Eminem and D12's Kon Artis
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

As if releasing two albums in one year isn't enough, Eminem is also planning to reunite his Detroit crew, D12, and release the first new album from the group in five years.

Slim Shady said on BET's "Rap City: The Relapse" special on Friday that D12 are planning to hit the studio soon to begin work on the disc. The yet-unnamed album from the crew will be their first since the death of member Proof three years ago, a death that Eminem has said caused him to go into a depressive spiral of drug use.

"Me and the guys, we got a bond, it's special," Em said of the group, which also includes Bizarre, Kon Artis, Kuniva and Swifty. "It's like, as far as the future of D12, we're gonna be back in the studio soon."

D12 have released two albums, 2001's Devil's Night and 2004's D12 World. Part of the reason Eminem said he decided to reform the group for a third album was because of his respect and love for Proof, who was his best friend and one of his biggest supporters when the then-unknown D-Town MC was trying to make a name for himself.

"Right now, my music would probably be the same [if Proof was still alive]," Em said in the "Rap City" interview. "I think this is what Proof always wanted, was for me to go crazy again. My life would be different because I would still have him."

D12 reunited for a one-off performance last month to celebrate the release of Em's Relapse album.

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• D12

Eminem performs in Detroit on Tuesday
Photo: Scott Legato/ Getty Images

DETROIT — To toast the release of Relapse, his first new studio album in four and a half years, Eminem celebrated with a mini-concert and record-release party Tuesday at the MotorCity Casino in his hometown of Detroit.

Em's 35-minute, eight-song set marked his first concert in three-plus years — and, by his own admission, his first performance since his well-documented struggles with addiction.

"This might actually be one of the best shows I've ever done," the newly clean Em told the audience of more than 2,000. " 'Cause when I get offstage, I'm actually going to remember it."

The rapper was sprightly onstage, opening with the blood-splattered "3 a.m." and jerking his body to pantomime the song's bobbing-and-weaving rhythms. Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg, smiled and watched from the soundboard, taping the performance with a handheld video camera.

During the MySpace-sponsored show, Relapse's torch song (and probable next single) "Beautiful" became a full-on lighters-in-the-air, arms-swaying anthem. The stark "Underground," meanwhile, found Slim Shady tossing off wordplay-heavy punch lines ("Hannah Montana prepare to elope with a can opener and be cut open like cantaloupe") like he did in the battle raps re-created in "8 Mile." The show also saw run-throughs of "Insane" and "We Made You," as well as snippets of "Crack a Bottle" and "Hello."

	Eminem's Free MySpace Concert In Detroit

Em's D12 cohort Denaun "Kon Artis" Porter acted as the MC's hype man throughout the show, taking on the role formerly filled by Em's best friend, Proof, who was shot and killed at an afterhours club in Detroit in 2006.

"I was a little bit nervous coming out there because, as we all know, I didn't have my right-hand man tonight," Em told the crowd. "I'm talking about Proof, in case you didn't know. Man, I f---ing miss him." He then instructed the audience to "make some noise" for his fallen friend, "loud enough so he can hear y'all."

During a show-closing encore of "Lose Yourself," Eminem was joined onstage by D12 bandmates Bizarre, Kuniva and Swift, marking the group's first onstage appearance together since Proof's death.

In attendance at the concert were R&B singer Dwele, Eminem collaborator Trick Trick and Em's "8 Mile" co-star Omar Benson Miller, who hosted a rap battle during the show's warm-up.

Fans were given tickets to the concert through a number of promotions, including several Twitter-hosted scavenger hunts through Detroit on Tuesday. On Monday, fans such as Dave West, 28, of Livonia, Michigan, lined up for hours at suburban independent record store Record Time to get their hands on tickets.

"It was awesome, man. It was the first time these songs had been performed live, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said West, who waited in line for 16 hours to score tickets to the show. "You're never going to see Eminem at a small venue like this ever again."

"It was amazing. It was short, but it was really good," said 20-year-old Ashley Lennon of Royal Oak, Michigan, who won tickets on the radio the day of the concert. "I love Eminem. I couldn't imagine not being at one of his shows."

Alchemist, Eminem's DJ, said everything during the concert felt "real natural." "We had a lot of fun up there," he told MTV News after the show. "It feels great. It's good for Detroit, and it's good for creativity in general to have Eminem back in the form he's in right now. He's in tip-top shape."

• Eminem: The Return

• Eminem's Free MySpace Concert In Detroit

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• Kon Artis
• D12

D12's Proof
Photo: Appio

A Detroit-area prosecutor said Tuesday (May 30) that the bouncer who shot and killed Proof on April 11 acted in his cousin's defense and will not face murder charges.

Mario Etheridge had been charged with weapons violations three days after the nightclub shootout, at which time Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was still considering murder charges, noting that the investigation "was far from over" (see "Proof Shooting Suspect Charged — But Not With Murder").

In a press conference Tuesday, Worthy said the evidence clearly shows that Etheridge acted in lawful defense of his 35-year-old cousin, Keith Bender, the man allegedly shot by Proof (see "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies").

Etheridge, though, will still have to face the weapons charges and is due back in court Friday.

Worthy told reporters that Etheridge — a bouncer at CCC, an after-hours club on Detroit's Eight Mile Road — shot twice at the ceiling in an attempt to stop Proof before turning the gun at the rapper (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club").

Etheridge's lawyer, Randall Upshaw, has maintained that his client took a gun from someone during the attack, but Worthy said witnesses saw Etheridge with two guns on him. If convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm in a public place, Etheridge faces up to nine years in prison.

• Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Proof Of D-12
• D12

T.I.
Photo: Jason Campbell

T.I. was arrested Wednesday for violating probation in Florida that stemmed from a 2003 incident in which he pleaded guilty to battery of an officer. The warrant accused T.I. of not completing at least five hours per month of his 375 community-service hours. His attorney Dwight Thomas, however, told Atlanta's WSBTV that it was nothing more than a "technical matter" between policies in Georgia and Florida. Also on Wednesday, T.I. appeared in court for an unrelated case, in which the rapper was accused of threatening several men outside an Atlanta strip club. ...

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, D12's Kon Artis said that the Eminem-fronted hip-hop collective plans to carry on without Proof, who was killed during an April 11 nightclub shooting. Kon said that D12 will finish the album they'd been working on, and that the effort will feature verses Proof recorded before his death. "We're just taking the record to the next level," Kon Artis said. "We had some songs recorded already. We got a song called 'Holding Our Own' that we recorded, and Proof is on that song. If people think that because he's not here we're not going to keep doing what we're doing, then they're wrong." The album may include guest appearances by Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and G-Unit, he said, adding that an album by Proof, called Time Will Tell, should also surface this year. Proof recorded the LP in 24 hours a few months back. ...

Young Jeezy and Paul Wall will perform for VIPs only at Atlanta's Fox Theater on June 16, serving it up for 3,000 local youth who have volunteered at least four hours of their time to community service through Boost Mobile RockCorps. To pitch in for your community — and possibly earn your way into an exclusive concert while you're at it — head to BoostMobileRockCorps.com. ... The ugly war of words between mixtape maven and Hot 97 DJ Envy and former Power 105 New York radio personality Star reached a new low this week. Star (real name Troi Torain) was arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and harassment after he made sexually explicit comments about Envy's 4-year old daughter Wednesday morning. Star was subsequently fired from Power 105 later that night. The rivalry between Envy and Star had heated up over the past several days after Star made some racially and sexually explicit comments about Envy's part-Asian wife. In retaliation, Envy went to Power 105 and waited outside the station to fight Star, although the two wound up never crossing paths. ...

Paris Hilton, Nick Cannon, Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins and members of Linkin Park and Korn were on hand to preview Six Flags Magic Mountain's TATSU, touted as the world's tallest and fastest flying roller coaster. Nicole Richie ex DJ AM provided the music for the event, which doubled as a birthday party for Joe Francis, the mind behind "Girls Gone Wild." Those who missed the bash can line up for a ride on TATSU beginning Saturday, when the coaster opens to the public at the Valencia, California, theme park. ... Former Wailers frontman Elan — who is putting together his debut solo album, Together as One, with help from No Doubt's Tony Kanal — pulled an "All Nighter" with Gwen Stefani. "It's about a girl and a guy, and how they first meet," he explained of the reggae song they recorded. "I compare it to 'Summer Lovin' ' in 'Grease.' It's like a dancehall version. Gwen DJs a bit on it on the back end of the chorus." Gwen fans needn't worry that their girl is changing her style. "She didn't go into a hard-core Lady Saw voice," Elan explained. "She did it like Gwen, her own way." ... Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, Colin Hay of Men at Work, the Motels, Naked Eyes and Tommy Tutone are set to throw Los Angeles' Viper Room into a time warp June 1 with a concert promoting the acoustic compilation '80s Hits Stripped, out May 30. Tickets for the show are $25. ...

Bloc Party — already confirmed to appear at Toronto's Olympic Island Festival on June 24 and the Intonation Fest in Chicago the following day — have just announced a string of new dates to further test out material from their upcoming album. The tour gets under way July 28 at Boston's Bank Pavilion and will make stops in Anaheim, California; Los Angeles; and Mexico City. The Secret Machines and Broken Social Scene will split opening duties on the tour, which ends August 10 in Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, Bloc Party continue working on the follow-up to last year's Silent Alarm with U2 and Snow Patrol producer Jacknife Lee. There is no firm release date for the new album. ... After months of speculation, it looks like the Rentals — the retroist synth act started by former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp — are actually returning. On Thursday, a publicist for the band released a statement confirming that the Rentals were already at work on a new album (their first since 1999's Seven More Minutes), and have even lined up a pair of West Coast dates: July 2 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California, and July 7 at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. Additional U.S. dates will be announced in the coming weeks. ...

On June 1, Vans will release a sneaker line that pays homage to veteran "caffeine punk" band the Descendents. The shoes — which come in two styles, Old Skool and Authentic — will be available in stores and on Vans.com. The kicks are light blue and emblazoned with Milo, the Descendents' symbol. Vans is planning to release two other sneaker lines in the near future: one featuring imagery from the Circle Jerks and another with the Dropkick Murphys logo. ... Former teen idol Leif Garrett, who recently decided to leave a drug-treatment program, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. Garrett, who pleaded guilty to drug-possession charges last year, had previously been in an outpatient rehab program. He checked into a live-in drug program earlier this year after failing a drug test. An attorney for the singer/actor said his client chose to check out of the program because it was too strict.

05.11.2006

Christina Aguilera is getting Back to Basics with her third album, and she's finally settled on a release date: August 15. Songs include "I Got Trouble," "Candy Man," "Save Me From Myself," "Nasty Naughty Boy," "Thank You" — and in case you thought she wasn't, "Still Dirrty." "This is a concept album that follows a bold, set vision," Aguilera said. "The touchstones are Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald ... what I used to call my 'fun music' when I was a little girl." The first single, "Ain't No Other Man," is out June 12, but Aguilera will world-premiere the song on the MTV Movie Awards, airing June 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. ...

