Review: Royce da 5′9 – Street Hop
A truthful survey of my opinion on the current hip-hop game’s climate around the time that Raekwon’s OB4CL2 came out would have included a treatise on the death of the “gangster lyric” in hip-hop. Make no mistake, it isn’t my belief that those lyrics are gone from the landscape, only that they have lost all of the minimal contact with the reality of the artist’s lives that they may have previously had. For as much as the studied observer of hip-hop music and culture may decry the general apostasy from the image and the styles that they’re used to, is it truly possible to deny the disconnect between lyrics and reality? It is the opinion of the writer that a person who has reached a certain age along with a certain level of success should show an appropriate shift in subject matter reflective of their state of being – then again, if you believe that the biggest drug kingpins in New York are 50 Cent, Cam’ron, and Raekwon this argument will continue to be lost on you. The point being, that no matter what a person used to do, the public expects an artist’s message to mature as time goes on and circumstances change.
To that point, Royce da 5’9 has consistently been a part of the hip-hop movement rooted in violence. Despite his highly developed method of delivery, his content has consistently held him back outside of Detroit (and at least partly) for that reason. However, it’s possible that his recent interactions with more lyrically genuine acts have provided the polish that his presentation needs as well as promoting him in markets and to fans that generally would not give his catalog too much consideration.
Street Hop, Royce’s latest project comes on the heels of the highly critically successful Slaughterhouse album of which he was a part. This album pulls out all of the stops with a mix some of the most popular and most venerated names being associated with production. Additionally, Mr. Montgomery is, lyrically, at the top of his game on this project not only with thought-out lines and verses but also entire songs that would seem to be the product of painstaking craftsmanship. In addition, he appears to have mastered the art of what could be called “the lyrical crossover” in which he leads one direction to get to his point with a mid-range metaphor, then switches back to a much more powerful one. (“I was hot before your first sh*t. Not your album, but before your mama potty trained ya”).
Even with that said, the lyrical high point of the album is the way in which Royce explains his role as a storyteller and does not claim to be the character from the movies that his songs portray. This refreshing bit of candor serves as the biographical apology which explains his role as associate to a street lifestyle which shares a mutual relationship of inspiration with the artist.
Despite its many high points, there are some disappointing aspects to this album as well. Street Hop has a distinctly non-Detroit sound and style (with the glaring exception of “Gangsta” ft. Trick Trick). From the producers that were chosen to the lyrics that he laid down, Royce doesn’t seem to have much of a connection left to his home city. This could have to do with the fact that he has lived on the road for the last year or so and has tasted the fruits of having a national fan base to a greater extent, but he must wonder at what cost these good things come. In terms of cadence, Royce has recently begun to slip into a style that listeners might recognize as distinctly “Joe Budden-esque” to the chagrin of the 5’9 faithful. Additionally, this album features the use of the recently popular Auto-Tune studio effect on “Thing For Your Girlfriend”. Despite being candid about his reasons for falling prey to the sensation, Royce is known as a member of rap’s old guard in many respects and will generally be expected to aim higher in terms of production as a close associate/friend of DJ Premier and as an artist from the city of the late J. Dilla.
Overall, the album will be remembered throughout history as one of the highest points of Royce da 5’9’s career as it garners respect from critics across the country. Additionally, it seems to have all of the necessary ingredients that it takes to be a SoundScan success as long as the promotion program was in place. Royce promised to bring us the “real Street Hop” at the end of The Revival EP and it’s safe to say the wait is over.
The Bottom Line: 8.5 of 10
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