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Royce Da 5'9" Interview: inside
this is a real interview with Royce. the royce fans can read this for enjoyment but peeps gettin' on my nerves with this "is D12 and royce still beefin'?" "will em and royce ever do another song?"...well...sry if this has been posted b4 but i just gotta post it again so peeps will know what Royce thinks about em, D12, the racist tapes, and the fight him and proof had that ended up with them in jail and well... i'll LET y'all read it....
NOTE: ANYTHING REGARDING EMINEM AND SHADY RECORDS IS IN BOLD AND ITALICIZED
Royce 5'9 - Rhyming From The Heart
By Andreas Hale
HHS: You really put yourself out there with Death Is Certain, as it is about as honest as an emcee is going to get; you admit your own wife thinks your music is too violent, broach the question of whether you're a one hit wonder, put your manager on blast and even apologize to fans for attempting to go commercial ("I played myself for radio play, I never dance/but the skill itself is a second chance") what prompted you letting down your guard in such a revealing manner?
Royce: I just was like.... It got to a point where I was listening to a lot of people, not even sayin' no names, and feelin' like they just rock. Not too many *****s had something to say, or not too many *****s had influence. You know what I'm sayin? Like you could just listen to a muthafucka, he might say something, but its only certain muthafuckas you listen to where
you feel like they influence you. Like they might even influence you to do some dumb shit! Certain people just got that. I just felt like I just wanted to pour my heart out. You know just air everything out, anything on my mind I was going to go ahead and say. And that alleviates me with having to come up with catchy punch lines, which might fade out in three years. I just wanted to keep it all real talk.
HHS: The LP is really dark and very serious; can we assume this was the state you were in while writing and recording?
Royce: Yeah....definitely. The state that I was in, it just came out that way you know what I'm sayin? I didn't give a shit! I didn't care about makin no radio record, nothing like that man. It had a purpose. This shit was for me. This album was for me, every song.
HHS: Build & Destroy created a very healthy buzz, and with it you proved that you can rip beats from not only the undergrounds finest, but those who are considered A-List producers (and some of the producers you previously worked with are now revered as A-List producers such as Alchemist, Just Blaze, Kanye West and Jay Dee). Could you see yourself getting down with a Timbaland, Just Blaze, Jay Dee or even Pharrell or Chad again?
Royce: Yeah man, any of them. That door is always open, you know what I'm sayin? In fact, everybody you just named, I respect them to the utmost. I'm definitely trying to link up with dudes like that in the future. It's a slow climb though. Like I'm going up the steep side of the hill. I'm the underdog so I'm just taking it one step at a time.
HHS: Well let's talk about another cat. In an interview with us, Kanye West called you out for including a beat on Build And Destroy he alleges was not paid for ("Heartbeat" which is a dope track) but you also come back with a line on "I Promise" that could be considered a reply "you funny acting ass producers I don't need you/you can keep your beats/rap for money/fuck you and everybody else who acted funny." Was that directed at Kanye?
Royce: Oh naw, definitely not man. See one thing is like Kanye is not the last producer in the world who is acting funny, you know what I'm sayin? He hasn't done nothing to me for me to single him out. I met Kanye, and he's actually someone who I like as a person. I look at him like, I appreciate what he's doing and I understand the whole pressures that are new to him. With new artists the mistakes they make, a lot of them make. They feel like that they gotta air all this shit out to press, instead of going up to a ***** like a man. You know what I'm sayin? A lot of new artists do that shit because they don't know the press game yet. So I can't really knock Kanye for what he said about me. I felt like is was a little bit immature, especially for a ***** that's doing beats for fuckin J-Lo! As far as the beat that I got from him that I rhymed over, we both knew about the shit. It leaked out. I didn't leak it. That's some shit that's supposed to be explained to him as opposed to me talking to you. But I don't have a problem with Kanye. Like I said I met him and I like him as a person. I felt like he was a cool dude. I feel like he's a little bit high on his horse to be taking shots at me. I'm nobody, you know what I'm sayin? The game is wide open. There's enough money for everybody. Just leave me alone. That's all I'm sayin to everybody.
