NASAAN

With roots in both Detroit and Atlanta, rapper Nasaan has a unique hybrid style influenced by trap and gritty hardcore hip-hop. The son of Proof from D12, Nasaan began developing his skills as a teenager, then made his debut with the EP Kiss of Karma in 2019. He then released the album Error 404 in 2024. Nasaan Holton’s father, DeShaun Dupree Holton, was known as Proof and was a close friend of Eminem, his bandmate in the group D12. Following Proof’s death in 2006, Nasaan’s family left Detroit and moved to Florida, eventually settling in Atlanta. At first, his taste in music gravitated toward trap and Southern rap — he’s even admitted that he actually didn’t like D12′s or Eminem’s music when he was a kid, only learning to appreciate them later in life. He began writing and recording rhymes as a teenager, and in 2017, he entered Fresh Empire’s rap battle The New Wave Competition and came in second place. Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s manager and the chairman and CEO of Def Jam at the time, signed Nasaan to the label and issued the EP Kiss of Karma in 2019. However, Rosenberg left the company in 2020, and Nasaan released a few singles on his own, including 2021′s “Busy” (with SwaVay) and 2022′s “R.I.P Fresh.” Nasaan eventually signed to Assemble Sound, an imprint affiliated with Atlantic, and released Error 404 in 2024. By this time, Nasaan had moved back to Detroit, and he featured several Michigan rappers on the project, including Royce da 5'9", BabyTron, and Icewear Vezzo. ~ Paul Simpson