Royce Da 5'9"- Street Hop

[SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS]

When I heard of Royce Da 5'9 back in early 2000 on The Slim Shady LP you would have never though that such a lyrical cat would be the budding superstar that would drop multiple dope albums like “Death is Certain”, “Bar Exam”, “Bar Exam 2”, it's almost like saying “dang how much heat does Royce have”. And to answer that you have to listen to Royce's newest album called “Street Hop”, olus you add the fact that DJ Premier did beats and executive produced it, and couple that with the following that him and his group Slaughterhouse has garnered in the last year or too, it's been the rebirth for Royce and his compatriots.


From the jump we get the gun strong lyrical banger with “Gun Harmonizing” featuring fellow Slaughterhouse emcee, Crooked I then you get a slew of heat rocks that just never stop until you get to the brief interlude. From “The Warriors” that features Slaughterhouse, to the rhyme dinner plate feasting “Dinner Time” featuring Busta Rhymes to the uber personal “Shake This”. And for the most part the albums doesn't have any let down and the banger positive single potential such as “New Money” but other than maybe the slight blemish the album is practically unfazed. From “Solider” to “Count for Nothing” everything comes out as a great record and the cohesiveness of the album itself it so dope and dynamic it's like a great 90's rap album where you can play it from front cover to back cover.


Overall i'm going to give it a 4 out 5 due to it's a very playable album it's just not for everybody, if your looking for radio friendly stuff this isn't for you, but if your looking for lyrical skills and dope concepts on records this album while have you street hopping as soon as you turn it on.


OVERALL: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

[Reiko]

agree with you in 100% it's one of the best albums that dropped this year definitely worth coppin'

[lynskey]

Great album from Royce, for me there is not a weak song on the album, obviously some out shine others but overall it's my favourite album from Royce, possibly my favourite of the year too. 9/10

Top 5: Gun Harmonizing, Shake This, Something 2 Ride 2, New Money and The Warriors.

[angry!]

this album put royce back on the map for me.

i love his bar exam shit, but as far as albums go, i hadnt been feeling nickel since death is certain!!!

after some time with this album, its neck and neck with death is certain as royces best album imo. completely different flavor, straight hip hop shit. hard beats and hard lyrics without falling into the darkness.

this nigga is a master with the mic presence, hes hoggin every track he spits on!!! the flow, cadence, punches, hooks, everything is clicking here son!!!! royce channeled pac on gun harmonizing, god damn son killed that shit. on the run followed by murder, some of the illest storytelling rap i heard in a minute!!!! dude sounds focused and he released a hell of album!!!!

one complaint. i went out and bought this shit in the store, and the mixing of the vocals is fuckin terrible!!!! it sounds like the nigga is rapping through a megaphone on some of these tracks, like their disconnected from the track!!! flow is so on point i can look past it though!!!!

good man royce if you love hip hop cop this shit!!!! even if royces dome looks like a stick shift knob on the cover!!!! hes in gear yo!!!!

[ALCATRAZ]

look at that nigga head

[claaa7]

i gotta say i was a bit dissapointed in this, with DJ Premier being the exec and everything i thought this was gonna be some hardcore street hop all the way through. Royce is ill as fuck on the mic, great storytelling on tracks like "Part of Me" and "Murder"/"On The Run" and lots of nice punches and fly lines but some of the production is really lacking imo.. it does have some incredible music on it, the Premier cuts gets heavy rotation here and "Dinner Time", "Gun Harmonizing" is great shit too.. gotta give it some more spins though, but not one of the best albums this year at all for me.

[main_man]

definitely one of the better albums of the year. not the best though. i really liked "the album" from last year.
royce is no doubt one of the best in the game at the moment lyrically. i just think this isnt the straight bangin' album royce is capable of making. i just really hate r&b hooks with r&b singers that really have average singing voices.
the harder songs on the album are absolute bangers. i just hate the fact that so many dope mcs get caught up on bullshit radio singles. just make a album of good hip hop music that fits your style. give us that classic royce! (and meth! lol)

[CharlesJones]

LOL@Main Man. I like your opinion because you be speaking the truth. I don't like good rappers either that do bullshit radio songs so they can get airplay. Fuck the radio. Do just that real hip hop. I haven't heard this album yet by Royce but i'll check it out. His other albums i've heard aren't that bad. He's a good mc. I don't like that many rappers from Detroit but he got skills.

[SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS]

this album put royce back on the map for me.

i love his bar exam shit, but as far as albums go, i hadnt been feeling nickel since death is certain!!!

after some time with this album, its neck and neck with death is certain as royces best album imo. completely different flavor, straight hip hop shit. hard beats and hard lyrics without falling into the darkness.

this nigga is a master with the mic presence, hes hoggin every track he spits on!!! the flow, cadence, punches, hooks, everything is clicking here son!!!! royce channeled pac on gun harmonizing, god damn son killed that shit. on the run followed by murder, some of the illest storytelling rap i heard in a minute!!!! dude sounds focused and he released a hell of album!!!!

one complaint. i went out and bought this shit in the store, and the mixing of the vocals is fuckin terrible!!!! it sounds like the nigga is rapping through a megaphone on some of these tracks, like their disconnected from the track!!! flow is so on point i can look past it though!!!!

good man royce if you love hip hop cop this shit!!!! even if royces dome looks like a stick shift knob on the cover!!!! hes in gear yo!!!!

royce dropped the illest album this year next raekwon got damn

[claaa7]

won't make my top-10 best albums of the year

[SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS]

won't make my top-10 best albums of the year

why? Shit was as dope as it comes

[claaa7]

^^ it wasn't wack by any means but i felt it could be a lot stronger + there's been a lot of ill releases this year.. Rae was iller, Cormega was iller, MOP was iller, Skyzoo was iller, KRS-One/Buckshot was iller, Blaq Poet was iller, Fashawn was iller, Diamond District was iller, etc.

[11th Chamber]

I dont kno how yer gonna put that Blaq Poet over this. Dude cant spit for shit

[SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS]

^^ it wasn't wack by any means but i felt it could be a lot stronger + there's been a lot of ill releases this year.. Rae was iller, Cormega was iller, MOP was iller, Skyzoo was iller, KRS-One/Buckshot was iller, Blaq Poet was iller, Fashawn was iller, Diamond District was iller, etc.

True i'm still gon rank it in the top 10 we still got a month and a half to go til the year is up and allot hasn't been dropped like em's next record, joell's free agent, nas/damien marley collabo lp,etc. still i'll say this was a great year for hip hop and not the pop rap acts that have faultered ie jim joes, 50's lp isn't that great good not great

[claaa7]

I dont kno how yer gonna put that Blaq Poet over this. Dude cant spit for shit

nah Blaq Poet is easily one of the illest cats out there at the moment, and unlike alotta these "look at me, i spit clever lines and crazy syllables" guys Blaq Poet embodies everything that is hip-hop.