Royce Da 5’9” gets introspective on Book of Ryan

Fresh off the heels of his collaborative album PRhyme 2 with DJ Premier, Royce Da 5’9” returns with his latest solo offering, Book of Ryan (eOne Music). The intro begins with Royce describing how he “woke up this morning” and thanking God for waking up at all. The intro appears to foreshadow a more introspective album than his PRhyme and mixtape releases that normally showcase strictly bars and various flows. But what would a Royce album be if he wasn’t rapping circles around his competition?

Accompanied by Eminem on “Caterpillar”, each emcee takes his turn destroying the S1 and Epikh Pro-produced track. Alongside Royce, Eminem sounds more natural with his delivery and is sure to rekindle the demand for a sophomore Bad Meets Evil project. The Mr. Porter-produced “God Speed” follows and slows the tempo down a bit, but Royce continues his onslaught stating, “I’m from the streets where the odds are not even / Robbery, thievin’, ballers, debauchery, schemin’ / Rely on Jesus is hard to believe I’m a product of Eve in the garden of Eden.

“Dumb” featuring Boogie has Royce venting on how fake and fickle the industry is, while things switch up on “Cocaine”, with 5’9” outlining the story of how he discovered his dad was into cocaine. He explains further about his father entering rehab for drug use and being clean for over 20 years. Royce has sprinkled mentions of his father in the past, but this time he takes a moment to salute him for being there. He shows the utmost respect for his father. Royce continues down memory lane on the J. Cole-assisted “Boblo Boat”, and gets really in depth about his family’s past on “Power”.

With this offering, we’re finally given a clear and concise introduction to Ryan Daniel Montgomery.

Book of Ryan plays out like a therapy session for Royce, getting situations and feelings off his chest that have been slowly bubbling to the surface for years. Royce Da 5’9” has always been respected as an artist and top-notch lyricist, but with this offering, we’re finally given a clear and concise introduction to Ryan Daniel Montgomery.