The Final Hours of Proof

April 10th 2006, DeShaun Dupree Holton, known as the Detroit hip-hop legend Proof and founder of the iconic rap collective D-12 was out for a night of fun as he was accustomed to https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (1:32-1:49) https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (2:10-2:29) Old habits die hard and Proof had the most respect for the city that raised him. His patriotism was bar non and that resulted in him staying close to the neighbourhood even if he was now a star and could have moved to a safer location and distance himself from dangerous company and environment https://youtu.be/Y8LPY4uJyLo (2:32-2:51) Instead, he chose to remain in the heart of the city he loved – a honourable choice, but costly one.

https://youtu.be/lexLAjh8fPA (0:22-0:44)

https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (0:12-0:31)

https://youtu.be/ePpFGLEK8Hk (4:43-4:55)

https://youtu.be/ePpFGLEK8Hk (5:10-5:21)

https://youtu.be/Y8LPY4uJyLo (1:28-1:36)

https://youtu.be/us7NNwEDmDY (1:35-1:56)

https://youtu.be/TlBDlxL8NoI (0:35-0:59)

https://youtu.be/1vO9Dts3cTw (7:55-8:12)

https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (0:57-1:12)

https://youtu.be/vvSySR8RdzY (40:46-41:10)

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That night would be the last time proof would enjoy a night out in the city. Numerous accounts reshape the moments before his passing, but one key detail was the place it occurred, at the CCC Club along Detroit’s 8 Mile Road.

Before Proof’s arrival to the place where the tragedy would occur, his night had already long began along with two friends that accompanied him club hopping having a time. As the night commenced, his close friend Reginald Moorer aka Mud messaged the rapper to find out about the spot where they would hang out that night. Proof would reply stating he’s at the strip tease establishment, Coliseum with two other friends at the time by the names of Horny Mack and Chop. Mud would join the trio and the four of them would hang out at what he referred to as the titty bar before drinking, having a conversation with the DJ then making their way from the Coliseum to another strip tease establishment named Rolex. There they continued having a fun time enticing their eyes and consuming more alcohol into their system. The night was young and they decided why stop now? That brought them to Proof’s final destination, the CCC club which by this time was after midnight entering Tuesday April 11^th 2006

There, the festivities continued leading up to the gruesome moments that would take Proof’s life. First reports state that at around 4:30am, things got heated between Proof and a patron by the name of Keith Bender

Bender was a veteran of the first Gulf war. The former medic was forced out of the army due to a heart condition. 

Ironically, the reason stated in reports that he was at the CCC bar, was to celebrate good news about his condition.

Allegedly, the reason Proof and Bender got into their alteration was over a game of pool. Reports stated that the argument escalated leading to Proof allegedly knocking Bender to the ground, after which he proceeds to draw a firearm and shoot Bender twice – one bullet hitting him in the head. Reports further state, this is when Proof stood over a bleeding Bender, and that’s when a friend of Bender returned fire, delivering the wounds that would end Proof’s life.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/16/usa.paulharris

Both victims would be in life threatening condition and were transported to the hospital. 

Proof was rushed to St. John Holy Cross Hospital, while Bender was taken to St. John Hospital, where he was listed as being in critical condition. Proof unfortunately was pronounced dead on arrival.

https://www.mtv.com/news/6dmhw6/d12s-proof-shot-and-killed-at-detroit-club

Keith Bender would ultimately suffer the same faith at the hospital just 8 days later as his wounds were too fatal for his body to heal and recover. Further investigations would reveal that the his friend who was the main suspect in brandishing his firearm and shooting Proof once in the head and twice in the chest was in fact his cousin and the bouncer at the club. He was Mario Etheridge

With his name in the spotlight as the one who pulled the trigger ending Proof’s life, Etheridge turned himself in to police the day after the incident. By the second day, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Etheridge with carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a dwelling or occupied structure. That would lead to an uproar over the charges when friends and family of Proof noticed one charge excluding from the list – murder. Kym Worthy however reiterated that even if Etheridge was not charged with Proof’s murder, the investigation in this case is far from over, hinting that the charge could still be on the table.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/murder-on-eight-mile-r-i-p-proof-94833/

