Born to be a living proof of hip hop, Deshaun Holton will be remembered as such

I dedicate this article to Runyon Aves fallen soldier, with all my love. D12 for life.

My mind is confused and my heart is in pain as I am writing this article. I feel like being amputated. Yes, you heard it well: amputated from an important member of my D12 extended musical family. Yesterday, somebody decided to take Deshaun Holtons life at a Runyon Ave nightclub at 4: 30 am, Detroit time.
A few hours later, a Detroit homie contacted me, asking me if I was aware of the latest news.
I was like ‘What are you talking about? ‘
I first believed that the news of Proofs death was a joke. But when I saw, the RIP messages on Detroit rap and the Detroit Free Press, I knew this was the sad reality. Proof had been savagely assassinated. Somebody shot him in the head and when he arrived at the hospital, it was too late.
I am haunted with visions of Eminems Like Toy Soldiers video and I keep asking myself if Em had foreseen his best friends death that now looks like a dark prophecy.
I think that he feared such things to happen if we consider the harsh war of words that had been exchanged with Benzino and co.
One thing seems to be quite clear: somebody targets the Shady clan. On December the 31st, 2005, Obie Trice was shot in the head while driving on a freeway. Fortunately, the talented rapper survived to the shooting.
For the moment, we have no idea about who is behind those shootings. I sincerely hope that Benzino and their crew of cowards have nothing to do with it. Anyway, I do think that the murderer deserves an exemplary punishment. This murderer cut a talented man’s life short at only 30. This man, Big Proof, inspired a lot of people and was loved in the hip hop community.
He leaves a family three kids behind him.
In Detroit, some people knew him under the nickname Maximum, at a time he got started as an emcee. He was one of Detroit hip hops richest contribution and with his amazing qualities as a freestyler, he earned the title “Living Proof”.
Since I discovered Deshaun Holton as an artist, I have always been very supportive of his work, because I always considered his immense talent.
Not only has Proof done some incredible good work with D12, his great talent is also enlightened in his solo work. Proof has always been real in his words, making me laugh to tears with tracks like Do What I Wanna Do from his Promatic album (in collaboration with Detroit emcee Dogmatic) or moving me deeply with songs such as Forgive Me in collaboration with 50 Cent.
Proof did never shy away from his enemies. He dedicated a track to his enemy Detroit acid rapper Esham called E.S.H.A.M (Every Sucker Has His Moment). Last October, during his birthday party, he reconciled with Esham, making a great move in favor of peace.
His Grown Man Shit mixtape attacks traitors to Detroit hip hop (that wont be named in my article on purpose) and is a pretty good example of the great emcees realness and his love for his hometown.
Deshaun missed the former days of Maurice Malone’s Hip Hop Shop in Detroit, as he expressed it with nostalgia in his non commercial I Miss The Hip Hop Shop mixtape.
Deshauns music has been part of my every day life and now I feel like crying every time I hear one note from his tracks. I feel his death like a profound injustice and a great loss to our hip hop community.
I had a dream yesterday night, dear readers. Deshaun appeared in my dream. He was dressed in blue. He looked at me, opened his hands and gave me a golden faceless medal. I have no idea about the meaning of my dream, but be sure that Deshaun is in a better place now and that he is still watching over us.
Deshaun, you will live on in our hearts for ever. You will be missed and remembered for ever.
RIP Big Proof. Living Proof For Ever.

22 thoughts on “Born to be a living proof of hip hop, Deshaun Holton will be remembered as such”

  1. Has anyone heard about who shot him? I read an article, and i will try to find again i can, about how Proof and a bouncer got into a fight and proof shot 1st, then another bouncer shot him 4 times.. its horrible. I feel so horrible for Marshall… you only have so many bestfriends, and hes lost 2 of em. specially with this divorce from Kim and everything… such a horrible situation.
    RIP Big Proof… u will be missed

  2. nice article Isa… It’s deep…
    Have you heard about the funeral? I mean when will it take place?
    R.I.P Proof aka DeShaun Holton…

  5. i thought the same thing when i heard it. I remembered the video seeing him get shot. but who knows marshall might be able to see the future and he was subconciuosly tring to tell all of us about proofs terriable death. I think that this is a plea for rap violence to end. I think rappers should just leave things in the song and not do it in real life.

