Talk:Proof (rapper)

This article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects:

Eminem Mid‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Eminem, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Eminem on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.EminemWikipedia:WikiProject EminemTemplate:WikiProject EminemEminem articles Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale. Biography: Musicians This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography, a collaborative effort to create, develop and organize Wikipedia's articles about people. All interested editors are invited to join the project and contribute to the discussion. For instructions on how to use this banner, please refer to the documentation.BiographyWikipedia:WikiProject BiographyTemplate:WikiProject Biographybiography articles This article is supported by WikiProject Musicians (assessed as Low-importance). Michigan: Detroit Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Michigan, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the U.S. state of Michigan on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.MichiganWikipedia:WikiProject MichiganTemplate:WikiProject MichiganMichigan articles Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. This article is supported by the Detroit task force. hip hop on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.Hip hopWikipedia:WikiProject Hip hopTemplate:WikiProject Hip hopHip hop articles Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale.

Most of the citations needed under the Death section, can be found at http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=5074&page=2 it's number 11 in the references section. But some of it might need re-wording. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tydamann (talk • contribs) 21:01, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

removed the words "pooped" I dunno why someone put them in there.

^Thank goodness, and thanks for dutifully reporting it here. BabuBhatt 19:40, 15 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I found another pooped-sentence and removed it. 85.82.195.131 15:54, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

Found another one saying he "pooped and then ate the poop" i removed it.Cdynas 23:59, 16 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It claims Proof's years active were 1998-2006, but he appeared on eminem's album Infinite (1995). His album with 5 Elementz "The album that time forgot" was released in 1995. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Slickwiki (talk • contribs) 09:48, 8 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Real name, birthplace, family background, early life, more on how he got into rapping (yes, Eminem is his friend, but was that how he got in?).

He actually was the hook-up that got Eminem in contact with Dr. Dre.

Can anyone add this information? -Kasreyn 05:51, 4 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Merge them, I say. Same person, why wait?CharacterZero 07:13, 27 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think we should merge the two together in the mean time til we find out the extra information. It would be more useful this way -Ultima 10:10, 9 April 2006

RIP

Ow!

He was born in 1973 not 1975(accoring to MTV)

^^^^ His official website and IMDB state he was born in 1975 (I'll just add a link onto this comment - http://www.bigproof.com/about.php I'd take the credibility of the official site over MTV's any day, but obviously it COULD be a mistake)

r.i.p.

RIP, Proof was always my favorite rapper from D12 (yes even over Em )

• • Does anybody know the name of the movie that he recently made? It was on the news today @ 5:00 PM, but for the life of me, I can't remember the name of it. Any information would be great. Thanks. R.I.P. Big Proof**

He was definitely born in 1975.. people are probably thinking 1973 because that's the year Eminem was born

Rest In Peace Proof....

Something you might wanna add: DeShaun Holton is survived by his wife Sharonda, his sons Deshaun Rice, Elija Abel and daughter Katieva Walker. At least I read that somewhere earlier in a post by another Detroit rapper.

 ^^^ Several of the quoted sources say he has 5 children.

RIP Proof. You will be missed.

Why is his time of death listed as 4:30am CDT? Detroit is in the Eastern time zone (UTC-5). Either the contributor who put that in simply made a mistake, in which case it should read 4:30am EST (and the UTC time is correct), or it really did occur at 4:30am CDT, in which case it ought to be listed as 5:30am EST, the local time in Detroit. This would, of course, be 10:30am UTC. Can anyone verify what the correct time is? DELutz 15:16, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Correction: During daylight saving time, EST is UTC-4. DELutz 15:23, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have fixed the time zone discrepancy. --Zimbabweed 03:14, 13 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Daylight saving time wasn't in effect on 11 April 2006, we should correct to eastern standard time, UTC-5. --Fire Star 17:16, 14 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

DST started on 02:00 local time on 2 April 2006, in the United States (link). --Zimbabweed 04:31, 16 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"A second victim, who has been identified as 35-year-old Detroit resident Keith Bender Jr., remains in critical condition at St. John Hospital and Medical Center. He also sustained a gunshot to the head."

"Several of Bender's relatives spoke with The Detroit News, claiming that Proof shot Bender, and was then shot by someone else. The paper reports that Detroit police confirmed that account, but have not provided additional details. "Some words were exchanged. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Bender's sister-in-law Angel Bender told the News. "We're still putting the pieces together.""

