​Right now, the hip-hop underground is gearing up for a massive milestone. This coming Friday, June 19, 2026, marks exactly 25 years since D12 dropped their earth-shattering commercial debut, Devil’s Night. To celebrate, the group is returning with a brand new project, D12 Forever (also touted as Volume 1: The Book of Chaos). But to really appreciate where Kuniva and Swifty McVay are taking this new chapter, we have to talk about exactly where they’ve been. The Dirty Dozen’s history is a rollercoaster of unprecedented highs, devastating losses, and some of the most legendary conflicts in Detroit rap history.

​The Genesis: Before the Fame

​Long before the platinum plaques and sold-out arenas, D12 was simply a vision born in the mind of DeShaun Dupree Holton, better known as Proof. Formed in 1996, the collective originally brought together a tight-knit crew of MCs who were grinding in the local hip-hop circuit, including Proof, Bizarre, Eye-Kyu, Fuzz Scoota, Killa Hawk, and a hungry, unsigned rapper named Eminem.

​The concept behind the group’s name—an initialism for the “Dirty Dozen”—was brilliantly simple but effectively grimy: since they couldn’t find twelve MCs who fit the mold, the six members would each create a darker, unhinged alter ego, bringing the total number of personalities to twelve. This dual-identity approach gave the group the freedom to explore pitch-black humor and chaotic lyrical concepts that perfectly mirrored the grit of the city. In 1997, this original iteration laid down their foundational sound with their debut project, The Underground EP.

​The Tragic Loss of Bugz & Eminem’s Rise

​Karnail “Bugz” Pitts was a massive force within the group’s early days and an incredibly skilled lyricist. Tragically, on May 21, 1999, the group was dealt a devastating blow. Following an altercation at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Bugz was fatally shot. The brutal, senseless loss shook D12 to its core. One of his final wishes was for his longtime friend Swifty McVay to be fully integrated into the group.

​Concurrently, Eminem’s rapid ascent to global superstardom with The Slim Shady LP pulled him away from the group’s day-to-day grind. However, out of deep loyalty to Proof and a desire to honor the memory of Bugz, Eminem brought D12 up with him, signing them to Shady Records. This major-label backing birthed their massive 2001 debut, Devil’s Night—an album dedicated entirely to Bugz.

​The Detroit Wars: ICP, Natas, and the Warped Tour Brawl

​As D12 reached the mainstream, the Detroit scene remained highly territorial. D12 quickly found themselves at the center of one of the most infamous feuds in underground history: the beef with Insane Clown Posse. What started over a flyer Eminem handed out claiming ICP might appear at his record release party quickly escalated into a full-blown war on wax.
​This tension bled into the wider Detroit rap landscape, most notably sparking a violent incident with Esham and his group Natas. In 2001, Esham dropped the track “Chemical Imbalance,” which contained a reference to Eminem’s daughter, Hailie. When D12 and Esham’s camp crossed paths at the Vans Warped Tour in Camden, New Jersey, words turned into action, and a massive brawl erupted. (For those looking to dive down the rabbit hole, you can still find the old MTV News coverage by Kurt Loder reporting on the Natas/Warped Tour incident floating around on YouTube—it perfectly captures the sheer volatility of that era).

​Shelved by Tragedy: The 9/11 Impact

​Later that year, D12’s meteoric rise collided with real-world tragedy. The group had released “Fight Music,” a riot-inducing anthem with a music video that heavily featured urban destruction and chaos. When the horrific events of September 11 happened shortly after, the national climate shifted overnight. Deemed far too aggressive and sensitive for a grieving nation, the single was essentially shelved. Radio stations universally pulled the track from rotation, and MTV yanked the video from its airwaves, drastically halting the momentum of one of the group’s most iconic songs.

​Squashing the Beef

​Thankfully, the bloodshed in the Detroit underground didn’t last forever. In 2005, the beef between the D12 and Psychopathic camps was officially squashed. In a move of incredible leadership, D12’s Proof and Violent J sat down together over a game of bowling to hash out their differences, putting the bad blood to rest. Today, that peace remains absolute, with D12 members regularly performing at the Gathering of the Juggalos and showing massive love to the Wicked Shit.

​The Heartbreak of Proof’s Passing

​Proof’s move to squash the beef was a testament to his character; he was undeniably the heart, soul, and glue of D12. He was the visionary who birthed the group, and a universally beloved ambassador for Detroit hip-hop.

​The darkest day in D12’s history occurred on April 11, 2006. Proof was shot and killed during an altercation at the CCC Club on Detroit’s iconic Eight Mile Road. His death was a catastrophic loss that permanently altered the trajectory of the group. Eminem spiraled further into the addiction issues that would sideline him for years. Without Proof’s guiding hand, D12 lost its center of gravity, cementing his passing as the definitive end of D12’s golden era.

​The Underground Years: Enter King Gordy

​As the remaining members tried to navigate their grief and keep the music alive, they entered their mixtape era, dropping the Return of the Dozen projects. During this time, the “King of Horrorcore” himself, King Gordy, stepped in as a crucial, unofficial member. Deeply tied to Bizarre, Gordy brought his signature macabre energy to the roster. His heavy involvement on the mixtapes helped keep D12 grounded in the horrorcore scene when they needed it most.

​Kamikaze and the End of an Era

​As the 2010s rolled on, the group began to formally fracture. Bizarre officially announced his departure in 2012 over creative differences. The definitive end to the original six-man iteration came directly from Eminem. On his 2018 surprise album Kamikaze, Em released the track “Stepping Stone.” It was a brutally raw, emotional apology to his bandmates where he officially announced that D12 was over, confessing that without Proof, the connective tissue was gone, and the burden of trying to carry the group alone was too much.

​D12 Forever: The Torchbearers
​Which brings us right back to today. While Eminem handles his massive solo career and Bizarre continues to thrive in his underground lane, Swifty McVay and Kuniva have refused to let the legacy fade.
​As the two remaining members officially carrying the D12 banner, Swifty and Kuniva have evolved from foot soldiers to the undisputed generals of the group. With D12 Forever arriving this weekend, they aren’t just dropping an album; they are honoring Proof, acknowledging the chaos of their past, and proving that real Detroit hip-hop cannot be killed.
​Make sure to grab the album, the physical bundles, and stream the singles this Friday. Keep it underground.

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​D12 Forever (Vol. 1): The Book of Chaos Official Tracklist:
​
1 ​Again, Another Public Service Announcement
2 ​My Salsa
​3 Tear It Down (feat. Xzibit & B-Real)
​4 Proof and Eli
5 ​Better Dayz (feat. Melanie Rutherford)
6 ​Kill the Engineer Pt. 1
7 ​Tenderism (feat. Method Man)
​8 Dirty Nation (feat. George Clinton)
9 ​Nick’s Coffee House
10 ​Still Hating (feat. Tech N9ne, King Iso & Sly Pyper)
11 Bugz ’98
​12 Even Kings Kneel
13 ​Nightmare Walking (feat. Xzibit & Ice-T)
​14 What If? (feat. Melanie Rutherford)
15 ​Forever