HHS: You have formed a really good chemistry with Carlos Broady; did you initially plan on working on so many tracks with him?
Royce: You know what man? It was like me and Los always had that chemistry. But it was like "whatever you bring, if I come up with something to it then it makes the album." We didn't put a number on it. He came with a bunch of beats. Like a lot of beats he was saying that he was going to pitch to B.I.G. You know what I'm sayin? It was like a whole feel, it was a good feel. I can't even pinpoint which song was which that we did. I was doing like 3 songs a day. It just kind of happened like that.
HHS: Well then you know that it's always risky to remake classics, were you at all worried about interpolating B.I.G.'s "What's Beef"?
Royce: Naw cause I didn't feel like it was a remake. Honestly I felt like what I did on the hook, like it came slightly something close to what B.I.G. did on his hook, but I felt like that was paying homage. But I didn't feel like it was a remake. Or I didn't feel like I had to fill those shoes. You know what I'm sayin? Because I'm my own worst critic, like, I would just kill myself trying to compete with B.I.G., a ***** I look up to. I just go, I just go man.
HHS: March 9th is the anniversary of B.I.G.'s death, and three of the tracks Broady laced you with were initially recorded for B.I.G., which ones were they?
Royce: Like I was sayin before, I don't even know. Me and Los did so much shit man, we was doing like 3-4 songs a day. I can't even pinpoint which ones. I remember him pointing out certain songs and beats. You know what I'm sayin? But it's not like he would point them out and I would be like "Okay, I gotta do a Biggie song to this" it would just be like "Oooh its
that shit!" You know what I'm sayin? Like if you listened to the beats you would hear. Like you would probably spot them just by listening to them. The drums and everything just got that "Life after Death" feel. I didn't even try and go that direction with my shit. It just kinda happened like that. I don't know which beats Los pinpointed like that. Like that would probably be something that you would have to ask Los. Like he can probably better tell you. But man, shit, me and Los just got together and kicked it. We just did it! You know what I'm sayin?
HHS: With "Something's Wrong With Him" you showed a lot of growth by implementing live instrumentation, did that come about simply by experimentation in the studio---because the original version was more by the books?
Royce: Um, it definitely was just me being in the game for a minute. Like knowing what it takes to take a song from just being a regular song to being a big song. We really pushed the envelope during the mix of a lot of the records. And I'm really going to do it on my next album. I'm going to get real musical on my next album. This album we just pushed the envelope as much as we could, any song we could. Los was wide open to do it, I was wide open for it. We just kept it moving. We had everybody in place. We had all the people play the instruments in place so we just did the damn thing. We had fun with it.
HHS: The chemistry with Broady aside, no matter who you work with in the future, can you please continue to do at least one track per LP with Primo?
Royce: Oh yeah! Always. It's always going to be at least one track with Primo every album. As long as I'm around I gotta get one Primo beat.
HHS: That's cool cause them joints be fire! That's for real.
Royce: Fo sho!
HHS: You're a cocky emcee, but I think in the midst of that, fans lose sight that you really drop a lot of knowledge, on "Everybody Goes" you lament "we all borrow tomorrow/this is what God owes us/the biggest Indian giver/he gone take it back/erase you I'm stating facts" do you feel the beef with D-12 and old situations has lead people to stereotype and overlook you as an emcee?
Royce: I don't think they overlook me. Um...I get stereotyped, I don't think its because of D-12 or the beef, I think it's because of the way I carry myself in the booth. You know what I'm sayin? The way I come across on the mic, I think people listen to it and think that's how I am when I step out of the booth. Whereas nobody is the exact same person, you know what I'm sayin? Everybody in the booth is going to get competitive. Like this is rap, this is a competitive sport this shit started with battle. But when I step out of the booth I'm not tryin to compete with everybody. It's like I respect so many people, you know what I'm sayin, its like I'm not that cocky. I'm cocky on the mic. That's how I get my edge. That's how I get my swagger.
HHS: So you more a less a humble cat right?
