The drama that changed the D12 group's destiny

The well known and dope MC’s from the D12 group used to meet and to rap at the Hip Hop shop at 7 Mile Road. They used to battle and to freestyle. At the hip hop shop, they met a gifted aspiring MC : Karnail Pitts aka Bugz.

Although he was inside of the D12 group, Eminem was supposed to stay a temporary D12 member and to make a few guest appearences in the goup. So it was arranging for the group to have found a sixth member, Bugz :

« The concept with Bugz being in the group, they had six emcees. I would make a guest appearence on a couple of records. » (Eminem)

Bugz brought some energy and some new talent into the group :

“Bugz was at the shop, that’s how we met him. He was one of those young cats that every time he would spit, he would get better and better. Finally we were like, ‘Let’s put him in the group.’ We kept going through different group members…but when we finally made it click, it was with Bugz in the group. “(Eminem)

When Eminem launched his career and when « shady records » was created, he managed to get D12 their own deal :

« I got this deal with Shady basically for them, the group, not knowing if it was going to work or not. We was just rolling the dice. »

Then, sadly, on May the 21st 1999, Bugz got shot at Detroit’s Belle Island Park :

« Some guy was getting mad ‘cause Bugz was getting the best of his boy [in the fight] and he couldn’t take it like a man. » (Swifty Mc Veigh)

A bloody nightmare.

The D12 members were devastated when they heard the news :

« When Bugz died, it was such a shock. It just came out of nowhere. »

Eminem was supposed to perform the day Bugz was shot.
The D12 crew didn’t know how to go on with only 5 members.

Eminem asked the group if he could take Bugz’s place :

« Is it cool if I take Bugz’s place ? »

That’s how he became a permanent and official D12 member.
Eminem’s overwhelming success opened the doors to D12’s success. As a consequence, some people take Eminem for the lead singer of a band which is due to a total misunderstanding of the group’s context and rules.
Eminem is one gifted member of the dope rap group. Each member has his importance, his role and his talent to show to the public. Eminem is a proud member of the D12 family where loyalty means everything.