Detroit ? Proof, a member of rap group D12 and a close friend of Eminem, was shot to death early Tuesday at a nightclub along Eight Mile, the road made famous by the 2002 film that starred Eminem and in which Proof had a bit part.

The death of Proof – real name Deshaun Holton – was confirmed by Dennis Dennehy, the publicist for D12’s label, Interscope Records, as well as by Detroit Police spokesman James Tate.

“Memorial service arrangements are still being made, and his friends and family would appreciate privacy during this difficult time,” Dennehy said in a statement.

Eminem and Proof, 32, seldom were seen in public without each other. Proof was the best man at Eminem’s wedding in January, and they have been close friends since before Eminem became a superstar.

The music video for the Eminem song “Like Toy Soldiers” shows Eminem pacing a hospital hallway as doctors try to revive Proof, who has been shot. Later, Eminem attends Proof’s funeral as the song’s lyrics lament the escalation in violence between rappers.

It was Proof’s idea to form D12, a six-member Detroit-based rap group that counts Eminem among its members.

D12 has been around since the mid-1990s, when the members met at Detroit’s Hip-Hop Shop, a clothing store by day/hip-hop club by night.

Proof was shot inside a small bar in a strip of businesses along Eight Mile, which is the dividing line between Detroit and its northern suburbs. Tate said two people were shot in the head – one fatally. He said an argument at the C.C.C. nightclub escalated into gunshots.

The other victim – a 35-year-old man – was listed in critical condition, Tate said.

Another member of Eminem’s inner circle – rapper Obie Trice – was shot in December while driving on a Detroit-area highway.