Proof - eminem's best friend shot dead in detroit

**webby** · 04-11-2006, 02:51 PM

Proof: 'Eminem's Best Friend' And A Vital Member Of Detroit's Hip-Hop Scene Shot

His best friend and fellow D12 MC Eminem rocketed to worldwide fame, but for many people on the Detroit rap scene, Proof was the people's king and an equally vital figure in helping to establish the city as an international hip-hop hot spot.

"He looked out for everybody. He was Em's best friend, but he was everyone's best friend." — Proof's longtime friend and former manager, Mark "Doughboy" Hicks

DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1975-2006
Proof (born DeShaun Holton), 30, was killed by a gunshot to the head early Tuesday morning (April 11) outside Detroit's CCC Club in a shooting that left another man in critical condition (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club"). Friends remembered him as an unparalleled battle rapper, a creative force and hometown booster who never stopped searching for the next big thing — in high schools, clubs, conference rooms or anywhere else he could stage a lyrical throwdown.

"He looked out for everybody," said his longtime friend and former manager Mark "Doughboy" Hicks. "He's one of the prototypes for the music biz in Detroit. Proof was everywhere; that was part of his thing. He was in clubs, he was a street guy, a people's person. He reminded me of Peter Tosh or Tupac, how he had his house open and welcome to everybody. He had the biggest heart [of anyone] I've ever known in my life."

According to local lore, it was Proof who came up with the D12 moniker after the group's original name, the Dirty Dozen, was rejected because it had already been taken by another act. Along with his friend Bizarre and high school buddy Eminem, he helped launch the group — which also features Kon Artis, Swift and Kuniva — and took part in an early pact between the members that said whoever became successful first would help the others along.

Before making his mark as Eminem's onstage foil, though, Proof established an early reputation as one of the hardest-working hustlers on the local music scene, according to Hicks. "He had it in his blood, because his father used to be in Marvin Gaye's band," Hicks said; Proof's father is McKinley Jackson, a producer/arranger/bandleader who also worked extensively with other Detroit R&B acts. "[Proof worked] at a studio called Mo Master on the West Side," Hicks continued. "They made him an assistant engineer in 1991, and that's when he started making contacts. Everyone would go there and everyone got to know him."

One of the most versatile, witty freestylers on the competitive Detroit scene, he won the 1999 Source magazine Unsigned Hype freestyle competition and narrowly lost the Blaze battle that year, after hosting the Saturday afternoon MC battles at Maurice Malone's legendary Hip-Hop Shop for five years. Proof is credited with encouraging Slim Shady to take the stage for battles, a move that helped Em get a record deal with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records.

"He would do battles everywhere, places I can't even think of," Hicks said. "He didn't graduate from high school, but he would [perform at] high schools. To be the host [at the Hip-Hop Shop] you had to beat the host, and Proof was the host until the end." The Hip-Hop shop closed in 1997 but has reopened under new management.

Last year he released his solo debut, Searching for Jerry Garcia, on his own Iron Fist Records. The wide-ranging album featured cameos from 50 Cent, Method Man, Nate Dogg, MC Breed, Eminem and the D12 posse. The record's booklet was littered with images and references to dead rock stars — including the track "Kurt Cobain" — and the cover features a dour image of Proof holding a skeleton in a headlock. According to the Detroit Free Press, D12 were set to start working on their third album this month.

Proof was best known as Eminem's longtime friend and onstage right-hand man, a position he won after original hype man and fellow Detroit rapper Royce Da 5'9" gave up the position to pursue a solo deal. However, Hicks said Proof was much more than a hype man, helping to design the sets and draw up set lists for Eminem's show and counseling his friend on how to pace his performances.

Proof was also the only D12 member to appear in Em's acclaimed 2002 semi-autobiographical film "8 Mile" (he played Lil' Tic) and was the inspiration for Mekhi Phifer's role as Future in the movie. He also served as Eminem's best man when the rapper remarried Kim Mathers in January (see "Eminem Remarries Ex-Wife Kim Mathers"). Eminem filed for divorce last week.

In a tragic coincidence, in the video for Eminem's "Like Toy Soldiers" — a song about walking away from beef he and fellow Shady Records rappers have had with other MCs — Proof is shot and shown lying on a gurney, bleeding to death, as Eminem waits outside an operating room.

Also known as Big Proof and Derty Harry, the father of five appeared on D12's 2001 debut, Devil's Night, and its hit single, "Purple Pills," and also collaborated with fellow Detroit rapper Dogmatic on the 2002 Promatic album; he also toured with Eminem on the Anger Management Tour that year. Prior to the release of the second D12 album, 2004's D12 World, Proof released a number of mixtapes, including I Miss the Hip-Hop Shop and Grown Man Sh--. He recently launched a DVD series with fellow D12 rapper Bizarre called "Wanna Battle," in which the pair judged rap battles. The first in the series was recorded in Detroit last fall.

