Cottons Caribbean restaurant, London (EC1R)

Cocktails and craziness with D12

BY Davina Morris (source: The Voice)

The popular US group swapped mics for mixers when they made cocktails in London town.

DESPITE having experienced a number of tragedies, D12 are a fun bunch of fellas. Hailing from Detroit, the US hip-hop outfit – best-known for spawning rap legend Eminem – has lost two members: Bugz and Proof, who were both shot and killed in separate incidents. But with tragedy (and a number of feuds) behind

them, the band is currently working on a new album and will also put out a new mixtape, ahead of the album’s release. Recently in the UK for a couple of shows, the band, along with fellow Detroit MC, Royce Da 5’9” – but minus members Eminem and Kon Artis who are both working on solo projects – had a little time to kick back and relax.

And what better way to chill than with a cocktail?

Band members Bizarre, Swift and Kuniva, along with Royce, headed to Cottons Caribbean restaurant in Camden to try their hands at cocktail making, under the guidance of professional mixologist Ian A.V. Burrell. The group kindly invited Davina Morris along for a chat – and to sample their Caribbean concoctions!

[Vote for the Cottons Caribbean Restaurant on Oodge.com]

What’s the best thing about the UK?

Swift: The atmosphere and the people. I haven’t met a foul spirit in the UK.

What’s the main difference between London and Detroit?

Swift: Man, Detriot is a completely different world. Detroit is grimy… but they’re both kinda grey. In fact, this is the first time I’ve seen sunshine out here!

Perhaps you brought the sunshine. Despite the group’s serious image, you seem like a pretty fun-loving bunch…

Kuniva: Yeah, we are. I’d describe D12 as serious, crazy, deranged and scary… but we’re fun too! We’re serious MCs but we also like to have fun with what we do. I think people can see that even though we come across serious sometimes, we’re still approachable.

Bizarre, you definitely come across as fun because you often wear a shower cap during D12’s live shows. Where did that idea stem from?

Bizarre: A long time ago, I was going on stage and I didn’t have a hat. I can’t really find hats to fit me coz, as you can see, I’ve got a big head. I was feeling silly so I just put on a shower cap that was in the room. Our road manager saw me wearing the cap, and he was like, ‘That’s hot!’ From there, if I turned up to shoots without a shower cap, people were like, ‘Where’s your shower cap?’ So it just stuck.

Your last album, D12 World was released in 2004. Does your return to the limelight feel like a comeback?

Kuniva: Nah, not really. We’ve gone through so many things that the time has just flown by. It’s not really a comeback, it’s more like a reinvention. We’re bringing the same kinda energy that Proof would’ve wanted, but we’re doing it without him, so it’s different in that respect.

I imagine it was hard to get back into recording following Proof’s death in 2006?

Swift: Yeah, it was really hard. But time allowed us to pick ourselves up as individuals and as a group and get back to it. And the best way to honour his memory is to keep going.

Some people refer to you as Eminem’s protégés when, in fact, you all came up together. Does that bother you?

Bizarre: Nah, we don’t care. He’s one of the biggest artists in the world so to be associated with him is a blessing.

What do you say to those who think that Eminem is only successful because he’s white?

Swift: That’s something I really can’t understand, coz anyone who loves hip-hop should know a real lyricist when they hear one. Eminem is a true lyricist.

Kuniva: And for a long time, he couldn’t get a deal because he was white – coz people didn’t take him seriously. Now that he is successful, you’ve got people saying that it’s because he’s white! It doesn’t make sense.

Are you proud to see the level of success he’s achieved?

Kuniva: Yeah, we’re proud of him. We knew he had what it takes to get him to that level, but when it did happen, we were like, ‘wow!’ Knowing where he came from – where we all came from – it makes us proud to see what he’s achieved. Coz it would have been so easy for any of us to take the wrong path.

What do you do when you’re not in the studio?

Bizarre: I like fishing. One time, I caught like 46 fish.

Seriously?

Bizarre: Yeah.

Swift: Yeah, he’s good. He caught all these fish and then cooked them up before one of our shows. Well, he didn’t cook it. He had the caterers cook it. But he caught the fish.

Bizarre: Yeah, one time a magazine did an article on me and my fishing.

Swift: Ok, now he’s feeling himself.

Bizarre: Nah, I’m dead serious! The magazine did an article on me!

Bizarre, it’s hard to imagine you fishing. And considering you’ve just been making cocktails, it’s also hard to believe that you don’t drink alcohol either…

Bizarre: Nah, I don’t.

Swift (laughing): Yeah, but he gorges himself on snacks!

Swift, that’s mean! Bizarre, do people ever pressure you to lose weight?

Bizarre: Nah. I did Celebrity Fit Club, which was pretty cool. But other than that, I’m cool with who I am.

Do you guys ever feel that there’s competition between all of you?

Swift: Nah, I think we’re all inspired by each other. When we’re in the booth, if someone really brings it, it makes me wanna bring it too, coz someone else just brought it! It’s not competition it’s inspiration.

Talking of competition, which of you do you think made the nicest cocktail? Be honest!

Swift: My cocktail was the most delicious. Kino [Royce’s manager, who was also in attendance] tasted all the drinks and he didn’t say one bad thing about my drink.

Kuniva: He said your drink was nasty.

Swift: Get out of here, he did not say my drink was nasty!

I’m sure Kino said that all of your drinks weren’t very nice…

Swift: What? My drink was delicious! In fact, my drink should be on the menu next time I come here.

D12’s new mixtape Return Of The Dirty Dozen Vol.2 is out soon. For more information visit www.D12world.com

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