Jennifer Lopez isn't touring overseas after all — after pushing the dates back for later this month, the singer has canceled stops in Athens, Greece; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Mumbai, India; Sofia, Bulgaria; and Istanbul, Turkey. For the Dubai event, 15,800 tickets had been sold, while more than 20,000 had been sold for the Sofia stop. Tour promoters are providing full refunds to ticket holders. ...

Snoop Dogg has taken responsibility for his role in the April 27 brawl at London's Heathrow Airport. On Thursday (May 11), Snoop appeared at a Heathrow police station and "accepted a caution for a Section Four Public Order Act matter, using threatening words or behavior," police told The Associated Press. A caution means a person accepts responsibility for their offense and a record is made but no further action is pursued. Snoop was one of five men charged with violent disorder and starting a brawl at Heathrow after members of his entourage were denied entry into British Airways' first-class lounge. British Airways has since banned Snoop from traveling on the airline. ... Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has been discharged from a hospital in New Zealand following surgery to relieve pressure in his head, according to AP. The injury stemmed from his recent accident in Fiji. According to his publicist, Richards will remain in patient care at the Ascot Hospital in Auckland for an undisclosed period of time and will return for checkups. ...

Professional best-gal pal Cacee Cobb has called it quits. She gave notice to Jessica Simpson on April 26, prompting the singer to give her a send-off shindig at Arnie Morton's steakhouse in Los Angeles on Sunday, her last day on the job. Simpson toasted Cobb, telling her, "You are my best friend. I will be your best friend forever," Us Weekly reports. ... Carmen Electra — who has been the subject of many a male fantasy — becomes the object of a female one in Joan Jett's new video, "A.C.D.C." Shot Tuesday and Wednesday in New York, Electra and Jett play a would-be couple in the Greg Oliver-directed clip — but Electra's character can't decide if she'd rather be with a man or woman. Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna and actor Chuck Zito also have cameos in the video for "A.C.D.C.," the first single from Jett's June 6 release, Sinner. ...

Depeche Mode tabled their Thursday night show at the Allstate Arena in Chicago due to lead singer Dave Gahan's laryngitis. The band cut short its Wednesday performance in Kansas City, Missouri, for the same reason. Tickets for the Chicago gig will be refunded at point of purchase, as the group has not yet determined if it will make up the date. ... TV on the Radio have been added to the Sasquatch Festival lineup. The band will play the first day of the three-day shindig: Friday, May 26. ...

The Universal Music Group — the world's largest record label — has agreed to pay a $12 million penalty and stop the practice of trading cash and gifts for radio airplay in a settlement with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer over allegations of payola. According to a statement from Spitzer's office, the company — home to Island Def Jam, Interscope and many more imprints — offered gifts including vacations, tickets to concerts and laptop computers to station employees to get airplay for songs by artists including Nick Lachey, Ashlee Simpson and Lindsay Lohan. The settlement calls for Universal to hire a compliance officer to monitor its promotional practices and put a system in place to stop future abuses. Previous payola settlements in Spitzer's ongoing probe have resulted in payments of $10 million by Sony BMG and $5 million by the Warner Music Group. ...

Fantasia will sing at the American Red Cross 125th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, performing the national anthem to kick off the event as well as her debut single, "I Believe," for an audience of Washington dignitaries, philanthropists and Red Cross leaders. The event — a tribute to the aid organization and the employees, volunteers and partners who keep it running — will be held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. ... Melissa Etheridge and Aretha Franklin are among the musicians who will be presented with Honorary Doctor of Music Degrees at the prestigious Berklee College of Music on Saturday. Etheridge will also serve as the school's commencement speaker, addressing more than 800 graduates and their guests at Northeastern University's Matthews Arena. ...

Björk is getting the DualDisc box-set treatment June 27. Surrounded will include the Icelandic singer's six studio albums — Debut, Post, Homogenic, Vespertine, Selmasongs and Medúlla — plus the recent soundtrack for the "Drawing Restraint 9" film by her partner, Matthew Barney. The music will be remastered in 5.1 stereo and the box will also include additional video content. ... Japanese noisemakers the Boredoms are returning to U.S. shores this summer, but they will only make a handful of appearances. Their six-date jaunt kicks off with an appearance at the Intonation Music Festival in Chicago on June 24 and wraps up in New York with two free art shows at the New York Deitch Projects July 7 and 8. This fall, Vice Records will reissue five of the group's long out-of-print Super Roots discs from the early '90s. ...Stone Sour have found a permanent replacement for drummer Joel Ekman in Roy Mayorga, formerly of Soulfly and a recent touring member of Sepultura. "Aside from being a cool guy, Roy did one hell of a job playing on the [new] album, and we're looking forward to going on the road with him in a few weeks and seeing all of you as well," reads a statement on the band's Web site. Stone Sour's forthcoming sophomore outing, Come What(ever) May, is slated to hit stores August 22.

Slayer frontman Tom Araya underwent minor gallbladder surgery last week, according to the band's publicist. While Araya's doing fine and recuperating at home, the operation will end up delaying the launch of Slayer's Unholy Alliance Tour: Preaching to the Perverted — featuring Lamb of God, Mastodon, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed — by four days. Originally set to kick off June 6 in San Diego, the tour will now commence June 10 in Peoria, Illinois. The tour's original first three dates have been postponed: the San Diego gig will take place July 20, the June 7 date in Las Vegas has been bumped to July 24, and the June 9 show in Denver has been pushed back to July 26. On June 6, Slayer will issue Eternal Pyre, a limited-edition EP that previews "Cult," a new song from the band's still-untitled LP, due to drop July 25. The EP, which will be available at Hot Topic locations, will also feature a live version of "Dead Skin Mask," exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the new album, and — originally available only on 1995's now out-of-print "Live Intrusion" video — a five-minute clip of the Slayer fan who carved the band's name into his forearm.