  6. The video was made because of what happend when Benzino caught Proof alone. They tried to jump him & threatend his life. Em was just tryin’ to squash the beef b4 something like this happend between them. He didn’t want another Biggie & P ac thing to happen. This situation is totally different from that. It’s just unfortunate of the coincidence. I know Marsh must be blamin’ himself because he has a tendency to do that. Poor Proof. This was a total shock & shame.

  8. you looked good every time you were on stage you were true to the songs you sang and no will forget the way you use to bring it. Thanks for showing us what hip-hop is all about……..

  10. I would like to address Simon’s comment “shame on you Detroit”. Look folks, it is sad and very tragic that the man was shot but lets apply some common sense here. It was 4 am, somewhere by 8 mile and Gratiot at a club. Something good was going to come out of this? PLEASE!

  11. Simon’s disrespectful comments have been deleted. I won’t accept no disrespect towards Deshaun Holton on the Eminem blog. Don’t bring any racial shit here either. You bullshit will get deleted asap!

  12. simon say’s i’m very sorry that my comments were were seen to be racist, disrespect& the rest. first and foremost is, the fact that i’m black gives me the right to use that word.it’s o.k for comedian chris tucker to stand infront of apacked house and used that word to describe someone of that character, so don’t bring that race card bullshit.o.k. 4:30pm in the morning, some one starts some argument on who’s king of detoit, then a pull out, only to be shot in the head first by the same bouncer who knows him well. for that i had to say shame on detroit.to d12 i’m morning too, you all gonna be bigger than this, to isabelle pls accept my apologies, my comments were misunderstood, to eminem i wish you strength ,that innermost spirit it will pull you thru.

  13. I am sorry if I have misinterpreted your intentions, Simon…this shit affects me badly and i have read many disrespectful comments by the press and by other ppl…
    I just want ppl whether to honor Deshaun’s memory or to respect a whole community’s mourning…
    it is all good Simon:)

  14. to isabelle it’s all good, i’ve got relatives in detroit& friends saying that he was buried on wednesday. but i’m not sure. just to say that i was luncky enough to see him during the “anger management tour”.hec memory will live on. that’s afact.rip deshaun.

  15. yoyoy u who wrote the article got it all wrong that wasn’t a vision Em had if u realy are a Big D12 fan then u should know that proof played BugZ (R.I.P.) he was in D12 too so Em was tryng to say that he don’t want that again.
    Dawg come on read the facts first before saying anything u think it is. I love D12 I’ve listen to em for about 6 years now so it hurts now 2 from D12 are dead FUCK!!!
    REST IN PEACE BIG PROOF & BUGZ

  16. Wtf??? I am a huge Em and D12 fan…how the fuck could Proof play Bugz when Em was talking about street shit related to Benzino and co?
    Get your facts straight…i know about Bugz, i have listened to his music and your statement is irrelevant.

  17. o.k, just to let you’ll know that the bugz incident had nothing to do with the video. i think the video is about the beef that was on-going at the time of “the invasion” mix-tape.i ain’t jumping on no bandwagon, but straight talk.some of us won’t let you get away with what is not fact. that’s how passionate we are about d12.

  18. You got it right, Simon. The beef goes back to 2003…and Em responded to Benzino on the Straight Out The Lab mixtape…

  19. I had a dream about Proof. A couple days after…u know. I missed him so much. Soooo much. I still do. My dream was in black and white mostly. I was in my room, my matress on the floor. And Proof was there. And I was so happy because I knew he wasn’t really alive but I didn’t question anything. I was just greatful that he was there. And I told him that I heard he likes to give hugs and he gave me a huge hug, and he didn’t let go, and I pulled back and I saw tears in his eyes. And he told me that he missed his wife. He told me he missed his kids, Em, everyone, and how he’s never gonna get to spend time with them again. And….the pain I felt, even though I was sleeping, I felt it. And, I had to go to school the next day (something weird always happens in my dreams that ruins the moment) and I went under the covers to go to sleep cuz I knew Proof would still be there when I woke up. And I opened my eyes a little while later and…he was sleeping. I only saw his face. But he looked soo…peaceful.
    That was my dream. And I’ll never forget it. Everyday I pray for the day when GOD comes back so we can all see Proof again. Him and Eminem were the two people that I’ve wanted to meet for the longest time, and now…I’ll only get a chance to shake hands with one of them…
    I love you, Proof.
    I love you.

  20. Hi,
    I found your blog via google by accident and have to admit that youve a really interesting blog 🙂
    Just saved your feed in my reader, have a nice day 🙂

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