Hip-hop purists rejoiced when Detroit wordsmith Royce 5'9" and legendary producer DJ Premier joined forces in 2014 to create their first collaborative effort, PRhyme. It made perfect sense for the longtime collaborators, both incredibly gifted in their respective skills sets. Not only did that maiden LP grace nearly every "best- 2014" list, but it proved that there's still a place in modern music for robust beats, vicious bars and technical triumphs.
After a long wait, the duo is back with its follow-up album, PRhyme 2. This second fering is lengthier than the first, giving it more room to explore different concepts, sounds and include assistance from featured guests. Some fans were concerned about whether Royce and Preemo could outdo their first installment, but now that the project has been unveiled one week ahead its scheduled March 16 release date, it's clear that those worries were unfounded. Premier's beats are firmly within his boom-bap wheelhouse, chopping up modern-sounding samples from the brilliant producer Antman Wonder that will move young and old heads alike. Royce's cunning lyrical exercises are even more mind-blowing (peep his unbelievable freestyle for Funkmaster Flex for a taste). His punchlines, entendres, delivery, similes, schemes, patterns, metaphors, cadence and all-encompassing rhymes are not only sharper than before, but they're also more personal.
In celebration this hip-hop haymaker, XXL has sifted through PRhyme 2 to handpick 20 the best lyrics from the project. Check it out below and let us know if your favorite bars made the list.