• Eminem
• D12
• Young Jeezy
• Paul Wall
• Nick Cannon

D12's Swift
Photo: ShowbizIreland / Getty Images

A Michigan judge has sentenced D12's Swift to 93 days behind bars for violating the terms of his probation stemming from a drunken driving case, The Associated Press reports.

District Court Judge Brian MacKenzie said that 31-year-old Swift (real name: Ondre Moore) tested positive for alcohol not long after his arrest Thursday afternoon in Novi, Michigan. One of the conditions of Swift's probation was that he not use alcohol or drugs, the AP reports.

Police picked Swift up on a bench warrant issued Wednesday when the rapper missed a court appearance in order to attend Proof's funeral (see "D12's Swift Faces Arrest After Missing Court For Proof Funeral"). Swift served as an honorary pallbearer at the service (see "Eminem, Obie Trice Speak At Packed Funeral For Proof"). D12 member Proof was killed on the morning of April 11 inside a Detroit nightclub (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club").

According to police, Proof (born DeShaun Holton) was shot three times after he pistol-whipped and shot 35-year-old Keith Bender Jr. in the face during an altercation inside the CCC Nightclub; Proof died that same morning. Bender was placed on life support and was pronounced dead April 18 (see "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies").

Witnesses have told investigators that Bender's cousin, Mario Etheridge, fired the shot that ended Proof's life. Etheridge has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a building, but not with Proof's murder. He was arraigned on April 15, pleaded not guilty to both counts, and was released from the Wayne County Jail after posting bond. If convicted, Etheridge could face up to nine years behind bars.

• D12

D12's Swift
Photo: John Shearer

A Michigan judge issued an arrest warrant for D12 member Swift on Wednesday after the rapper missed a court appearance to attend the funeral for Proof. According to The Associated Press, Swift (born Ondre Moore), was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a hearing to decide whether he violated the terms of his probation stemming from a drunken-driving case.

The Detroit Free Press reported that Swift pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while visibly impaired on October 17 of last year, a misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail. That same day, Judge Brian MacKenzie said, Swift tested positive for using illegal drugs and was sent to jail for two days. Ten days later, Swift was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to do 50 hours of community service, attend Alcoholics Anonymous and stay away from drugs and alcohol, the paper said. But in March, Swift tested positive for alcohol and was sentenced to a week in jail. Last week, Judge MacKenzie said Swift tested positive for alcohol again, which triggered the hearing.

Swift missed his the court date because he served as an honorary pallbearer at the funeral for Proof (see "Eminem, Obie Trice Speak At Packed Funeral For Proof"), who was shot and killed at the CCC Club in Detroit on April 11 (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club").

Judge MacKenzie said he waited until 4:15 p.m. to give Swift, 31 a chance to show up. When he didn't, MacKenzie issued a bench warrant for the rapper's arrest and set his bail at $500,000. "While I recognize the importance of attending a funeral ... there is a requirement that you make some effort to comply with a court order," the judge said, according to the AP.

Swift could face more than three months in jail if MacKenzie finds that he violated his probation. A spokesperson for Swift could not be reached for comment at press time.

• D12
• Proof Of D-12

Pallbearers carry Proof's casket to a horse-drawn carriage outside Detroit's Fellowship Chapel on Wednesday
Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Some 2,000 people packed into Detroit's Fellowship Chapel on Wednesday (April 19) to mourn the death of D12's Proof.

The Detroit Free Press reports that lines wrapped around the block for the service, which started 45 minutes past its scheduled 11 a.m. start time due to the massive crowd.

Eminem, who broke down while giving a testimonial about his former hype man and close friend, wore a black suit and was seated behind the late rapper's family. "He taught me how to be a leader," the Free Press quoted Em as saying. "I'm sure everybody who has ever met him, even just once, can testify to the fact that he illuminated a room when he walked in it. I believe that Proof loved people and people loved him. ... Without Proof, there would be no Eminem, no Slim Shady, no D12."

Obie Trice, a Shady Records artist and friend of Proof, used the occasion to speak out against violence. "I want to talk to the black men in here that's coming up in the 'hood, coming up in the struggle," he reportedly said. "We're killing each other, dawg. And it's about nothing. Nothing. Nothing. We're all dying ... over nothing."

On Tuesday, the chapel hosted a viewing where more than 4,000 mourners paid their respects, many of them sporting T-shirts bearing the late rapper's likeness.

The Free Press reported that for many fans who attended the viewing, it was hard to see the popular Detroit MC lying motionless in his traditional outfit — a track suit, Kangol cap, jeans and Timberland-style boots — with a Detroit Pistons jersey (Chauncey Billups' number 1) signed by several players draped over his body. The casket was emblazoned with both his birth name, Deshaun D. Holton, and his rap handle in English script.

	"This is a sad ending to a great career that was just getting started. He will be missed." How have you been affected by Proof's life and death? You Tell Us.
	DeShaun 'Proof' Holton (1973-2006): A Look Back

The service took place just hours after the death of Keith Bender Jr., 35, the man police say was shot in the face by Proof during a shootout at Detroit's CCC nightclub on April 11 (see "Man Allegedly Shot By D12's Proof Dies"). According to police, Proof, 32, was shot once in the head and twice in the chest after firing on Bender following an early morning altercation at the after-hours club (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club"). Police allege that Bender's cousin, Mario Etheridge, shot and killed Proof; he was charged Friday with carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm in a building (see "Proof Shooting Suspect Charged — But Not With Murder").

