Royce da 5'9"

Released: June 20, 2017

Songwriter: Royce da 5'9"

Producer: DJ Green Lantern

[Verse]
I'm more or less professional
I'm perfection like Rolex
Perpetual but I bet you don't got this necklace though
This cross is so large it look like a set of referee hands calling a technical
Shit --- This cross is so foul think I'mma call it Solar
As a token to coming and taken over my self-control
While I’m trying to overtake your estate
While I’m flying on --- karma's involved there’s no escape
My brother never beat a case
He used to hit me from prison asking me to come perform there
I told him I couldn't, that’d be a waste
I'm not trying to berate the guards
I might rhyme and really raise the bars
There’s enough truth in me to set this whole penitentiary free anyway
Now I’m about to spit at you a couple of completely rational things
I’m just a kid with a passion in the back yard flipping on a mattress splashing in the rain
Who happened to make it international
Who made made a few enemies on his way to rap supremacy
After he done captured your brain
Somebody who’s sincerely driven by the spirit of lyricism
Instead of gimmicks designed to get into some kind of capital gain
I ain't never asked for fame
I know niggas who rap who ain't rapping cause they chasing stats
Well they bout that green like Franklin and Jackson
Well I’m bout that green like St. Patrick’s
And only stats I’m on is knowing I'll whoop all their asses
In any and all weight classes
I know fasho in my heart I already coordinate classics
I just need y'all to correlate that wit
Y'all settling for these throwaway corny swore away rappers
Is like putting cat shit between two gourmet crackers, and the actual performers are onstage throwing spoiled eggs at ya
Please, you deserve homemade mac and cheese, and that’s just the start
I'd sell my album for 5 to a guy with only 10 dollars to his name before I will to a rich guy for 10,000
'Cause a guy who’s got less to spend now got to go into his heart just to make his investment into the art
And that reminded me of myself at 19 in Harlem:
I told wifey I would not be back unsigned and came back signed with a million dollars
You looking in the eyes of an MC who clearly sees the climate shifting and the odds against me
There’s no secret
There’s no reason for me to go get more features
I don’t need you to promote or support me
I don’t need your beat
I don’t need to force things
We don’t need to speak more
I don’t need to be out in the street more
I don’t think I need to tweet more
All I really need is these flows
What do we know?
All you really need to know about me is the quality dope
Just because I’m kind of popular what ya tryin to bother me for?
I ain't never came out and bothered none of y'all when ya’ll was partying with the Migos
I ain’t gotta politic bitch - I’m a black star Ali Kweli Mos
I’m a King Tech and Sway alumni nigga, Stretch and Bobbito
Shout to Peter Rosenberg, shout my nigga Ebro
Shout my nigga C tha God, shout to Yee tho
Radio not for me, I see, it’s not about L-Y-R-I-C no more
No more interviews I’m Ceeyo
I ain't interested
Nah, I'd rather kick it with and sit around and listen to that kid Stitches spit while I sniff an entire ki of coke
Nah, I’d rather let Slim Jesus baptize my kids in a synagogue while I’m swinging in my vehicle
Look my pedigree has officially been elevated to best flow-er
That the mean I gotta step down in order to give a mortal direct orders
I speak to the culture like Hova does
Y'all beef and squash beef and then address make up
Y'all speak to the culture like Boy George and Culture Club
But y'all keeping me focused on dodging these vultures
And you know what? I might even be the greatest artist in history
Think about it - all these schemes
These are not just fresh rhymes, sir
These don't get thought of, these get conjured
Then these are compounded in the Exxon and stockpiled until it's time to hop out of my complex mind and possibly create it or repeat it in concert
These are my greater beliefs, too deep for you to rate or critique
As far as the haters, it’s too late you done already made me a monster
PRhyme is something you can thank me and Heron for
Bad Meets Evil is something you can thank me, P and Denaun for
Bar Exam is me saying thank you for being down for us
I’m slam dunking that Book of Ryan my nigga, encore
Me and Key Wane got something coming soon, it’s a mind blower
The Lord looking down on me like shine boy

Royce da 5'9", real name Ryan Daniel Montgomery, is undoubtedly one of the underground rap kings of Detroit. The Michigan MC is a long-time collaborator of Eminem’s, meeting him in December 1997, and is noted as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop’s history (in 2012, The Source ranked him as the 48th greatest lyricist of all time in their top 50, this questionable ranking unsurprisingly being scrutinized by many as a gross misjudgment).

Although critics have previously cast shade on his ability to create a well-rounded body of work, many, critics included, considered his sophomore effort, Death is Certain (2004), to be a strong album. To learn more in-depth about his solo discography, read this page (the page listed is old, so it is not updated).

Royce is the Bad half of Bad Meets Evil (with Eminem), ¼ of Slaughterhouse (alongside Crooked I KXNG CROOKED, Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz), and ½ of PRhyme (with DJ Premier). Royce currently operates a independent record label, Bad Half Entertainment.

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