D12

Solo Artist

Photo: 4STREET 4LIFE · CC BY 3.0
Active 1996-present
Origin Detroit, Michigan
Albums 3
Tracks 55
Most frequent collaborator Jeff Bass · 13 tracks
Genres Hip HopHorrorcoreHardcore Hip Hop
Songwriter
69%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 38 of 55 tracks

Did D12 write their own songs?

All 35 studio tracks with published credits carry group members, but none of them are members alone: a producer or outside writer is on every song. Eminem appears on 29, Kuniva on 26, Mr. Porter and Swifty McVay on 25 each.

By the Numbers

3
Studio Albums
55
Tracks Credited
69%
Self-Written
30
Years Active
39
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 38 / 55 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 55 tracks: how many D12 wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

D12 has a writing credit69%
13%
56%
31%
Sole author7tracks13%
Co-written31tracks56%
Outside writers17tracks31%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
D12's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 55 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)69%
Composer (music)64%
Producer58%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 55 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Kuniva 1996-present
51%
47%
0%
73%
Swifty McVay 1999-present
45%
45%
0%
73%
Eminem Former 1999-2006
53%
53%
51%
73%
Proof Died April 11, 2006 1996-2006 (died April 11, 2006)
35%
35%
0%
73%
Bizarre Former 1996-2012, 2014-2018
45%
44%
0%
73%
Mr. Porter Former 1996-2012, 2014-2018
47%
45%
22%
73%
Bugz Died May 21, 1999 1996-1999 (died May 21, 1999)
2%
2%
0%
0%
Fuzz Scoota Former 2011-2014
0%
0%
0%
0%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

D12's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 69%
89%
100%
0%
2001Devil's Night
2004D12 World
2026D12 Forever, Volume 1
Early · 95% written
Late · 0% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

95%
2000s
Devil's Night, D12 World
0%
2020s
D12 Forever, Volume 1

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where D12 sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

D12
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

EXO8%
Xscape17%
Salt-N-Pepa35%
TLC59%
Destiny's Child69%
Mýa78%
MC Hammer87%
69%D12
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Purple Pills
Devil's Night
Written by Eminem, Mr. Porter, Kuniva, Swifty McVay, Bizarre, Proof, Jeff Bass, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, Denaun Montez Porter, Von Carlisle, Ondre Moore, Rufus Johnson, DeShaun Dupree Holton
Co-wrote
My Band
D12 World
Written by Eminem, Mr. Porter, Kuniva, Swifty McVay, Bizarre, Proof, Luis Resto, Steve King, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, Denaun Montez Porter, Von Carlisle, Ondre Moore, Rufus Johnson, DeShaun Dupree Holton
Co-wrote
How Come
D12 World
Written by Eminem, Mr. Porter, Proof, Bryan Johnson, Dewitt Moore, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, Denaun Montez Porter, DeShaun Dupree Holton
Co-wrote

Discography 3 albums

All three studio albums. The mixtapes and the members' solo records sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of D12D1255 tracks
JB13Jeff Bass, 13 tracks LR11Luis Resto, 11 tracks Photo of Dr. Dre10Dr. Dre, 10 tracks Photo of Mike Elizondo6Mike Elizondo, 6 tracks DH5DJ Head, 5 tracks Photo of Dr. Dre5Andre Young, 5 tracks SK3Steve King, 3 tracks SS2Scott Storch, 2 tracks on The Roots's page OT2Obie Trice, 2 tracks TH1Truth Hurts, 1 track DR1Dina Rae, 1 track PR1Paul Rosenberg, 1 track DG1D. Geistlinger, 1 track H1Hi-Tek, 1 track MR1Michael Richardson, 1 track BJ1Bryan Johnson, 1 track DM1Dewitt Moore, 1 track W&1Witt & Pep, 1 track RS1Red Spyda, 1 track AT1Andy Thelusma, 1 track DJ1Deanna Johnson, 1 track SB1Steve Berman, 1 track KW1Kanye West, 1 track MW1Mark Williams, 1 track JK1Joe Kent, 1 track T1Trackboyz, 1 track YZ1Young Zee, 1 track DB1Dewayne Battle, 1 track B1B-Real, 1 track on Cypress Hill's page SR1Shelton Rivers, 1 track JR1J. R. Rotem, 1 track PW1Paul Williams, 1 track E1Essman, 1 track GH1Gasner Hughes, 1 track TM1Tonyatta Martinez, 1 track MM1Matthew Moore, 1 track N&1Night & Day, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JB Jeff Bass · LR Luis Resto · DH DJ Head

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Of the 35 studio tracks with published credits, not one is written by group members alone: a producer's name sits on every single song. Eminem is on 29 of them, but Kuniva is on 26 and Mr. Porter on 25, which is a far flatter split than a group built around one superstar suggests.

Quick Facts

  • No song is theirs aloneAll 35 credited tracks carry an outside writer
  • The splitEminem on 29, Kuniva 26, Mr. Porter 25, Swifty McVay 25
  • Double platinumD12 World is certified 2x platinum
  • Highest chart placing"My Band" reached number 6 on the Hot 100
  • Three albums2001, 2004 and 2026
  • Two members lostBugz died in 1999 and Proof in 2006

Creative Fingerprint

A famous member who writes most but not all of it, and a producer credit on literally every track.

The Story

D12 formed in Detroit in 1996 as six rappers who agreed that whoever made it first would come back for the rest. Eminem made it, came back, and the group went platinum twice.

Awards & Recognition

MTV Europe Music Award for Best Hip-Hop

Frequently Asked Questions D12

Did D12 write their own songs?
All 35 studio tracks with published credits carry group members, but none of them are members alone: a producer or outside writer is on every song. Eminem appears on 29, Kuniva on 26, Mr. Porter and Swifty McVay on 25 each.
Who wrote "My Band"?
Eminem with the other members and the producers. It reached number 6 on the Hot 100, the group's highest placing.
How many albums has D12 released?
Three studio albums: Devil's Night in 2001, D12 World in 2004 and D12 Forever, Volume 1 in 2026.
Is Eminem the main writer?
He is on the most tracks, 29 of 35, but Kuniva is on 26 and Mr. Porter and Swifty McVay on 25 each. The gap is smaller than the group's reputation suggests.
What happened to Proof and Bugz?
Bugz was shot and killed in 1999, before the first album. Proof was shot and killed in 2006, two years after the second.
Are the albums certified?
Devil's Night is platinum and D12 World is 2x platinum.
Who is Mr. Porter?
Denaun Porter, the member who produced much of the group's music and later produced for Eminem's solo records.
Where do the members' real names come from?
Kuniva, Swifty McVay and Bugz have no biography pages. Their legal names, Von Carlisle, Ondre Moore and Karnail Pitts, appear in the writing credits on the album articles.
What does D12 stand for?
The Dirty Dozen. Each member was meant to have an alter ego, making twelve rappers from six people.
Are they still active?
Kuniva and Swifty McVay released D12 Forever, Volume 1 in 2026 without Eminem.

Sources

Wikipedia: D12 Wikipedia: Eminem Wikipedia: Proof Wikipedia: Bizarre Wikipedia: Mr. Porter Wikipedia: D12 discography