Proof

DeShaun Dupree Holton (October 2, 1973 – April 11, 2006), known professionally as Proof, was an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan.

During his career, he was a member of the groups 5 Elementz, Funky Cowboys, Promatic, Goon Sqwad, and D12.

He was a close childhood friend of rapper Eminem, who also lived in Detroit.

Proof was often a hype man rapper at Eminem's concerts.

Holton was born to Sharallene "Pepper" Holton, a single mother.

His father, McKinley Jackson, was a music producer who left to pursue his career prior to Holton's birth.

DeShaun was close friends with Eminem from a young age.

Originally known as Maximum, under the moniker "Proof", Holton first rose to national prominence when he formed D12 "The Dirty Dozen" in 1996 with his friends Eminem, Bizarre, Mr. Porter, and a high school friend Eye-Kyu.

Shortly after that, Proof recruited two friends, B-Flat & Dirty Ratt, to the group.

This created the first lineup of Proof's supergroup D12.

Eventually this first incarnation of the group ended back in early 1996 because the original members of D12, Eye-Kyu, B-Flat, and Dirty Ratt, were more focused on recording music with their other groups.

Bizarre, Denaun, and Eminem, could not make it to the studio sessions because they were also working with their other groups.

Proof decided to break up this version of the group in 1996.

Proof later reformed the group in mid-1996.

This time Proof called Bizarre and Eminem, since they were available.

He also asked Denaun, who said he would not return to the group unless they recruit an affiliate and friend of the group, Kuniva.

Proof allowed Denaun to put Kuniva in the group since all the members at the time were already friends with Kuniva.

Then Bizarre decided one of Proof's friends, who was a rapper (from 6th Mile, Detroit) named MC Bugz, should be in the group.

Bugz was also a childhood friend of B-Flat and Dirty Ratt, who had previously parted ways with D12.

Early individual accomplishments included being featured in The Source's "Unsigned Hype" column in 1999 and nearly winning the 1998 Blaze Battle.

His first television appearance was in the video for Aaliyah's "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number".

In 2000, Proof toured with Eminem, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg in the Up In Smoke Tour, performing as a hype man for Eminem.

He gained further exposure in 2001 with the release of Devil's Night, D12's debut album on Interscope Records.

The following year, Proof collaborated with Dogmatic on "Promatic" and joined Eminem's "Anger Management" tour in support of the release.

He appeared in the film 8 Mile along with Eminem and Xzibit.

Proof appeared as Lil' Tic, a freestyle rapper who rap battles the lead character, B-Rabbit, played by Eminem.

To capitalize on the publicity from the film, Proof released a six-song EP called Electric CoolAid Acid Testing.

Proof also starred in a cameo role, alongside the rest of D12 (except for Eminem), in The Longest Yard, appearing as "Basketball Convicts" during the credits.

Proof released a solo album featuring collaborations with 50 Cent, Method Man, Nate Dogg, B-Real of Cypress Hill, T3 of Slum Village, Obie Trice, King Gordy, Eminem and D12.

Proof said that he did not produce the record with Shady Records or Aftermath because he wanted to "build his own thing".

Called Searching for Jerry Garcia, the album was released on August 9, 2005, on his own Iron Fist Records label in conjunction with Alliance Entertainment's IDN Distribution, ten years to the day following Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia's death.

It contained the prophetic song Kurt Kobain in which he wrote of his own death and 'passing the sign' to 1st Born as his protégé once he was gone.

Proof has said that he considered Garcia to be a "genius" who suffered from common character flaws.

Proof has stated his admiration for Garcia's eclectic style, saying that Garcia "went against the grain".

Proof stated how he wanted to be remembered in an interview with SOHH.com shortly after his album release: "I want people to say that I was a true artist, that I did it best and stayed true to Hip Hop roots [...] I'd want people to understand I did it for the love, not for the charts."

The album received favorable reviews, which commented on its "eclectic" and "introspective" nature.

Despite its list of guest appearances and favorable reviews, the release did not make a significant impact on the charts.

Proof also recorded a track, "How I Live," with Twiztid for their album Independents Day shortly before his death.

Besides these, he recorded during his Gold Coast tour in 2006, which was exactly two weeks before his death, a song with "Liquidsilva" from Australia.

At the time of Proof's death, he wrote and recorded what would have been his third album called Time a Tell with DJ Jewels Baby in a span of twenty-four hours.