"We knew he was gone," Proof's good friend, rapper King Gordy, told the paper. "But when you see him now, it's like, 'Here goes a reality check.' Right now, Detroit has a black cloud over it." Also present at the viewing were Detroit rapper Paradime, "Wild 'N Out" cast member Carlos "Spanky" Hayes and D12 musical collaborator Luis Resto, according to the Detroit News, which reported that some attendees were struggling with accounts that Proof shot first in the deadly gun battle that ended his life.

"We all know in our hearts that isn't true," said Rob Black, who had known Proof for five years. Black said he got a tattoo that reads "R.I.P. Big Proof" on the right side of his neck over the weekend. "Now every day when I wake up, I'll see him," he said.

Greg Brown, who played guitar on several D12 tracks, said, "Today feels gloomy, even though it's sunny out."

And Marvwon of the Detroit rap crew Fat Killahz added, "It doesn't seem real. ... He was Superman. How do you kill Superman?"

On Monday night, some of Proof's friends, including Eminem and other members of D12, had a private viewing of the body.

D12's Bizarre, who did not make it to Monday's viewing, was brought into the church through a back entrance on Tuesday as staffers closed the doors to the public for about 10 minutes to give him privacy. As mourners shuffled by, two large video screens on either side of the pulpit showed a continuous loop of Proof in music videos and from concerts.

There was a heavy police presence both inside and outside the church, according to the Free Press, with about a dozen officers and private security staffers in the area.

"For the most part, everybody is taking it hard. Especially his mom," Proof's cousin, Kenneth Malone told the paper. "We're just trying to maintain. Once we get past this, we'll deal with it really. Right now we're just trying to do what we can for the public."

As people left the viewing, they were given a postcard-size handout — a picture of D12, without Eminem, on the front, and a story about Proof's life on the back. Several rappers who worked with Proof at his Detroit-based label, Iron Fist Records, said they planned to honor their comrade at his funeral Wednesday (April 19) by wearing Kangol caps and black T-shirts with a silk-screened image of Proof and the words "Big Proof Forever 1973-2006" on the back.

• Proof Of D-12
• D12

D12's Proof
Photo: Appio

Keith Bender Jr., the man police say was shot in the face by D12 rapper Proof during a fatal shootout at Detroit's CCC Nightclub on April 11, has died.

Bender, who was 35, died early Tuesday morning (April 18) at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, according to hospital spokesperson Wende Berry. He had been listed in critical condition at the hospital and had been on life support since the shooting one week ago. Berry would not disclose whether Bender was removed from life support, but said "it's safe to say that he died from his wounds."

Proof — who, according to police, was shot once in the head and twice in the chest soon after firing on Bender — was pronounced dead on arrival at St. John Holy Cross Hospital the morning of the shooting (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club"). The rapper, who was born DeShaun Holton, was 32 years old.

According to witness accounts, investigators believe Proof shot Bender during an altercation at the after-hours club at approximately 4:30 a.m. Police allege that Bender's cousin, Mario Etheridge, then shot and killed Proof. Etheridge was charged Friday with carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a building but not with Proof's murder (see "Proof Shooting Suspect Charged — But Not With Murder"). He was arraigned Saturday and has pleaded not guilty to both counts. Etheridge, a 28-year-old bouncer who was working at the CCC at the time of the shooting, has been released from the Wayne County Jail after posting bond. If convicted, Etheridge could face up to nine years behind bars.

	How have you been affected by Proof's life and death? You Tell Us.
	DeShaun 'Proof' Holton (1973-2006): A Look Back

A public viewing for Proof is expected to be held Tuesday, with his funeral scheduled to take place Wednesday.

According to the Detroit Free Press, authorities in Detroit are expected to push for the CCC's closure, which they will announce during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. The club, located on Eight Mile Road, has been a troubled spot for more than 10 years, according to a police spokesperson; officers have responded to 18 incidents there since 1996. The most recent visit by police came in December, when members of the city's vice squad raided the bar and slapped its owners with six violations, most for serving alcohol to minors.

The Free Press reports that Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy will file a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to board up the club. She will also be utilizing the attorneys under her command to help police crack down on similar establishments.

• Proof Of D-12
• D12

D12's Proof
Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage.com

Mario Etheridge, the bouncer at Detroit's CCC Club suspected in the shooting death of D12's Proof, was arraigned on weapons charges Saturday morning in Detroit's 36th District Court. Etheridge's attorney, Randall Upshaw, entered not guilty pleas on his client's behalf during the hearing. According to the Detroit Free Press, Magistrate Steve Lockhart set Etheridge's bond at $70,000 — an amount he has yet to post. He's due in court for a preliminary hearing April 26. ...

According to Jimmy Rosemond, who manages the Game, the Compton, California, MC wasn't in court in Greensboro, North Carolina, on March 28 because an appearance summons never showed up in his mailbox. In a statement issued Monday afternoon (April 17), Rosemond said "there was a change of address in which Game did not receive his court summons." (Last week a judge issued a bench warrant for the Game's arrest after he missed his court date.) The Game still faces charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in Greensboro, stemming from an October incident at a local mall. "It was a simple mistake and yes, a paper warrant was issued," Rosemond said. "However, his attorneys are working to clear this matter immediately." ...

