Any person or group with 25 years of experience in the same industry will confirm that this does not happen by chance. Objectively, you must be successful and consistent. That level is high in the music business, where miracles can come and go at a fraction of the cost.
That’s why a group like D12 is respected and admired both inside and outside the business. Since releasing their debut album Devil’s Night in 2001, the group has been a constant and successful presence on the hip-hop scene.
There have been various incarnations of the group, but the current version is a duo consisting of Swifty McVay and Kuniva. As one of the founders of the Dirty Dozen, Kuniva admitted that what happened was beyond anything he thought possible.
“From what I thought when I was young until now and seeing it happen, I never thought it would be this big,” he said. “I never thought I would be doing it at this high level.
D12 may be best known for their run with Eminem including the hit single “My Band,” in the mid-2000s, but they remain connected to the industry and have a loyal following in 2026. Kuniva confirmed that making life her priority was one of the reasons she can enjoy the success she has today.
“I always try to do my craft well and help my life as a whole.”
The Change She Didn’t Know She Needed
Kuniva admits that she didn’t always think about things like exercise or eating healthy. Despite being reprimanded by his wife from time to time, he ate a variety of foods that may not have been good for him.
“Steak was one of my things. Chicken, chicken, lots of fatty foods, cheesy foods, things like that,” he recalled. “So, it wasn’t healthy at all.”
That changed after a friend convinced her to try a vegan diet. Like many people new to the lifestyle, Kuniva thought vegetarianism and vegetarianism were the same thing. Since then he has discovered that vegetarians avoid meat, while meat eaters avoid all animal ingredients and products. These days, she has been telling other people about this difference and mentioned that the welfare of animals was at the forefront of her mind when it came to her full commitment.
I just wanted to make a conscious decision to be a better person and put something healthy in my life and just play my part in looking after animals, you know, that way. So that was part of my decision right there.”
Kuniva noticed immediate changes in the way she felt, looked, and even increased energy. There was another benefit that he did not expect but he is happy about.
“I’ve noticed that I have more control over my breathing. I’m not as winded as I used to be. I think it’s probably from the fatty food or whatever, but since I’ve made the change, I have more air on stage.”
Maintaining a Lifestyle on the Road
Another issue that Kuniva faces when she is visiting or traveling around is finding vegan food or preparing it for her. Having a restrictive diet means that food must be chosen carefully. Unfortunately, not everyone in the music industry got the memo about the difference between a vegetable and a vegetable.
“My supervisors when they are with us, they don’t have vegan knowledge about many things. So I have to tell them some things I need,” explained Kuniva. “And sometimes they just don’t find the right things, but they still find good things for us to eat, so that I can eat them.”
Any athlete or entertainer traveling abroad will confirm that extra care is required when it comes to food due to the way it is cooked or packaged. That makes finding vegan-friendly food even more difficult, but Kuniva has managed it.
“I have to rely on a lot of sides sometimes, and it can be challenging sometimes but for the most part we make it happen.”
Kuniva revealed that he is a celebrity, but he and his wife have found ways to fix that. In fact, there were so many options that he liked that he had to force himself to stop eating many times.
“There’s vegan chips and, you know, vegan nuts and all that kind of stuff, and I like vegan jerky.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARIBeh-kYQ
D12 Forever
Kuniva’s energy from her new diet also satisfies her hunger to thrive behind the microphone. D12’s latest album, D12 Forever Vol. 1, is out now, and Kuniva is just as proud of it as they are of all the record-breaking music they’ve released in their twelve-plus year career. A single from the new album Nightmare Walking, featuring rap stars Xzibit and Ice T.
“I’m excited for them to hear the music. And we’ve been working on this project for a year, a little over a year, and it’s just been fun to compose and just get back in the studio, feeling that fire that I had before.”
This release has been met with positive reviews, which could be a sign of things to come. To confirm the intentions of the two, Kuniva concluded by saying, “I would say fasten your seatbelt because it will be a hell of a ride.”
Learn more about D12 here and follow them on Instagram and YouTube.