Etheridge pleaded not guilty to the charges and posted $7,000 bond and was released from the Wayne County Jail.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-allegedly-shot-by-proof-dies/

The CCC Club would be forced to close its doors for a period of time due to being at fault for the altercation as clubs were required to close at 2 am but Police and local residents say they generally opened from 2 to 7 a.m., after other clubs closed in accordance with local law. Given the incident happened hours after 2am, coupled with the addition of eighteen police reports being filed about the club during the past decade, covering shootings, fights, underage drinking and other violations, Proof’s death was the final straw

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/murder-on-eight-mile-r-i-p-proof-94833/

https://www.mtv.com/news/xr0c6n/nightclub-where-proof-died-closes-its-doors

Detroit and the hip-hop community on a whole was about to be shaken up in mourning and when the news outlets aired the tragedy passing of the Detroit legend, that was exactly the case https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (0:12-0:30)  His group D-12 took his murder to the heart, but the one who felt the full force of his death was his best friend turned brother and next door neighbour Marshall Matters aka Eminem https://youtu.be/us7NNwEDmDY (1:35-1:56) The two go back to childhood days when Eminem first met him outside of school on the steps while he was giving out flyers. Proof didn’t see Eminem’s skin colour, all he saw was a kid that loved hip hop just as much as him, and from there the bond only grew https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (0:57-1:12)

In fact, Proof was the one who opened the doors for Eminem’s talent to be seen rather than him being a white kid wanting to rap. In that era of hip hop, the culture belonged to Black artists as they were the ones who inspired the genre and had the talent and wordplay. Proof, realizing Eminem was the real deal and loved the craft and had the talent, would trick people at school into listening to Eminem rap, knowing very well that once they heard with their ears and not see with their eyes, they would become a believer just like him, and sure enough, Eminem’s talent broke the stigma and caught their attention https://youtu.be/1vO9Dts3cTw (7:44-8:12) The 8 Mile movie 

Eminem would later releasee about his life would show the character Future 

played by Mekhi Phifer 

who was inspired by who Proof was to Eminem https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (1:24-1:31)

From the moment Proof and Eminem became friends, the path to them becoming rap legends was history https://youtu.be/dRpuE0d-suE (2:17-4:38) 

The two became more like brothers, where there was Proof, there was Eminem. Where there was Eminem, there was Proof.

Proof became his right hand man at every Eminem concert. 

They were the dream team and being that they came up from nothing as kids in school to now touring the world, it was a future every friendship dream of living. Just January of 2006, Proof was the best man at Eminem’s wedding https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (0:37-0:41) So when Proof was murdered, it was like a part of Eminem died and he spiralled into darkness and drug abuse that nearly claimed his life https://youtu.be/2bZk6FxZ_tI (0:46-1:10) https://youtu.be/2bZk6FxZ_tI (2:38-3:10) https://youtu.be/TlBDlxL8NoI (0:35-0:59) He placed guilt on himself, questioning if he was only there he could have changed something, and the guilt only got worse as he recalled releasing the music video for his song  “Like Toy Soldiers,” off his 2004 album Encore. The video and song slammed violence in the hip-hop community, and in bringing the concept to life he used Proof in clips showing him shot and Eminem sits in the hospital waiting room as doctors try to revive him https://youtu.be/lexLAjh8fPA (4:43-5:10) https://youtu.be/lexLAjh8fPA (0:22-0:45)

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/d12-rapper-proof-fatally-shot-97200/

With Proof gone, his group D-12 crumbled. He was like the glue and energy keeping everyone together. Eminem would release the song “Stepping Stone” on his 2018 Kamikaze album with the heartfelt track speaking on the end of the group without Proof https://youtu.be/mD91o6qz0T8 (0:20-0:52) It was the end of an era. That’s how much respected and cherished Proof was, without him, nothing felt the same https://youtu.be/Ji5I03sko8s (11:15-12:15) https://youtu.be/qZmdPVPQyeA (0:15-1:24) The city of Detroit experienced a war over his murder, resulting in many losing their lives https://youtu.be/yx-QGeB3GBo (4:34-4:48)

