The world of hip-hop is one that has a tragic tendency toward lyrics that display a glorification of violence, drug use and death. It’s unfortunate, but this is due in part to the fact that most rappers both grew up and live in situations where those things are far too common. Lyrics seem to mirror actions and because of that hip-hop gets the credit of being a journalistic outlet with the clearest lens you would ever see through, the eyes of the people involved. We are reminded time to time of how real the life of a rapper can become.

One of those times came early Tuesday when rapper Proof, whose real name is Deshaun Holton was shot and killed in front of a Detroit nightclub in the wee hours of the morning. Unlike some killings of rap legends such as Tupac, Biggie Smalls and Big L, it seems Proof fired the first shot in an apparent gun battle which left the man he shot, 35-year old Keith Bender Jr. with a bullet wound to the head. The club all of this violence happened at, Club CCC on Detroit’s famed Eight Mile Road, was apparently operating at an illegal hour of the night. This is reportedly the third shooting in or around Club CCC. The rest of the details of the shooting including who actually shot the rapper are unclear as of yet.

Proof becomes the second rapper in the group D12 to be murdered. Previously in 1999 another member of D12, Bugz was brutally killed during an altercation that got out of hand at an amusement park in Detroit. D12 was reportedly supposed to begin work on its next album this month. Details of whether that will change are not clear yet. This also mark’s another in what has become a long chain of events that have left rapper Eminem devastated. A couple of weeks ago, friend and fellow rapper Obie Trice was shot on a Detroit freeway but survived. Just a few days ago, Eminem filed for divorce from his wife Kim. Proof was Eminem’s best man at the ceremony. In addition, the killing is eerily similar to Eminem’s “Toy Soldiers” video, in which Proof is shot and killed on a Detroit street. Newly divorced and with the killing of a close friend and fellow rapper on his mind, Eminem’s world seems to be a little more gloomy.

In other sad news, June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters passed away at the age of 52 on Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital. June Pointer reportedly died of an undisclosed form of cancer. On her own, June recorded a top 30 R&B single “Ready for Some Action” in 1983. However, she will probably be best known for her work with her sisters, which included three Grammy awards and numerous top 100 Billboard singles. Some of the groups most well known songs include “He’s So Shy”, “Automatic” and perhaps their most recognizable hit “”Jump (For My Love)”. The Pointer Sisters songs were featured in some scenes in the 2003 hit film “Love, Actually”. In the film Hugh Grant plays the Prime Minister of England and listens to the songs of The Pointer Sisters throughout the movie.