Month: April 2006

This article is dedicated to each person who has lost a close friend or a person that really mattered in his/ her life
To all the persons mourning over Deshaun Holton’s loss
It is easier to talk about spirituality when everything goes well for us. However, when we are touched by a person’s death, we begin to question God’s presence and even to rebel against him.
We raise our eyes to the sky and ask him: Why???? Why did you allow this to happen?
Then we feel like bumping our heads against the walls, questioning something we dont understand. Rage is overwhelming us and we feel so stripped and impotent in front of death.
Death has something definitive, it shows us a point of no return has been reached. We will never see/ hear the person that died- again.
The pain that overwhelms us after a loss is like a sword that hits our heart deeply and makes it bleed. The pain is located very deep. Like the 6 feet deep that separate the dead from the living.
It is very hard to erase the pain caused by death. All the memories we have about a beloved person, his/ her qualities, the good and bad times are invading our mind. I think there is no remedy to such kind of pain and even no response. Only time will and can minimize our sorrow.
However and despite the pain you might feel, there is a consolation for the believers. Some of you might doubt it, but physical death doesnt mean that it annihilated the beloved person we lost. Dead persons just entered an another world, a world into which we dont have access for now. The dead are watching over us. I do believe it.
I had the bad luck to suffer from the loss of a beloved cousin when I was 15. I am convinced that she is in a better place and that she never left me.
I have had several spiritual experiences with the world of the dead. My deceased grandmother appeared to me several times in dreams to advice me when I was in trouble. I am deeply convinced that she is always watching me and that she will never leave me alone until I leave the earth.
Believe or not, Deshaun Holton visited me the day of his passing. I felt his presence. I still have no explanation for the dream I had. But I am convinced that he also wanted to tell me and to all of you that he is fine and not to worry about him, no matter how hard we feel the pain of his loss.
The dead are with us. Sometimes they communicate with us. They have the ability to visit us easily, because they have left their bodies.
Dont consider death as the end. Our beloved ones are in a better place.
Remember: life goes on. Try to honor our beloved ones that passed away. Honor them in each of your words and actions and despite the pain, take the path of life with courage. There are still beautiful and joyful days before us.

Legendary American hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg has called on his fellow musicians to unite after the fatal shooting of D-12 member Proof.
Proof, a close friend of rapper Eminem and member of the D-12 hip-hop outfit was shot dead outside a Detroit nightclub earlier this week.
Snoop Dogg said Proof’s death was a loss to the hip-hop community.
“He was a part of the hip-hop family,” said Snoop Dogg at the MTV Australia Music Awards.
“We can’t stop it (violence) … we try to … we try to be as positive as we can and do good things with our lives.”
“I just know that every time somebody gets killed in hip-hop we should look at it as a tragedy.
“There’s nothing we can do to stop it as hip-hop artists but be who we are and continue to make our good music.”
Snoop Dogg was one of the big names to attend the MTV awards, winning the best hip-hop video award for his song Drop It Like It’s Hot.

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS
Detroit police said a 28-year-old man suspected of shooting a rapper at an after-hours club turned himself in Wednesday afternoon.
Citing witness accounts, police sources said the man — whose name was not immediately released — was both a bouncer at the club and a relative of Keith Bender, another man shot at the C.C.C. nightclub early Tuesday morning.
Deshaun Holton, a rapper who went by the name of Proof and was a close friend of Eminem’s, was fatally shot in the incident. Bender is in critical condition at a Detroit hospital.
According to police, Proof was shot and killed after he pistol-whipped and shot Bender following a fight about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. Proof was shot up to four times in the head and the chest by another man, police said.
Police were interviewing the suspect late Wednesday afternoon.
Proof had a history of run-ins with police — including an arrest in 2004 for assault by Dearborn police. He was acquitted in 2003 on a Detroit charge of carrying a concealed weapon.
Meanwhile, a manager at the C.C.C. club who was there at the time of the incident said the atmosphere was friendly before the fight.
“The incident that occurred happened rapidly and was totally unforeseen,” said Lamont Bryant, 38, who has been working at the club for two years.
Contact AMBER HUNT at 313-222-2708 or ahunt@freepress.com.

I wanted to share this pic with you. Feel free to comment. However, hateful comments will be removed. If you don’t like Proof, at least respect a whole community’s mourning.

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.

