Happy Heavenly Birthday to DeShaun Dupree Holton
(October 2, 1973 – April 11, 2006) professionally known as Proof and also known as Big Proof and Dirty Harry.
His first television appearance was in the video for Aaliyah’s “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” It was filmed in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan in November 1994, the black and white visual featured cameos of Proof alongside Bizarre from D12 and Aaliyah’s brother (Rashad).
Holton first rose to national prominence when he formed D12 “The Dirty Dozen” in 1995 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.
Proof released a solo album (Called “Searching for Jerry Garcia” in August 2005) 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”
Sadly, on April 11, 2006, Proof was shot and killed after a heated argument during a game of billiards at the CCC Club on 8 Mile Road in Detroit.