"Bender, relatives said, was a retired Army staff sergeant, and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Both he and Proof were at the CCC Club with friends, police confirmed. Authorities have not released any information on what may have led to the altercation, but believe two guns were used during the shooting." -per MTV News http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1528465/20060412/proof_of_d_12.jhtml?headlines=true

This article also sheds some new information, might be useful: [1] --Shizane 16:45, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

--24.12.42.112 14:45, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to the Chicago Times:

"A man turned himself in to police Wednesday for questioning in the shooting death of the rapper Proof." "Police late Wednesday declined to provide additional details about the man who turned himself in, because no warrant had been issued." "The Detroit Free Press reported on its Web site that Proof pistol-whipped Bender before firing the gun. The newspaper said Proof was arrested in 2004 on an assault charge by Dearborn police. He was acquitted in 2003 on a Detroit charge of carrying a concealed weapon." "Bender's relatives said he retired as an Army staff sergeant because of heart troubles. He was a medic and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Angel Bender, his sister-in-law, told The Detroit News. He was at the club celebrating the news that he no longer needed a defibrillator for a heart condition, Angel Bender said."

Side Notes:

-Both partys were taken by private vehicles for emergency services.

-The club was operating outside of its legal hours.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-ap-mi-rapperkilled,1,5595206.story?coll=chi-news-hed

--24.12.42.112 22:27, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Erm the reports of Bender's medical condition where never proved - i mean why would he be drinking alcohol in a club at 4:05 am if he had a heart condition that just that week no longer required a defibrilator....... i think this was just made up so that people oppose proof even more - but tbh why can't we all focus on his life rather than his death? --Infinitive definition 09:44, 5 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Although conflicting reports from eonline report the following:

"However, a source close to the rap star's camp told Allhiphop.com that Proof had gotten into a verbal tussle with a bouncer in the club that that quickly escalated into a melee."

""Proof knocked the dude down and stood over him with gun in hand," the insider said. "Proof shot first. The bouncer on the ground didn't shoot Proof. Another bouncer did. Proof was shot four times. Twice in the head and twice in the chest/stomach area.""

"The source added that Bender was the bouncer who the rapper initially shot and that he was not on life support and not expected to survive."

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18786,00.html?fdnews

--24.12.42.112 22:40, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Soundslam news seems to have the closest current story:

"According to the Detroit Free Press, 28-year-old Mario Etheridge turned himself into the police on Wednesday afternoon after an altercation became violent between DeShaun "Proof" Holton and a bouncer at the CCC nightclub. With numerous witness observations and reports, a heated debate between the two men lead to Proof knocking the bouncer, identified as Keith Bender, to the ground before pistol-whipping and firing shots upon him." "Etheridge, a cousin of Bender's and bouncer at CCC, has allegedly asserted that he only fired at Proof after intentional gunshots struck Bender."

http://soundslam.com/articles/news/news.php?news=060413_proofs

Also, The Wayne County Medical Examiners office has said that Proof was shot three times, not four, in the head and chest. --24.12.42.112 07:03, 13 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just to let you know there are new reports that Proof was not the first to pull a gun, it was in fact Bender the second victum. According to a article on SOHH.com a source has said that Bender started an arguement with proof knowing who he was and Proof told him he was the "King Of Detroit" and put his hand in Bender's face. In return Bender pulled a gun on Proof and then Proof pulled his gun and shot.In reaction to that Bender's cousin returned fire on Proof and then grabbed Bender's gun and fled the club. They also mention in the article that Etheridge only turned himself in because of fear of being killed by Proof's people for what he had done. However the police have not made a statement about this, they just say it is still under investigation. And just a little note I know alot of articles have said Proof was born in 1975 but they also say that he was 32 years of age when he died which is true, he was born in 1973. Also he did not meet Eminem at the hip hop shop, they met when Em was passing out flyers at Proof's high school when Em was 15. Thanks for letting me put my peace in. R.I.P. Proof lol!

The other victim has now died, a week after the incident, from his injuries. He died early in the morning of April 18, 2006.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060418/UPDATE/604180401

The Detroit Free Press link is dead and needs updating. Maybe to:

• http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/ENT04/604120301

I'm not sure if anyone has heard his new album: Searching For Jerry Garcia, but within the last song of the album- Kurt Kobian- Proof shoots himself and whispers, "Listen... ??... Killed me." Only second part is clearly audible. Anybody know what he's saying? It seems like he predicted his own death.

