are alive and well
And there for you
We are here for you
What up Moe
A greeting to someone named Moe
Rip Suge
Rest in peace, Suge (a person not further identified in this song)
50150
Not clear, perhaps a reference to an area code or zip code
Mrs. Pitts we love you
We love you, Mrs. Pitts
D12 4 Life
A declaration of lifelong commitment to the rap group, D12
Contributed by Xavier R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@smokeitupfucker
Bizzys verse is deep.
@DOESDANKREVIEWS710
park in front of your house but iam scared to knock..... i know the feeling ...its a sad sad sad feeling much love `````mrs. pitts``````
@frost4523
Im such a fan, Ive been listening to this song for 13 years. RIP Proof and Bugz Man. I always think about their potential. D12 for life. Go listen to the Underground Ep
@danielthespaniel4
Bugz AKA Karnail Pitts
@PaulO-px4md
Dedicated to Bugz RIP
@spong2548
This has a really nice hook
@AaronBenjmainMusic
i love this beat
@Drastic2305
who produced this ?
@voxaii6166
@@Drastic2305 probably dj mass but it sounds like a mr porter beat
@ethanpeterson2891
RIP Bugz