With all the pain and grief going on, there were still numerous theories and speculation going on about what actually happened the night Proof died. During the trial in September 2018, the prosecutor stated that Etheridge fired the first shot which was a warning shot. The assistant prosecutor Elizabeth Walker also reiterated that when Etheridge fired the warning shot, “that was the first display, the first use, the first time anyone knew about a weapon.” It was at that point, according to the prosecution, that Proof drew his weapon and fired at Keith Bender, who was Etheridge’s cousin.

https://www.xxlmag.com/prosecutor-says-bouncers-warning-shot-prompted-proof-to-pull-gun/

https://www.mtv.com/news/ffryrz/detroit-prosecutor-says-proofs-killer-sparked-fatal-april-gunfight

This contradicted the previous reports believed to be true, that Proof was the one who fired first. Further, on October 2^nd 2006 an XXL interview by an eyewitness and friend of Proof Reginald Moorer aka Mud broke his silence on what allegedly actually happened that night. According to him, when they got to the CCC club he was the only one with a Pistol on him out of the group of 4 that included Proof. The night went on and they were getting ready to leave, walked out the door but saw two girls from their prior time at club Rolex. 

While he was interacting with one of the women, he noticed Proof and Bender in a war of words and things started to get loud. Mud could hear Bender shout to Proof, “I don’t care who the fuck you are.” At that moment he proceeded to them and recall telling Bender the final words,  “Calm down, it ain’t that serious.” 

Proof proceed to speak to L.A. the owner of the club and according to Mud, that’s when Bender snuck around and punched Proof in the face.

At the point everyone cleared room for them to fight it out as men, but that’s when Mud allegedly heard Etheridge fire shots into the air to break up the fight. 

This prompted Proof to end up in a squabble with Mud for his gun in order to return fire into the air as well as a perceived response to Etheridge. Once proof got the upper hand of Mud, obtained the gun, and fired into the air, Bender attacks Proof and the two began fighting. 

That’s when Etheridge allegedly started firing in their direction, hitting both Proof and his own cousin, inflicting the wounds that killed them both 

https://www.xxlmag.com/the-death-of-proof-bare-witness/

Bizarre, who was a member of D-12 later reiterated a similar recount of what happened that night Proof died https://youtu.be/ePpFGLEK8Hk (4:43-5:22)

Mario Etheridge’s case would end with Wayne County Circuit Judge Vera Massey Jones sentencing him to time served for the concealed weapon charge and levied a $2,000 fine for firing the gun in a building. 

Prosecutors used the first narrative reported that Proof fired first, determining Etheridge acted lawfully in defence of Bender when he fired at Proof. But they said Etheridge shot twice at the ceiling in an effort to stop Proof before aiming the gun at him. Those shots were the basis for the charge of illegally firing a weapon.

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/proof-shooter-spared-further-jail-time-56822/

Proof had offered so much to his city and to hip hop and was on the verge of lifting both up so much more https://youtu.be/fqaa-HkiPzY (0:25-1:57) The city and the hip hop artists made sure to come out to his funeral and show just how much he was loved and cherished https://youtu.be/tzn8gHsMPz4 (0:06-1:36)

His tragic passing left a hole that will forever feel unfilled. He leaves behind friends, fans, wife and 5 kids, but his legacy will forever be engraved in Detroit and the music industry through his projects like I Miss the Hip Hop Shop, Searching for Jerry Garcia, and Time A Tell which was written and recorded in only 24 hours https://youtu.be/W_4IViBAvWs (2:45-3:04) https://youtu.be/0VFmoVPF4FQ (1:10:25-1:10:55) https://youtu.be/0VFmoVPF4FQ (1:12:12-1:13:05)

Rest in peace Proof https://youtu.be/vvSySR8RdzY (40:45-41:10) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LQdLdU-1jhM https://youtu.be/nQFWD0xzPE4 (5:41-5:56)