First hearing him on the track ‘Bad Meets Evil’ with Eminem during the days when Eminem sounded hungry, had me ready to hear more from Royce Da 5’9.” When the DJ Premier produced ‘Boom’ started showing up on mixtapes and college radio I figured the Detroit M.C. was on his way to being the next up. Then the video for ‘Boom’ dropped and things got a little nervous… 1999 into the 2000’s was a critical time for HOP music. The “invisible line in the sand” was starting to get a lot more blurry and those acts you could always depend on had to make a choice in the direction of their careers. Some stayed the path while others rolled the dice to gain a larger audience in a shorter amount of time. It seemed with the video for ‘Boom,’ and the slightly amended version of the song attached to it, Royce Da 5’9″ rolled those dice.
I became uninterested in “Royce” for the majority of the 2000’s. There was no denying his talent and skill but many have talent and skill, although that is rarely translated to albums, which for me is the true litmus test. Whether Royce Da 5’9″ started to feel this reaction in the ether, or times just got better musically in the 2000’s, by the end of that decade “Royce” seem to get something right.
I saw the single ‘Shake This’ on a video show and was impressed by a couple of things. For one Royce Da 5’9″ linking up with D.J. Premier again, and D.J. Premier providing beats that were not sounding so “Preemo” post Gang Starr’s ‘Moment Of Truth.’ Both seemed to be in a zone on this track that had me looking at “Royce” again. Although when ‘Street Hop’ dropped I was hesitant to listen, because nineteen tracks after almost a decade of not really being into songs he created, might be a “herculean effort.” I listened and was proud that the M.C. had delivered an album of growth and more importantly a project that makes one want to return for multiple listens.
‘Street Hop’ gives room for “Royce” to maneuver between displaying his very gifted rhyme abilities, telling stories, and experimenting with different styles. ‘Dinner Time’ featuring Busta Rhymes and ‘Mine In Thiz’ featuring Denaun Porter, specifically stand out as Royce switches styles while still maintaining his incredible wordplay. His ability to tell stories being in the category of a “battle rapper” is another reason he has maintained a career over the years too. The final act of ‘Street Hop’ is where he puts those storytelling abilities to proper use on tracks like ‘On The Run’ and ‘Murder’ that serve as companion tracks. The most descriptive track on this album is ‘Part Of Me,’ which I personally have not been as stunned by a song since Boogiemonsters ‘Old Man Jacob’s Well.’ A story about a guy meeting two women and in the end regretting what he wished for.
‘Street Hop’ is a massive undertaking in making an independent record label album. With production from Nottz, Streetrunners, Emile, Denaun Porter and others, while featuring Busta Rhymes, Phonte, Melanie Rutherford, Trick Trick and Royce’s group Slaughterhouse, respect has to be given to the effort Royce provided. ‘Street Hop’ gave me a reason to start checking for Royce Da 5’9″ again and since it’s release Royce has made many good projects. Sometimes the formula to success just takes slightly longer than expected. What did you think of the album?
Singles include:
‘Shake This’ & ‘Part Of Me’
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