Pink's not "Stupid" — she knows it's time to move on from her controversial clip and demonstrate that the rest of her new album, I'm Not Dead, isn't all gimmick. The singer shot a video for the wistful "Who Knew" over the weekend in Los Angeles, following a couple at a carnival with directors Samuel Bayer (Green Day, Good Charlotte), Robert Hales (Fort Minor, Jet) and Brian Lazzaro (Rilo Kiley, Mest). "It's about the death of friendship," Pink said. "You're best friends forever, and then three years later, you haven't seen each other in two years. What happened? You grow apart and people come in and out of your life for different reasons, seasons." Pink also has a video for "U and Ur Hand" already in the can, directed by "Stupid Girls" auteur Dave Meyers. ... Ashanti pulled out of a planned concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday after her cousin was killed by a drunk driver while running an errand for the singer before the show. According to the Cape Times Web site, 20-year-old Quinshae Snead was thrown into oncoming traffic from a car in which she was a passenger after it was struck by an unlicensed 17-year-old drunk driver who had stolen his mother's car. The teen was arrested for drunk driving. Ashanti was on the bill for the Redd's Divas Concert at the Coca-Cola Dome, which also featured Lauryn Hill, Regina Belle and a host of popular African singers. ...

The White Stripes are being sued by a Detroit producer who claims he helped produce the band's signature lo-fi sound. Jim Diamond — the Dirtbombs bassist who is credited as a co-producer on the Stripes' 1999 self-titled debut and sound mixer on 2000's De Stijl — is now seeking royalties from them. A spokesperson for the Stripes acknowledged the suit but had no further comment on it. Bert Deixler, the Los Angeles attorney representing the band in the case, told The Associated Press that the suit "is meritless [and] will be defended with vigor." A June 12 trial date has been set for the case. ... If you're just about to pay your taxes, Moby wants you to think about where the money you're giving the government is going. "A lot of times, when you think of government policies, it seems very abstract and sort of arbitrary, until all of a sudden it's tax time, and you realize that your tax dollars are actually funding what the government does," he said. And that means partly bankrolling the Iraq war, which he claims is costing $244.2 million per day, or $170,000 per minute, or $2,379 per person. "Apart from that it's the biggest foreign policy disaster in the United States and that thousands of American soldiers are being killed and maimed, the fact that it's coming out of everyone's pocket really just adds insult to injury," Moby said, suggesting people feel free to write "not for Iraq" on the envelope. ...

Former Great White manager Daniel Biechele has written letters of apology to the families of 100 people who died in a nightclub fire at a Great White show in February 2003, the AP reports. Biechele was the one who lit the pyrotechnics display that sparked the blaze. He pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter and will serve up to 10 years in prison under a plea bargain that did not require him to write the letters. "Mr. Biechele feels genuine sorrow at what happened in this case, and he's been wanting to say something to the victims for a long time," his lawyer, Tom Briody, told the AP. Biechele's sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 8. ... A judge in New Orleans has thrown out a lawsuit by a man who claims to have been sexually and physically assaulted by Michael Jackson in 1984, the AP reports. Joseph Bartucci Jr., who was 18 at the time of the alleged incident, claimed Jackson lured him into a limo at the world's fair and held him for nine days, and that he repressed the memory until 2003. U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon's reason for the dismissal was not released along with the judge's order. ...

Christina Milian has lots to say these days about her ex Nick Cannon, and none of it's pretty. Milian told Blender magazine for its May cover story that she found out Cannon was cheating on her after hacking his Sidekick. (Click here to see photos of Milian in Blender.) While filming the Wes Craven thriller "Pulse" in Romania, Milian started getting calls from her friends back home, asking if the couple were still together. "All the time we were together, I heard nothing," the singer told the mag. "No rumors, no gossip, and then all of a sudden I'm in Romania and I start hearing stuff." Once she found the code to Cannon's phone and cracked it, Milian says her concerns were confirmed. "I did something no woman should do," she said. "But sometimes you're entitled to ... and I think a lot of women do it, but it's my first time doing it." She had more to say about the breakup for Rap-Up's latest cover story, revealing that when she broke up with Cannon, he admitted cheating on her "for the entire three years we were together. The whole time with different girls, not just one, but different girls. He said to me that these girls helped his ego and made him look good," she said. Milian added that any characterization by Cannon that they're still friends is completely false and that she's already called his mother to ask him to stop saying that. Milian finds space to vent on her upcoming album, So Amazin', too. She gets even on the song "Who's Gonna Ride," which features the opening line "I ain't one to cuss, but f--- you." The album, produced in part by Milian's new boyfriend, Andre Lyon, — Dre of Cool and Dre — is due May 16. ...

Incubus will perform during Amnesty International's Make Some Noise, an acoustic benefit concert set for April 29 in Portland, Oregon. Actress Mira Sorvino will host the event, which will also feature performances by Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello (as Nightwatchman), Collective Soul and Suzanne Vega. ... There have been several additions to this year's Coachella Music and Arts Festival, set for April 29 and April 30 in Indio, California. Head Automatica, the Rakes and Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson will all be performing as part of the first day's lineup. Others confirmed for the festival include Tool, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Franz Ferdinand. ... The season six finale of "The Gilmore Girls" will pack an extra punch of indie love, featuring appearances from Yo La Tengo, Joe Pernice, Sparks, Sam Phillips, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (with daughter Coco) and, for good measure, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian from "24"). The episode will air May 9 on the WB. ...

On Saturday, Deron Miller, lead singer for Bam Margera's favorite act, CKY, posted an announcement on the forum of the band's Web site, proclaiming "CKY Has Dropped Island Records." In the post, Miller wrote that, "We had been asking to be let go since 2003, when it was clear that the label had no idea how to market a band that doesn't write songs about breaking up with their girlfriends. To this day I truly don't know why they signed us in the first place." Later in the post, Miller explained that CKY were actually quite stoked to be off Island. "They wanted to do our fourth album, but giving them a fourth chance to deliver disappointing, empty promises seemed ludicrous." A spokesperson for Island — who released CKY's 2002 album, Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild, and last year's An Answer Can Be Found — said the label had no comment on the matter. Miller promised that even without a label, the band would press on with their current Australian tour. ...