In February, Proof lost one of his close friends in fellow Detroit artist Jay Dee of Slum Village, with whom he'd gotten his first tattoo, an "FC" for Funky Cowboy, their pre-D12/Slum Village group (see "Jay Dee — Producer For Common, Busta And Tribe — Dies" and "Jay Dee: Hip-Hop's Shy Giant"). "No one's done more for this city's artists than Proof and Jay Dee," said RJ Rice, a Detroit producer, manager and record label owner. "They were the only people I know who would do stuff genuinely from the heart and not for money."

While the pressures of worldwide fame have largely prevented Eminem from remaining connected to his hometown, Proof was able to keep a strong tie to the scene that nurtured him, befriending many of the city's top hip-hop DJs, radio personalities and up-and-coming MCs and producers, according to Hicks.

He also continued to host Fight Club, a battle-rap competition that took place near — and sometimes in — the Iron Fist offices in downtown Detroit.

"He always had his studio open to people," said Hicks, who had known Proof for nearly 20 years and said it was not at all unusual for the rapper to be out at a club in the early-morning hours. "If you were an MC and were good, he had an open heart, man. You'd go to [Iron Fist] and there would be 20-30 people in there.

"He liked to be out with people. He looked out for everybody. He was Em's best friend, but he was everyone's best friend."

— Gil Kaufman

**twistedframe** · 04-11-2006, 03:11 PM

hate to see something like this happen. R.I.P.

NightKidsGTR · 04-11-2006, 08:32 PM

No way...I didn't believe this at first, but I just saw it on MTVNews...

R.I.P.

"They say that the good die young..."

GalaxyGrayMark · 04-12-2006, 11:38 AM

I don't follow the rap scene very close, but Proof definitely has done a lot of work. R.I.P.

**2fast4u2** · 04-12-2006, 01:28 PM

Omg...so sad. Rest in peace.

**CameronJr9** · 04-14-2006, 09:55 AM

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/152...headlines=true

"You don't know where to begin when you lose somebody who's been such a big part of your life for so long. Proof and I were brothers." — Eminem

BlackSIguy · 04-14-2006, 10:10 AM

People are just plain fools out there. Think they can take someone life without thinking of the consequences of their actions....

Just plain a waste of space these murderers... hope they catch the guy... and Im not talking about the police... but his friend catch this guy and dispence a little street vengence....

06CivEXJon · 04-14-2006, 09:25 PM

Too bad it was not eminem, man i hate eminem he is such a sucky rapper.

liuh · 04-15-2006, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 06CivEXJon

Too bad it was not eminem, man i hate eminem he is such a sucky rapper.

are you joking?

who do you think is better?

NightKidsGTR · 04-15-2006, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 06CivEXJon

Too bad it was not eminem, man i hate eminem he is such a sucky rapper.

BLASPHEMY!

Mattz280 · 07-10-2006, 05:33 PM

I don't know much about this guy, as he may have been a decent man, but when gangster rappers get shot down, it's one less low-life criminal in my mind, and one less person to have negative influences on others. We have all seen how much good the gangster image has done for our society.

Now, when Dimebag Daryl got shot, that was a shame. Rock on Dimebag!!! lol

audibleforce · 07-10-2006, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mattz280

I don't know much about this guy, as he may have been a decent man, but when gangster rappers get shot down, it's one less low-life criminal in my mind, and one less person to have negative influences on others. We have all seen how much good the gangster image has done for our society.

Now, when Dimebag Daryl got shot, that was a shame. Rock on Dimebag!!! lol

Have you even heard Proof flow? Besides his amazing freestyle skills, this guy has helped and influenced more people than you will ever do in your lifetime and Dimebag Daryl too. Proof is a low life???, when someone helps people out of the gutter by exposing their mc skills, that is not a lowlife. It's funny, a black rapper gets killed and you automatically assume that it was gang related. Ignorance is your best friend.

**atruhondagrl** · 07-10-2006, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightKidsGTR

No way...I didn't believe this at first, but I just saw it on MTVNews...

R.I.P.

"They say that the good die young..."

+1

Such a shame. R.I.P.