Nick

R.I.P. Proof; you will be missed.

sounds almost like "love killed me" doesn't it? --andrew 21:36, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Correct, he is referring to Courtney Love 12.203.15.217 21:48, 12 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The first time it isn't "Love killed me." Afterwards it definitely is, however that still doesn't explain the inaudible first line. Nick

He is obviously referring to the rumors that Courtney Love contributed to the death of Kurt Cobain User:Gerwo

Eminem seems to have predicted his death: Like Toy Soldiers

The "prediction" of his death was quite shocking to

Bugz and the tragedies surrounding it in 1999. Proof was under much stress and feuding with other rappers at the time, and the death of Proof seemed likely to D12, but not that close. TomUSA 03:11, 12 August 2011 (UTC)[reply

]

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/8650029/detail.html http://www.rapnews.net/0-202-261227-00.html

According to numerous sites, Mario is a cousin of Mr. Bender, the other man shot in this incident. Other sources are also saying the altercation began over a game of pool.

http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=5563

Ummmm and exactly why do you think that there genius??--Donnie from the mean streets of Boston, KY 16:43, 13 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Proof's shooter has been cleared of murder charges.

Sorry if someone added this somewhere in the article. This is my first ever edit and I chose this since it is very small. --Chris_2184

Proof's funeral was held at Fellowship Chapel on West Outer Drive Road in Detroit, Michigan. I definitely would know, my parents stay directly around the corner from the church. He was NOT buried there. Deshaun Dupree Holton was born October 2, 1973 not 1975 in Detroit, Michigan. Deshaun was definitely a talented artist, even though he was a bit rough around the edges. He was one of the founding members of the rap group D12. He was a gifted individual and he will be missed. My prayers go out to his family and his friends.

I'm as upset about Proof's death as anyone but this is one of the least professional articles I've ever read on Wikipedia. The entire thing is dripping with POV. Just read the Aftermath section for starters.69.248.173.137 15:45, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Almost all of Aftermath was plagiarized from http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1776734,00.html I've remove what is. Area51mafia 19:19, 10 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Um, robot prison? lol —The preceding

1. The language needs to be copy-edited for grammar and style.
2. Context is needed for some sections (which are incomprehensible – except, presumably, to those who already know everything here – as they stand).
3. There's over-linking (especially of names), under-linking (esepcially dates), and other misformatting. --Mel Etitis (Talk) 20:44, 4 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I made a start on punctuation, articulation and sentence structure (although I added Wiki links). I also inserted a clarification message, as the opening or closing credits need to be identified. --Soulparadox 18:43, 20 April 2012 (UTC)

Oh, and I did remove repeated Wiki links. --Soulparadox 18:44, 20 April 2012 (UTC)

WTF? well, i guess one shouldn't expect coherency in an entry made by the G-Unit/Dipset, um, set. —The preceding

i'm sure the reason why it was removed is because it needs a source...it'll probably be removed again unless a source is posted...--Aunwit 10:21, 18 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The character in Def Jam: Vendetta named Proof is not based on the rapper Proof is he?

No, the name's just a coincidence —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.142.75.200 (talk) 12:34, 13 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I dont think it should say eminem put a tattoo on his arm right at the top its a article about proof not about eminem or a section about there friendship could be added and put there--P-Real DA deal 00:11, 9 May 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by P-Real DA deal (talk • contribs)

I removed the "U.S. military veteran" section in front of "after fatally shooting Keith Bender, Jr.". Mr. Bender's service in the military has no bearing on the content of the article, and could possibly be seen as a character attack against Proof due to the current high respect level for veterans in the United States and abroad. Since no previous professions are listed for Proof, I see no reason why Mr. Bender's previous job should be listed in the article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.82.71.150 (talk) 11:01, 9 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Its a character statement to the unarmed victim that Proof murdered by shooting in the head. --Bobak (talk) 16:55, 9 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In an article dealing with facts there is no room for character statements, it simply serves to make the article come across as not having a neutral POV when dealing with the subject matter. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.92.67.69 (talk) 01:13, 10 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I fail to see your logic. Is there something wrong with being a military veteran? Proof is a murderer regardless. --Bobak (talk) 16:49, 11 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There is nothing wrong with being a military veteran, and I never implied that there was, and there is no doubt that Proof did indeed murder Mr. Bender. But, unless you are willing to go through Wikipedia and update every mention of a murder with the vocation of the victim, than listing Mr. Bender's previous profession is no more than a character attack against Proof. I see that, rather than attempt to foster debate with the goal of producing a balanced article, you've simply listed it as protected. It's always unfortunate to see those with a personal bias attempting to make Wikipedia a less reliable resource simply to further their own views or beliefs. ColoradoCNC (talk) 10:09, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The fact that you wrote it is a "character attack against Proof" reveals your bias towards the subject. The fact remains that he murdered someone before he was killed, and the status of his victim does not change the article to a biased article against Proof. There is no balance being created be stripping the victim of the fact that Proof murdered a man. Your point has no basis in anything other than your desire to somehow lessen the murder that the Proof committed. --Bobak (talk) 15:28, 23 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if there is reason to believe that Mr. Bender's previous profession was in any way responsible for or had any bearing on his murder than I see no reason why his military service should not be listed. Unless you can show, however, that Mr. Bender was killed as a result of his military service than the revisions you have made to my edit only serve to further your own apparent bias on the subject, not to mention abuse of the powers afforded to you as an administrator. ColoradoCNC (talk) 09:28, 25 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If I may chime in, I think it's relevant to list Bender as a US veteran (although I think the word "military" should be excised as it's implied/redundant) for two main reasons. Indicating that Bender was a US veteran could (for some) indicate that Bender was prone to physicality, and would put the altercation between him and Proof in a different light. On the other hand, but in a similar vein, indicating that Bender was a US veteran could (for some) signal the kind of high level of respect you speak of, ColoradoCNC, and would likewise put the altercation in a different, opposing light. Stating he is a veteran doesn't imply any character attack on Proof, it just states a fact; character analysis on both Proof and Bender is left to the reader. At the very least, it doesn't hurt to have a few more details in a section about an incident in which two men were killed.

