There are many who would confidently declare D12's 2001 debut album Devil's Night to be a hip-hop classic, fueled by the inspired and twisted rhyming from the legendary Detroit crew. Arriving in the midst of Eminem's arguable peak, it served to introduce the world to the talents of Swifty McVay, Kon Artis, Kuniva, Bizarre, and the late Big Proof, as well as their respective alter-egos. In 2004, the Dirty Dozen returned to the fold with D12 World, a sophomore album that featured production from Eminem, Mr. Porter, Hi-Tek, Kanye West, and Dr. Dre.
Having been officially released seventeen years ago to this day, it feels appropriate to revisit one of the album's many nostalgic highlights -- namely, the gleefully twisted "Get My Gun," on which each member of the Dozen lends a verse. The arguable standout happens the be the man who sets it off, Swifty Mcvay, who deftly rides Eminem's cartoonishly sinister instrumental with a sharpened flow. "Enough with you're motherfucking tough talk, you're soft," he spits. "Get your balls blew off from a sawed-off, a raw dog crazier than all y'all / wet you like the navy when I'm angry, you'll never catch me hanging in a Narc's car."
That's not to say "Get My Gun" is a one-man show. The song shines as a showcase of D12's unique chemistry, united by an appreciation for gallows humor and over-the-top violence. Though the crew is no longer active, there's a reason that fans continue to revisit their brief but memorable discography. Happy seventeenth birthday to D12 World -- how do you feel about the Dirty Dozen's second studio album?
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Send the ni**as that'll fuck with you
Stab and brass knuckle you
Then have you in the public, there's nothing that you can do
Enough with you're motherfucking tough talk, you're soft
Get your balls blew off from a sawed-off, a raw dog
Crazier than all y'all, wet you like the navy when I'm angry
You'll never catch me hanging in a Narc's car
