D12 Thank Eminem Following New Album
June 19, 2026
Following the release of ’s new album, D12 Forever: Volume 1, the group’s remaining members shared a lengthy statement thanking Eminem for his support throughout the project’s creation.
The duo thanked Eminem for believing they could complete the album independently and revealed that he carried an early copy of the project with him as the album progressed. They also addressed his widely anticipated absence from the album, saying that despite his “incredibly busy schedule,” he still attempted to meet the recording deadline.
They also thanked Eminem’s longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg, for his “support, motivation, and encouragement throughout this process.”
The message was accompanied by a snippet video for the song “What If?” — a tribute to D12 co-founder , who is featured on the album through archival recordings.
In the clip, and perform alongside Eminem’s former production partner , who, behind his son Jake Bass, handled much of the album’s production. The video also incorporates archival footage of .
Not everyone has accepted the explanation for Eminem’s absence. For example, underground rapper and YouTuber Darin BARS, who has previously worked with Bizarre, speculates the reason extends beyond scheduling. While he believes Eminem remains on good terms with all surviving members, he suspects there are tensions between Bizarre and current members Kuniva and Swift McVay.
Questioning the scheduling explanation, Darin said: “I just don’t understand how rappers be too busy to rap [...] We’re talking sixteen bars. You don’t just have that laying around? It’s gotta be deeper than rap, that’s all I’m saying.”
Whether that’s the case remains unknown. Eminem hasn’t released a guest verse for some time, and with nearly two years having passed since The Death of Slim Shady, it’s likely he’s focused heavily on his next project. As one of the world’s biggest rappers, even a sixteen-bar guest verse can be too much to ask — not because of its length, but because of its timing. Eminem’s release schedule is carefully planned, and fitting in a feature isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem.
As for Bizarre, who knows. Perhaps he simply no longer wants to be part of a D12 project now that the group is missing half of its original core members.
D12 Forever: Volume 1 is available now on streaming services and can also be purchased on CD, vinyl, and cassette through All Things D12.