Eminem has put his new record on the back burner and has got together with his D12 buddies for the Detroit rap crew's second album, D12 World, out April 27th.

The first single, "My Band," has been getting heavy radio airplay since mid-March, and the video hit Number One on MTV's Total Request Live. "We were in the studio reading a magazine, and it was talking about 'Eminem and his band,'" says D12's Kuniva. "We were like, 'We're not a band! Why do they keep calling us a band?' We started joking around, arguing over who was gonna be the bass player or the drummer. The lead singer and the bass player get all the females, but the drummer never gets any. It was just one big joke."

The laughs carried over to the three-day video shoot. "There were moments when it was hard to get the crew to keep a straight face," says director Philip G. Atwell, who also worked on "My Name Is," "Stan" and the Dr. Dre collaboration "Guilty Conscience." "Em embodies every character he goes into -- whether he's talking like a matador giving you his best Mexican accent or pretending he's a groupie chick."

Though no D12 tour plans have been announced, Kuniva says they plan to do "a whole bunch of shows" and television spots. Expect Em to be in tow for some appearances. Says Kuniva, "He's gotta help promote his band, you know?"

JENNY ELISCU
(April 7, 2004)