"Guitar Hero" — the 2005 video game sleeper hit that gave players the chance to strap on plastic guitars and rock out — is coming back to the PS2 this November. Publisher RedOctane and developer Harmonix announced that "Guitar Hero II" will feature 55 songs in a still-secret set list. The game will also allow players to team up with separate guitars playing the role of rhythm, lead and bass. More information is expected at the Electronics Entertainment Expo in May. ... Reports began to surface last week that Neil Young had entered a studio earlier this month to record Living With War, an entire album's worth of protest songs featuring the track "Impeach the President," bolstered by a 100-voice choir. His label, Warner Bros., said it had no information about the record, but Young himself confirmed the album Monday via a post on his Web site, NeilYoung.com. In the lengthy message, Young wrote that the album was, in fact, called Living With War, a "metal version of Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan ... a power trio with trumpet and 100 voices." The album is apparently 10 songs long, and though there is no release date set, Young did thank Warner and Reprise Records "for the support." He didn't mention "Impeach," but Young did conclude his post with lyrics to the title track, which features the hook "I'm living with war every day/ I'm living with war right now/ And when night falls I pray for peace."

04.14.06

Madonna, Elton John, INXS, Staind, and Ozomatli are among the artists participating in Music Rising's online ticket auctions, raising funds to replace musical instruments and equipment destroyed during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sixty-five auctions are already under way, with the rest being added each weekend throughout the month at
www.ticketmaster.com. ...

Jennifer Lopez was hit with a lawsuit on Tuesday. TV writer Jack Bunick filed a federal suit in New York against the singer, as well as CBS, UPN, and MTV's parent company, Viacom, for copyright infringement. He claims that the UPN show that Lopez executive produces, "South Beach," improperly used his script in a January 11 broadcast of the two-hour season premiere "Pilot/ I'm Not Your Baby." (The script for that episode was credited to Matt Cirulnick, Greg Cirulnick, and co-executive producer Philip Levens). ...

Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Paula Abdul are teaching kids how to be safe on the Internet via a series of PSAs that will begin airing this week. Other celebs featured in the spots include Celine Dion, Tony Danza, Donny Osmond, Kathy Ireland, and the cast of "7th Heaven." The campaign is sponsored by the KlaasKidds Foundation and the Child Safety Network, who are providing fingerprint cards, child photo I.D. cards, DNA kits, and access to the national database of registered sex offenders. ... Florida's chapter of the Recording Academy will present their Honors award to the Backstreet Boys on Monday. Puerto Rican pop artist Ednita Nazario is also being honored. ...

"Laguna Beach" star Alex Murrel is recording an album due June 20 on Eyecon/ Universal Records. She's also hitting the road this spring on the Rock Your Prom Tour. ... O.A.R. and Jack's Mannequin are teaming for a summer tour kicking off June 8 in Phoenix. The trek will wrap August 13 in Wallingford, Connecticut. ... The Strokes have added several more U.S. stops to their current North American tour. Before the New York rockers head to Canada May 6 for eight gigs, they'll hit Tucson, Arizona, April 29 and then return to the States May 20 with a concert in Glen Allen, Virginia. The band will also play Memphis (May 22); Birmingham, Alabama (May 23); North Charleston, South Carolina (May 25); and June 11, they'll be in Santa Barbara, California, for the tour's final stop. ... MySpace and Cingular have teamed to offer unsigned acts the ability to create and sell ring tones. The process is available MySpace.com/CingularStudio. ...

Death Cab for Cutie, the Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Secret Machines, Wolfmother, the Go! Team, the Hold Steady and She Wants Revenge will constitute the bill for this year's Kuyahoga Festival, which is being sponsored by Cleveland rock station WXRK. The concert will be held August 3 at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with more bands being added in the coming weeks. ... The Sword, former Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard, Blue Cheer, Rhymefest and Erase Errata have been added to the lineup for this year's Intonation Music Festival, which is set for June 24 and June 25 at Chicago's Union Park. The bill also features previously announced performers Lady Sovereign, Lupe Fiasco, the Constantines, High on Fire, Annie and headliners Bloc Party and the Streets. ... Colin Meloy of the Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens are among the acts on The Sound the Hare Heard, the latest compilation from Kill Rock Stars. Death Vessel, Wooden Wand and Devin Davis are also included on the album, due in May. ...

Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit film company inked a first-look deal with Focus Features and Rogue Pictures this week. Under the terms of the agreement, Latifah and her producing partner Shakim Compere will develop feature projects for both Focus and Rogue. So far, Flavor Unit's productions include "Bringing Down the House," "The Cookout" and "Beauty Shop." Latifah is expected to star in some of the new projects, but the deal is structured to nurture new talent as well. ... Ice Cube will continue his break from movies for the next month and a half to hit the road in support of his upcoming seventh solo album, Laugh Now, Cry Later (June 6). The 22-date swing is slated to kick off Thursday with a show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, according to Cube's spokesperson, and it includes dates in San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Denver and Las Vegas. The tour is currently slated to wrap up with a June 3 date at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. ...