Royce: Yeah. I'm humble when I'm out of the booth, but when I'm in the booth....fuck humble! You know what I'm sayin? When I'm in the booth I say whatever is on my mind. And I think it's that what's causing cats to take me the wrong way. Not even overlooking me. They just looking like "he's this type of *****." You know what I'm sayin?
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**CONTINUED...**
NOTE: ANYTHING REGARDING EMINEM AND SHADY RECORDS IS IN BOLD AND ITALICIZED
Royce 5'9 - Rhyming From The Heart
By Andreas Hale
HHS: You really put yourself out there with Death Is Certain, as it is about as honest as an emcee is going to get; you admit your own wife thinks your music is too violent, broach the question of whether you're a one hit wonder, put your manager on blast and even apologize to fans for attempting to go commercial ("I played myself for radio play, I never dance/but the skill itself is a second chance") what prompted you letting down your guard in such a revealing manner?
Royce: I just was like.... It got to a point where I was listening to a lot of people, not even sayin' no names, and feelin' like they just rock. Not too many *****s had something to say, or not too many *****s had influence. You know what I'm sayin? Like you could just listen to a muthafucka, he might say something, but its only certain muthafuckas you listen to where
you feel like they influence you. Like they might even influence you to do some dumb shit! Certain people just got that. I just felt like I just wanted to pour my heart out. You know just air everything out, anything on my mind I was going to go ahead and say. And that alleviates me with having to come up with catchy punch lines, which might fade out in three years. I just wanted to keep it all real talk.
HHS: The LP is really dark and very serious; can we assume this was the state you were in while writing and recording?
Royce: Yeah....definitely. The state that I was in, it just came out that way you know what I'm sayin? I didn't give a shit! I didn't care about makin no radio record, nothing like that man. It had a purpose. This shit was for me. This album was for me, every song.
HHS: Build & Destroy created a very healthy buzz, and with it you proved that you can rip beats from not only the undergrounds finest, but those who are considered A-List producers (and some of the producers you previously worked with are now revered as A-List producers such as Alchemist, Just Blaze, Kanye West and Jay Dee). Could you see yourself getting down with a Timbaland, Just Blaze, Jay Dee or even Pharrell or Chad again?
Royce: Yeah man, any of them. That door is always open, you know what I'm sayin? In fact, everybody you just named, I respect them to the utmost. I'm definitely trying to link up with dudes like that in the future. It's a slow climb though. Like I'm going up the steep side of the hill. I'm the underdog so I'm just taking it one step at a time.
HHS: Well let's talk about another cat. In an interview with us, Kanye West called you out for including a beat on Build And Destroy he alleges was not paid for ("Heartbeat" which is a dope track) but you also come back with a line on "I Promise" that could be considered a reply "you funny acting ass producers I don't need you/you can keep your beats/rap for money/fuck you and everybody else who acted funny." Was that directed at Kanye?
Royce: Oh naw, definitely not man. See one thing is like Kanye is not the last producer in the world who is acting funny, you know what I'm sayin? He hasn't done nothing to me for me to single him out. I met Kanye, and he's actually someone who I like as a person. I look at him like, I appreciate what he's doing and I understand the whole pressures that are new to him. With new artists the mistakes they make, a lot of them make. They feel like that they gotta air all this shit out to press, instead of going up to a ***** like a man. You know what I'm sayin? A lot of new artists do that shit because they don't know the press game yet. So I can't really knock Kanye for what he said about me. I felt like is was a little bit immature, especially for a ***** that's doing beats for fuckin J-Lo! As far as the beat that I got from him that I rhymed over, we both knew about the shit. It leaked out. I didn't leak it. That's some shit that's supposed to be explained to him as opposed to me talking to you. But I don't have a problem with Kanye. Like I said I met him and I like him as a person. I felt like he was a cool dude. I feel like he's a little bit high on his horse to be taking shots at me. I'm nobody, you know what I'm sayin? The game is wide open. There's enough money for everybody. Just leave me alone. That's all I'm sayin to everybody.
HHS: You have formed a really good chemistry with Carlos Broady; did you initially plan on working on so many tracks with him?
