Hip hop has lost another star name after D12's Proof, a close friend of Eminem, was shot dead during the early hours of yesterday morning, 11 Apr, outside an after hours club on 8 Mile Road in Detroit.
The 32 year old rapper, real name DeShaun Holton, was pronounced dead on arrival at the city's Conner Creek Medical Center, and is said to have died instantly from a gunshot to the head. His companion, an unidentified 35 year old male, was also shot, and is said to be in a critical condition at Detroit's St John Hospital. Rumours originally circulating that the unnamed man might be fellow D12 star Bizarre have been put to rest, but police have refused to confirm the injured man's identity.
Both men were present at CCC Club at 4:30am, which, according to reports, is not an illegal venue, but was operating illegally after hours. Police were called to the incident at around 5am following reports of a fight and shots being fired.
Proof was a pivotal player in the Detroit hip-hop scene due to his skill as a battle rapper, and was an associate of many top producers and artists, a number of whom, including Eminem and Obie Trice, gathered at the hospital yesterday morning alongside the star's family members.
The formation of D12, a collective of Detroit's most talented hip-hop stars, was Proof's idea, and he was instrumental in Eminem's subsequently hugely successful career, befriending Shady long before his rise to international stardom, and recently performing best man duties at the rapper's ill-fated re-marriage to Kim Mathers. Proof also took a small role in Eminem film '8 Mile', as well as being the basis for a character in the movie, 'Lil Tic', played by Mekhi Phifer. Somewhat ironically, he also appeared in the video to Eminem's anti-gun violence track 'Like Toy Soldiers' in which he played a hip hop character shot dead as a fictional hip hop war escalated.
Holton is survived by his wife, Sharonda, and three children.