Rob Thomas and Jewel are teaming up for a summer tour. The two will trek cross-country for seven weeks starting May 23 in Clearwater, Florida, and wrapping July 5 in San Diego. Jewel's next album, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, is due May 2. ... "Let's Rock Again!," the behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the life and career of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer, is scheduled for release on DVD on June 27. The movie, directed by the punk icon's longtime friend Dick Rude, has personal interviews and backstage footage shot in the 18 months leading up to Strummer's death in 2002. The film traces Strummer's beginnings from his days fronting the Clash to his tireless tours with late-period band the Mescaleros. That's not to be confused with a second, in-the-works Strummer doc directed by close friend Julian Temple. ...

Despite rumors to the contrary, Solange Knowles is not pregnant with a second child, she assured fans Thursday. "There is absolutely no validity to this rumor," Beyoncé's younger sister said in a statement. "The bloggers are circulating old photos of me from my baby shower over two years ago and misrepresenting them as current photos." Solange also said that she's been busy producing, recording, and negotiating future movie deals. ... Babyface filed suit Thursday in Los Angeles against Anita Baker, claiming the singer failed to pay him for a song he produced for her. Babyface claims he's owed $100,000 for co-writing "Like You Used to Do" during a Detroit session in May 2004. The song was used on Baker's gold album My Everything. Babyface is also asking to be paid $150,000 for two shows that he agreed to do with Baker in July 2005 that she canceled (He was paid, however, for the concerts they did do together).

[This story was originally published at 9:50 am E.T. on 04.17.2006]

• Christina Milian In The May 2006 Issue Of 'Blender'

• Proof Of D-12
• D12
• Ashanti
• Christina Milian
• Nick Cannon

Eminem (file)
Photo: Bill Pugliano/ Getty Images

After two days of private mourning, Eminem broke his public silence late Thursday on the death of his best friend Proof, as the slain rapper's lawyer refuted police reports that he shot first in Tuesday morning's incident at Detroit's CCC Club.

"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 said in a statement regarding the death of his D12 partner, longtime onstage hype man and closest friend (see "D12's Proof Shot And Killed At Detroit Club"). "He pushed me to become who I am. Without Proof's guidance and encouragement there would have been a Marshall Mathers, but probably not an Eminem and certainly never a Slim Shady. Not a day will go by without his spirit and influence around us all. He will be missed as a friend, father and both the heart and ambassador of Detroit hip-hop."

Though the focus since Tuesday's incident has been on reports from police that it was 32-year-old Proof (born DeShaun Holton) who fired first, shooting Keith Bender Jr. in the face before he was fatally shot by another man (see "Suspect In Proof Slaying Turns Himself In"), Eminem encouraged fans to remember the life of Proof, not his death.

"Right now, there's a lot of people focusing on the way he died," Eminem said."I want to remember the way he lived. Proof was funny, he was smart, he was charming. He inspired everyone around him. He can never, ever be replaced. He was, and always will be, my best friend" (see "Proof: 'Eminem's Best Friend' And A Vital Member Of Detroit's Hip-Hop Scene").

On Thursday, Proof's lawyer, David Gorosh, strongly questioned police claims that his client fired first (see "Details In Proof Shooting Emerge As Police, Second Victim's Family Speak Out"). "To indicate that Proof pulled the trigger first is reckless and quite frankly it will be proved to be untrue," Gorosh said, according to the Detroit Free Press.

	"This is a sad ending to a great career that was just getting started. He will be missed." How have you been affected by Proof's life and death? You Tell Us.
	DeShaun 'Proof' Holton (1973-2006): A Look Back

Bender remained in critical condition at St. John Hospital at press time and his family released a statement Thursday decrying the violence that led to his shooting. "The senseless events of Tuesday morning were extremely unfortunate, and have decimated the entire family," the statement read. "Keith is a warm, caring, giving and charismatic young man. To see him in his current condition is nearly unbearable. Please keep Keith and our family in your prayers as we work through this tragedy. This is an extremely difficult and sensitive time for our family in having Keith nearly taken away from us."

Police and prosecutors continued interviewing the man suspected of shooting Proof, 28-year-old Mario Etheridge, who turned himself in Wednesday. Authorities have said that it's possible Etheridge, Bender's cousin, may not be charged if evidence points to him shooting in self-defense or to protect someone else.

According to the Free Press, police believe CCC Club bouncer Etheridge opened fire after Proof pistol-whipped Bender, fired a round into his head and stood over Bender and prepared to fire another shot. Etheridge allegedly shot Proof three times in the head and chest.

Without acknowledging that his client shot anyone, Etheridge's attorney, Randall Upshaw, has said that his client did nothing illegal, also claiming that Proof shot first.

"It's disingenuous to speak to the media to try and suggest that Proof shot first," Gorosh countered, according to the Free Press. "There are ways to determine what shots were fired and by whom. There's an ongoing investigation. ... Until all of the factual evidence has been evaluated, an opinion by the Detroit Police Department is premature."

• Proof Of D-12
• Eminem
• D12

Remembering DeShaun 'Proof' Holton: 1973-2006

• Proof Of D-12
• D12

VMA '04 Red Carpet Fashion

• Usher
• Jessica Simpson
• Ashlee Simpson
• Ryan Cabrera
• Nick Lachey

MTV.com Exclusive: D12 Photos

• D12

Direct Effect Presents: Straight Up Hip-Hop All Week Performances

• J-Kwon
• Twista
• Miri Ben-Ari
• D12
• Lil' Flip

Direct Effect Presents: Straight Up Hip-Hop All Week Portraits

• J-Kwon
• Twista
• Cassidy
• Miri Ben-Ari
• D12

Making the Video: D12 "My Band"

• D12

Sway Goes Backstage With Eminem And 50 Cent

• Eminem
• 50 Cent
• D12
• Obie Trice