Royce: You know what man? It was like me and Los always had that chemistry. But it was like "whatever you bring, if I come up with something to it then it makes the album." We didn't put a number on it. He came with a bunch of beats. Like a lot of beats he was saying that he was going to pitch to B.I.G. You know what I'm sayin? It was like a whole feel, it was a good feel. I can't even pinpoint which song was which that we did. I was doing like 3 songs a day. It just kind of happened like that.
HHS: Well then you know that it's always risky to remake classics, were you at all worried about interpolating B.I.G.'s "What's Beef"?
Royce: Naw cause I didn't feel like it was a remake. Honestly I felt like what I did on the hook, like it came slightly something close to what B.I.G. did on his hook, but I felt like that was paying homage. But I didn't feel like it was a remake. Or I didn't feel like I had to fill those shoes. You know what I'm sayin? Because I'm my own worst critic, like, I would just kill myself trying to compete with B.I.G., a ***** I look up to. I just go, I just go man.
HHS: March 9th is the anniversary of B.I.G.'s death, and three of the tracks Broady laced you with were initially recorded for B.I.G., which ones were they?
Royce: Like I was sayin before, I don't even know. Me and Los did so much shit man, we was doing like 3-4 songs a day. I can't even pinpoint which ones. I remember him pointing out certain songs and beats. You know what I'm sayin? But it's not like he would point them out and I would be like "Okay, I gotta do a Biggie song to this" it would just be like "Oooh its
that shit!" You know what I'm sayin? Like if you listened to the beats you would hear. Like you would probably spot them just by listening to them. The drums and everything just got that "Life after Death" feel. I didn't even try and go that direction with my shit. It just kinda happened like that. I don't know which beats Los pinpointed like that. Like that would probably be something that you would have to ask Los. Like he can probably better tell you. But man, shit, me and Los just got together and kicked it. We just did it! You know what I'm sayin?
HHS: With "Something's Wrong With Him" you showed a lot of growth by implementing live instrumentation, did that come about simply by experimentation in the studio---because the original version was more by the books?
Royce: Um, it definitely was just me being in the game for a minute. Like knowing what it takes to take a song from just being a regular song to being a big song. We really pushed the envelope during the mix of a lot of the records. And I'm really going to do it on my next album. I'm going to get real musical on my next album. This album we just pushed the envelope as much as we could, any song we could. Los was wide open to do it, I was wide open for it. We just kept it moving. We had everybody in place. We had all the people play the instruments in place so we just did the damn thing. We had fun with it.
HHS: The chemistry with Broady aside, no matter who you work with in the future, can you please continue to do at least one track per LP with Primo?
Royce: Oh yeah! Always. It's always going to be at least one track with Primo every album. As long as I'm around I gotta get one Primo beat.
HHS: That's cool cause them joints be fire! That's for real.
Royce: Fo sho!
HHS: You're a cocky emcee, but I think in the midst of that, fans lose sight that you really drop a lot of knowledge, on "Everybody Goes" you lament "we all borrow tomorrow/this is what God owes us/the biggest Indian giver/he gone take it back/erase you I'm stating facts" do you feel the beef with D-12 and old situations has lead people to stereotype and overlook you as an emcee?
Royce: I don't think they overlook me. Um...I get stereotyped, I don't think its because of D-12 or the beef, I think it's because of the way I carry myself in the booth. You know what I'm sayin? The way I come across on the mic, I think people listen to it and think that's how I am when I step out of the booth. Whereas nobody is the exact same person, you know what I'm sayin? Everybody in the booth is going to get competitive. Like this is rap, this is a competitive sport this shit started with battle. But when I step out of the booth I'm not tryin to compete with everybody. It's like I respect so many people, you know what I'm sayin, its like I'm not that cocky. I'm cocky on the mic. That's how I get my edge. That's how I get my swagger.
HHS: So you more a less a humble cat right?
Royce: Yeah. I'm humble when I'm out of the booth, but when I'm in the booth....fuck humble! You know what I'm sayin? When I'm in the booth I say whatever is on my mind. And I think it's that what's causing cats to take me the wrong way. Not even overlooking me. They just looking like "he's this type of *****." You know what I'm sayin?
------------------------
**CONTINUED...**
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