“You were and are still truly one of the greatest friends I ever had in my entire life,” Eminem said on social media.
Eminem paid tribute to his late friend DeShaun “Proof” Holton on Saturday, on the 20th anniversary of Proof’s death.
“Doody, can’t believe it’s been 20 years since you’ve been gone!” Eminem said in the post, which was shared to his X and Instagram accounts. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you in some way shape or form … You were and are still truly one of the greatest friends I ever had in my entire life and I thank God everyday that he put us in each other’s lives.”
Proof was Eminem’s right hand man and is credited with helping Eminem get his footing in Detroit’s hip-hop scene.
He was Eminem’s hype man on stage and was a part of D12, the group which featured Eminem and Proof along with Rufus “Bizarre” Johnson, Denaun “Kon Artis” Porter, Ondre “Swifty McVay” Moore, and Von “Kuniva” Carlisle.
Proof was killed by gunfire at an after-hours club on east Eight Mile in Detroit on April 11, 2006. He was killed after he shot another man, Keith Bender, following an altercation in the bar, police said. Bender later died from the gunshot.
Proof was known as “P” or “Big Proof” to friends and fans, and “Doody” to Eminem.
“My life would never have taken the trajectory it took had I not met you. Thank you for always believing in me like I always believed in you!!” Eminem said in his message. “We had such an amazing ride together and I will never forget you and what you did for me and my self-esteem and confidence every time you cosigned for me at every club and open mic we ever went to!!
“Your credibility was enough to open people’s minds to not judge me until they heard me and you were one of the first ones who got people to listen before they passed any judgment!! I love you doody you will always be my best friend no matter how much time passes and I will never forget you as long as I live!!!”
Eminem’s manager, Paul Rosenberg, also paid tribute to Proof on social media on Saturday.
“Forever grateful and humble to have known, grown and worked with such a great man,” he wrote. “Can’t believe it’s been two decades …”
A post on D12’s official X account on Saturday noted a forthcoming D12 album will feature previously unheard music from Proof.
The album, “D12 Forever,” is pegged for a June release.
“Proof’s spirit, his words, and his impact will remain eternal,” the post read.