**Silver8th** · 07-10-2006, 09:41 PM

Sad sad story. R.I.P Proof

texstud91 · 06-02-2007, 12:47 AM

what a drag

***jpik2003*** · 06-02-2007, 02:09 AM

did you seriously just bring this back????????

honda06si · 06-02-2007, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpik2003

did you seriously just bring this back????????

texstud91 · 06-02-2007, 10:58 AM

i used to hang out with him when we were little, i had a 73 si and he had a buick and three lemonade stands

texstud91 · 06-02-2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 06CivEXJon

Too bad it was not eminem, man i hate eminem he is such a sucky rapper.

u r a loser, wheres the love man ji bet he could get u some chix

**firmhonda** · 06-02-2007, 11:57 AM

A, B, LEFT, LEFT, UP, L, DOWN, R, BLACK, L, WHITE, R, B

killthread

04-11-2006, 02:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
webby Acorns! Join Date: May 2005 Location: Storage Room B Posts: 12,579 iTrader: 11 / 100%	Proof - eminem's best friend shot dead in detroit Proof: 'Eminem's Best Friend' And A Vital Member Of Detroit's Hip-Hop Scene Shot His best friend and fellow D12 MC Eminem rocketed to worldwide fame, but for many people on the Detroit rap scene, Proof was the people's king and an equally vital figure in helping to establish the city as an international hip-hop hot spot. "He looked out for everybody. He was Em's best friend, but he was everyone's best friend." — Proof's longtime friend and former manager, Mark "Doughboy" Hicks DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1975-2006 Proof (born DeShaun Holton), 30, was killed by a gunshot to the head early Tuesday morning (April 11) outside Detroit's CCC Club in a shooting that left another man in critical condition (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club"). Friends remembered him as an unparalleled battle rapper, a creative force and hometown booster who never stopped searching for the next big thing — in high schools, clubs, conference rooms or anywhere else he could stage a lyrical throwdown. "He looked out for everybody," said his longtime friend and former manager Mark "Doughboy" Hicks. "He's one of the prototypes for the music biz in Detroit. Proof was everywhere; that was part of his thing. He was in clubs, he was a street guy, a people's person. He reminded me of Peter Tosh or Tupac, how he had his house open and welcome to everybody. He had the biggest heart [of anyone] I've ever known in my life." According to local lore, it was Proof who came up with the D12 moniker after the group's original name, the Dirty Dozen, was rejected because it had already been taken by another act. Along with his friend Bizarre and high school buddy Eminem, he helped launch the group — which also features Kon Artis, Swift and Kuniva — and took part in an early pact between the members that said whoever became successful first would help the others along. Before making his mark as Eminem's onstage foil, though, Proof established an early reputation as one of the hardest-working hustlers on the local music scene, according to Hicks. "He had it in his blood, because his father used to be in Marvin Gaye's band," Hicks said; Proof's father is McKinley Jackson, a producer/arranger/bandleader who also worked extensively with other Detroit R&B acts. "[Proof worked] at a studio called Mo Master on the West Side," Hicks continued. "They made him an assistant engineer in 1991, and that's when he started making contacts. Everyone would go there and everyone got to know him." One of the most versatile, witty freestylers on the competitive Detroit scene, he won the 1999 Source magazine Unsigned Hype freestyle competition and narrowly lost the Blaze battle that year, after hosting the Saturday afternoon MC battles at Maurice Malone's legendary Hip-Hop Shop for five years. Proof is credited with encouraging Slim Shady to take the stage for battles, a move that helped Em get a record deal with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records. "He would do battles everywhere, places I can't even think of," Hicks said. "He didn't graduate from high school, but he would [perform at] high schools. To be the host [at the Hip-Hop Shop] you had to beat the host, and Proof was the host until the end." The Hip-Hop shop closed in 1997 but has reopened under new management. Last year he released his solo debut, Searching for Jerry Garcia, on his own Iron Fist Records. The wide-ranging album featured cameos from 50 Cent, Method Man, Nate Dogg, MC Breed, Eminem and the D12 posse. The record's booklet was littered with images and references to dead rock stars — including the track "Kurt Cobain" — and the cover features a dour image of Proof holding a skeleton in a headlock. According to the Detroit Free Press, D12 were set to start working on their third album this month. Proof was best known as Eminem's longtime friend and onstage right-hand man, a position he won after original hype man and fellow Detroit rapper Royce Da 5'9" gave up the position to pursue a solo deal. However, Hicks said Proof was much more than a hype man, helping to design the sets and draw up set lists for Eminem's show and counseling his friend on how to pace his performances. Proof was also the only D12 member to appear in Em's acclaimed 2002 semi-autobiographical film "8 Mile" (he played Lil' Tic) and was the inspiration for Mekhi Phifer's role as Future in the movie. He also served as Eminem's best man when the rapper remarried Kim Mathers in January (see "Eminem Remarries Ex-Wife Kim Mathers"). Eminem filed for divorce last week. In a tragic coincidence, in the video for Eminem's "Like Toy Soldiers" — a song about walking away from beef he and fellow Shady Records rappers have had with other MCs — Proof is shot and shown lying on a gurney, bleeding to death, as Eminem waits outside an operating room. Also known as Big Proof and Derty Harry, the father of five appeared on D12's 2001 debut, Devil's Night, and its hit single, "Purple Pills," and also collaborated with fellow Detroit rapper Dogmatic on the 2002 Promatic album; he also toured with Eminem on the Anger Management Tour that year. Prior to the release of the second D12 album, 2004's D12 World, Proof released a number of mixtapes, including I Miss the Hip-Hop Shop and Grown Man Sh--. He recently launched a DVD series with fellow D12 rapper Bizarre called "Wanna Battle," in which the pair judged rap battles. The first in the series was recorded in Detroit last fall. In February, Proof lost one of his close friends in fellow Detroit artist Jay Dee of Slum Village, with whom he'd gotten his first tattoo, an "FC" for Funky Cowboy, their pre-D12/Slum Village group (see "Jay Dee — Producer For Common, Busta And Tribe — Dies" and "Jay Dee: Hip-Hop's Shy Giant"). "No one's done more for this city's artists than Proof and Jay Dee," said RJ Rice, a Detroit producer, manager and record label owner. "They were the only people I know who would do stuff genuinely from the heart and not for money." While the pressures of worldwide fame have largely prevented Eminem from remaining connected to his hometown, Proof was able to keep a strong tie to the scene that nurtured him, befriending many of the city's top hip-hop DJs, radio personalities and up-and-coming MCs and producers, according to Hicks. He also continued to host Fight Club, a battle-rap competition that took place near — and sometimes in — the Iron Fist offices in downtown Detroit. "He always had his studio open to people," said Hicks, who had known Proof for nearly 20 years and said it was not at all unusual for the rapper to be out at a club in the early-morning hours. "If you were an MC and were good, he had an open heart, man. You'd go to [Iron Fist] and there would be 20-30 people in there. "He liked to be out with people. He looked out for everybody. He was Em's best friend, but he was everyone's best friend." — Gil Kaufman