April 11, 2006
Rapper Proof of the rap group D12, one of the key figures on the Detroit hip-hop scene, was shot and killed this morning at an after-hours club on Eight Mile, police said.
Proof, whose real name is Deshaun Holton, was dead on arrival at Conner Creek Medical Center in Detroit, according to a spokeswoman for St. John Health System. He was 32.
Proof was among the most pivotal players in Detroit hip-hop, and revered as one of the battle rappers in the city — the man who would handle anyone who dared to challenge him in a war of words. He befriended Eminem long before he was a houshold name, and was a nearly constant presence as the rapper rose to superstardom.
Proof was friends with many of the top Detroit hip-hop DJs, radio personalities, rappers and producers. A number of them were planning to gather with his family at the hospital this morning, including Eminem, Obie Trice and Marv Won from the Detroit group the Fat Killahz.
An unidentified 35-year-old man, who was shot along with Proof, is in critical condition at Detroit’s St. John Hospital.
Police were called to the shootings around 5 a.m, following reports of a fight and shots fired. The club where the shooting occurred is called 3C, and it’s at 8 Mile near Hayes. The venue isn’t illegal but it was operating illegally after hours.
In the mid-’90s, Proof’s Saturday afternoons were spent hosting rap battles at the famed Hip Hop Shop on Seven Mile Rd., a role that would be fictionalized by actor Mekhi Phifer in 8 Mile, the Hollywood blockbuster film in which he Proof also played a bit part.
Proof was a steady hand for Detroit’s then up-and-coming hip-hop scene. It was his idea to assemble a collection of Detroit’s best hip-hop talent and call it D12; it was his hand that helped push Eminem to become one of the world’s biggest pop stars, including serving as his on-stage hype man on concert tours.
After the release of “8 Mile,” when battle rap was gaining newfound commerical exposure, Proof was hired to host a national search for the next best battle rapper by Showtime Networks.
In Detroit, he hosted Fight Club, a battle rap competition that would happen near his Iron Fist Records offices, which are located on Bagley in Detroit. There, Detroit hip-hop elite would gather and listen as up-and-comers on the hip-hop scene would verbally duke it out, looking to become as big as Proof, Eminem or other Detroit hip-hop comrades.
In January, he served as best man in Eminem’s wedding, giving a poignant toast about how it’s important to marry your best friend. D12 was scheduled to begin recording its third album this month.
This is the second shooting involving Eminem’s entourage in three months. Obie Trice was shot and wounded New Year’s Eve while driving along the Lodge Freeway.
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call Detroit Police at 313-596-2260.

I have been contacted by a Detroit homie a few hours ago…D12 member Proof has been killed at an 8 Mile bar at 4 am Detroit time this morning…
My sympathy goes to Deshaun Holton aka Proof’s family, his best friend Marshall Mathers, his other D12 fellows and to all the people in this world who cared about him.
The news has been posted on Detroit rap dot com.
RIP Deshaun Holton aka Proof. We will never forget you:)

EMINEM knew his fame was getting out of control when a trip to his local garage caused a pile-up accident. The STAN hitmaker was so tired of having to plan every trip in detail as stardom took over his life, he drove to a Michigan garage – just so he could do something normal, like pump his own gas. Little did he know that the decision would cause a smash-up. He tells US urban magazine Complex, “I went out to the pump, and somebody slammed on their brakes too hard, and the person behind them rear-ended them. I caused an accident. “That’s when I realised, if I wanna take my daughters to the movies, we gotta rent out the whole theatre. “We can’t do normal people things – and we’re the most regular people.”

Meet another member of the Iron Fist crew: Supa Emcee. If most of you have heard about D12 member Proof, Purple Gang and maybe his Woof Pac fellows, Supa Emcee remains less known from many people. Supa Emcee is nevertheless an interesting artist who has some good quality music to offer to his listeners.
Supa Emcee is not your average emcee: he has the spirit of thousand soldiers inside of him and comes to you with his incisive instrumental and lyrical weapons. Army With Harmony is one of Supa Emcee’s beautiful piece of work. Built on catchy beats, offensive and rhythmic violin sounds that will give you the impression of an army marching on, Army With Harmony fully exposes Supa Emcee’s incredible lyrical skills. I highly recommend it to all of you.
You like it when hip hop gets lyrical? Then Cypher is exactly what you need. Dark guitar sounds combined with drums and keyboard enlighten the song that definitely represents the hood of Detroit City. Feel the heat, feel people running away from the lyrical bullets Supa Emcee sends with an amazing celerity.
Crazy is a softer track based on a nostalgic musical background. Supa Emcee is as « crazy » as he used to be. Same love for the ghetto, same love for hip hop. Supa Emcee remains true to himself.
Feel That will make you feel the evilness of the hood. The streets are ruled by offensive gun talks. Supa Emcee puts a lot of energy into the track and has a real nice flow delivery that makes his song very much enjoyable.
Check out Iron Fist’s new talent here.

Supa Emcee is part of Proof’s Iron Fist family and has some good music to offer to his audience…stay tuned:)