Also, the semi-protection put in place by Bobak wasn't aimed at you, it was aimed at the numerous vandalism attempts from other editors. ~ Amory (talk) 23:19, 3 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I have heard rumours that Mario Etheridge killed Keith Bender and Proof. Then he made a deceased Proof take credit for the first shooting. Is this true? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.171.37.139 (talk) 22:56, 6 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Proof#Death. I hope this helps. There are alternate stories of Proof's death. TomUSA 03:12, 12 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It says his blood alcohol content was 100% when he died, someone fix this with the right number. 66.188.117.77 (talk) 15:08, 2 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It can be added to the article and his discography now. Jp0291 (talk) 05:37, 8 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

" Also on Eminem's album Recovery the song "Going threw changes mentions the night he was killed "They say Proof just flipped out, homie just swift out and bust, Nah, it ain't like Doody to do that,He wouldn't fuckin' shoot at, no-body, he fights first" " That part needs to be fixed. --68.25.166.193 (talk) 21:43, 16 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I would just like to ask what the significance of the track with Twiztid is that it calls for it's own paragraph within the article. Would it not be more suitable for this to be placed within his discography page. A relevant argument could be that it was the last song that he recorded but that is not mentioned and is also disputable due to Trick Trick's claim that the song "2getha 4eva" was the last song Proof recorded. Cosmic44 (talk) 19:26, 6 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The previous quote from Mudd in the XXL article was inaccurate. I have replaced it with the exact quote from the linked article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 38.125.96.155 (talk) 04:37, 27 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This section is terribly written on the posted wiki page. Read the section, and is not clear at all, about the shooting of Bender. It speaks of Proof getting shot 3 times, and no mention of Bender getting shot, yet, it states that Bender died a week later. This ought to be fixed by someone who has the info. MikeDawg (talk) 23:26, 1 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This may be only a personal trick of mine, but a usually very convenient shortcut to Wiki articles:
I googled the word proof wanting specifically to find a Wikipedia Article:Proof (measurement system used for alcohol content). The only Wiki I noticed on Page One of my search –and in 1st position– was this article, so I figured I'd just cruise on over here and use Disambiguation in the header, but, alas, found nothing.
When and when not is this feature called for? I've never formatted one and have no idea, but will volunteer if people agree that proof has more than one meaning worthy of its own page and that a Disambiguation box (a widget, I assume?) should be included on them all.Mykstor (talk) 22:31, 27 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The introduction currently states that Proof was close friends with "Eminem, who lived in the same neighborhood, and was often a hype man at his concerts." As it is written, it is unclear whether the second clause is saying that Proof was a hype man at Eminem concerts or whether Eminem was a hype man at Proof's concerts. Someone with this info could help by making this more clear, possibly by changing the clause into its own sentences. Jake (talk) 00:34, 5 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I went ahead and clarified it myself after realizing I had nothing else to do. The information on the hype man page stated that Proof was Eminem's hype man, so I changed the introduction to clearly reflect that. However, this is still an unsourced statements and the citation on the hype man page is to a physical book that I do not have access to, so it would be great if someone wanted to go ahead many find an available source to cite for that info.Jake (talk) 00:42, 5 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

• "No Other Charges In Rap Club Shooting." Wayne County, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. May 30, 2006 - Archive
• Cunningham, Jonathan. "Remembering DeShaun “Proof” Holton Tonight at the Shelter." Metro Times. April 11, 2011.
• Kaufman, Gil. "Nightclub Where Proof Died Closes Its Doors CCC will shut down for one year, pay fines for operating illegally." MTV. May 11, 2006.

WhisperToMe (talk) 22:23, 2 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]