04-14-2006, 09:55 AM	#6 (permalink)
CameronJr9 Crazy Yellow Puppet Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Age: 28 Posts: 25,187 Back and Forth Forever iTrader: 6 / 100%	http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/152...headlines=true "You don't know where to begin when you lose somebody who's been such a big part of your life for so long. Proof and I were brothers." — Eminem __________________

07-10-2006, 09:41 PM	#14 (permalink)
Silver8th Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,639 iTrader: 4 / 100%	Sad sad story. R.I.P Proof __________________

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04-11-2006, 08:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
NightKidsGTR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Age: 23 Posts: 807 San Jose's First Modified R18 iTrader: 0 / 0%	No way...I didn't believe this at first, but I just saw it on MTVNews... R.I.P. "They say that the good die young..."

04-12-2006, 11:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
GalaxyGrayMark Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: I'm RallyeRedMark!!!! Posts: 245 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I don't follow the rap scene very close, but Proof definitely has done a lot of work. R.I.P.

04-12-2006, 01:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
2fast4u2 Acorn! Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13,481 8thcivic.com member #15 iTrader: 11 / 100%	Omg...so sad. Rest in peace.

04-14-2006, 10:10 AM	#7 (permalink)
BlackSIguy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NoVA Age: 27 Posts: 803 iTrader: 0 / 0%	People are just plain fools out there. Think they can take someone life without thinking of the consequences of their actions.... Just plain a waste of space these murderers... hope they catch the guy... and Im not talking about the police... but his friend catch this guy and dispence a little street vengence....

04-14-2006, 09:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
06CivEXJon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Monument/Colorado Springs Colorado Posts: 4,333 Jon iTrader: 0 / 0%	Too bad it was not eminem, man i hate eminem he is such a sucky rapper.

07-10-2006, 05:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
Mattz280 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Toronto, ON Age: 24 Posts: 158 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I don't know much about this guy, as he may have been a decent man, but when gangster rappers get shot down, it's one less low-life criminal in my mind, and one less person to have negative influences on others. We have all seen how much good the gangster image has done for our society. Now, when Dimebag Daryl got shot, that was a shame. Rock on Dimebag!!! lol

06-02-2007, 12:47 AM	#15 (permalink)
texstud91 Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: el chuco town Posts: 80 ethan iTrader: 0 / 0%	what a drag

06-02-2007, 02:09 AM	#16 (permalink)
*jpik2003* RAWRRR Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago Age: 20 Posts: 4,465 Jack iTrader: 0 / 0%	did you seriously just bring this back????????

06-02-2007, 10:58 AM	#18 (permalink)
texstud91 Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: el chuco town Posts: 80 ethan iTrader: 0 / 0%	i used to hang out with him when we were little, i had a 73 si and he had a buick and three lemonade stands

06-02-2007, 11:57 AM	#20 (permalink)
firmhonda KOOPA TROOPA Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: DF-Dub Age: 25 Posts: 8,604 Justin Credible. iTrader: 0 / 0%	A, B, LEFT, LEFT, UP, L, DOWN, R, BLACK, L, WHITE, R, B killthread