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Motormouths: Notable Detroit MCs - Today, April 11, marks the sixth anniversary of the tragic shooting death of Proof. As Em's right-hand man, D12's heart and soul, a solo artist and the host of the legendary Hip Hop Shop open mics, Proof was a key figure in establishing Detroit as a hip hop hotspot. With the foundation that he helped build, the city's influence continues to grow each year. Here, in honor of Proof, we take a look at just some of the most prominent MCs to emerge from his hometown. —Alex Gale(Photo: Courtesy Iron Fist Records)

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Big Sean - Big Sean’s sing-songy, “hashtag rap” style has influenced Drake, Nicki Minaj and even his G.O.O.D. Music mentor Kanye West. The 106 & Park favorite’s debut album, Finally Famous, debuted at No. 3 on the charts, led by the smash single “My Last,” featuring Chris Brown.(Photo by Brad Barket/PictureGroup)

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Royce da 5'9" - As one half of super-duo Bad Meets Evil, Royce is perhaps the only MC who consistently holds his own next to Eminem, matching Slim Shady bar for bar and line for line on last year's No. 1 collabo LP, Hell: The Sequel. Royce does the same alongside all-stars spitters Joell Ortiz, Joe Budden and Crooked I as one quarter of supergroup Slaughtahouse. He released his fifth solo album, Success Is Certain, last year to tons of Internet hype and acclaim.(Photo by Dominic Chan/WENN.com)

Photo By Dominic Chan/WENN.com

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Slum Village - Though two of their rotating members have passed on, Slum Village left a huge mark on hip hop. Highlighted by the groundbreaking Midwestern swing of late MC/producer Dilla in his prime, the group — which has also included T3, Baatin (who passed on in 2009) and, later on, Elzhi — crafted underground classics like “Players” and “Get Dis Money” and laid the foundation for the Detroit hip hop sound.(Photo: Capitol Records)

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MC Breed - MC Breed is actually from nearby Flint, Michigan, not Detroit, but he’s too much of a pioneer to leave off this list due to a geographical technicality. The first Midwestern MC to see commercial success, Breed made a serious mark nationwide in the mid-'90s with his classic singles "Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin” and "Gotta Get Mine,” featuring 2Pac.(Photo: www.myspace.com/mcbreed)

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Guilty Simpson - You didn’t know? Guilty Simpson’s determined, balls-out flow has been responsible for some of the best rap from the D in recent years. His collabos with the late, great Dilla — particularly “Baby” and the slow-burning “I Must Love You” — lit up the underground. (Photo: www.myspace.com/guiltysimpson)

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Esham - Twenty-year veteran Esham's creepy, twisted "acid rap" was a progenitor of horrorcore and rap-rock, influencing Detroit luminaries like Eminem and Insane Clown Posse.

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Elzhi - Elzhi stepped in to fill the void when Dilla broke off from Slum Village, and he quickly established himself as one of the nicest cats out — from the D or anywhere else. He's since gone solo, but his intricate internal rhyme schemes and effortless breath control continue to blow away listeners.(Photo: www.myspace.com/zhifi)

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J. Dilla - Bar-none one of the best beatmakers of all time, Dilla was nice on the mic, too, consistently outshining his Slum Village compatriots and releasing dope solo albums, including The Shining, before his untimely death from lupus and TPP in 2006. (Photo: www.myspace.com/jdilla)

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Danny Brown - Premature? Hell no. Danny Brown is just that good. The animated, crazy-coiffed Detroit MC got broadband burning with 2010’s The Hybrid, and he released XXX via DJ A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold label for free online last year. Many are already touting him as the D's next breakout hip hop star, with XXL magazine recently including him on their annual Freshmen cover.(Photo: www.myspace.com/dannybrownrd)

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Black Milk - Detroit MC/producer Black Milk is picking up where Dilla left off — and doing a damn good job of it. Not only has he crafted bangers for Pharoahe Monche, KRS One and Skyzoo, but his solo albums, Album of the Year and Tronic, were two of the most acclaimed indie rap releases of the past few years.(Photo: www.myspace.com/blackmk)

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D12 - Even if you ignored Eminem (a difficult task, to be sure), D-12's mic skills weren't to be questioned. Led by the late Detroit legend Proof’s battle-tested bars, Bizarre’s humorous lunacy and, of course, Em’s international success, the Motown sextet released two No. 1 albums and always repped for Motown. With Proof gone, and Bizarre and Mr. Porter recently announcing they were leaving the group, its current status is questionable — but its mark on Detroit hip hop certainly isn't.(Photo: Landov)

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Obie Trice - Obie Trice has yet to reach his full potential. But considering he was shot in the head in 2005 (the bullet’s still in there), it’s hard to blame him. But the vicious bars the former Eminem protégé spit on his gold-selling debut Cheers can’t be denied. Now a free agent, Obie just dropped a new album, Bottoms Up, featuring contributions from Dr. Dre and Eminem.

Photo By Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

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Boss - Def Jam Records's Boss was one of the first female MCs to delve into gangsta rap. Her 1993 singles, "Deeper" and "Recipe for a Hoe," both hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks chart.(Photo: Def Jam West)

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Eminem - We all knew who had to bat cleanup on this list. If you didn't, get your ears, head and address for the past decade (presumably under a rock?) checked. Eminem has not only broke sales records time and time again, he’s produced some of the best, most intricate, most moving, most introspective, most vicious — we’re running out of adjectives here, people — rhymes of all time.(Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images)