Royce da 5’9″ is reloaded. Fresh f the release last month’s PRhyme 2 with DJ Premier, the Detroit rap legend is readying his new album Book Ryan, which will reunite him with his Bad Meets Evil partner-in-rhyme Eminem.
Slim Shady guests on a song called “Caterpillar.” “The basic theme the song is, ‘Don’t disrespect the caterpillar to praise the butterfly,’” Royce exclusively tells Rap-Up. “Marshall falls a little bit more into that category than I do, but both us are caterpillars. A lot times, you’ll praise these guys but gotta tear us down…But where do you think his style came from?”
As if that bar-fest wasn’t enough, Royce tapped another intricate rhymer for the show-stopping remix. “Logic is on the ‘Caterpillar’ remix,” he reveals. “He’s spitting that brutal honesty and he spit for like 50-something bars. It’s one those shut-the-internet-down-for-a-couple–days verses for sure. I’m proud him for that one.”
Aside from Eminem, Logic, and J. Cole (“Boblo Boat“), The Book Ryan will also include features from Pusha T, Fabolous, Jadakiss, T-Pain, and Boogie. Most importantly, Royce says the album will consist his most evolved work to date.
“This is the perfect me to share with people,” he adds. “It’s not the negative me across the board. I still got a little bit an edge, but I’m grown. I’m thinking right, I’m sharp, and I’m not stuck in a chamber where I’m just making dark music. I’m sober and able to be as introspective as possible. It’s the perfect time for me to open up.”
“Another reason I’m saying this is a better time for me to go this introspective to give you this particular album here, is because I’m a master now storytelling,” he adds. “I’m very, very good at being able to balance these different things that I’ve been able to learn to do over the years just as an artist and paint a picture for you.”
Book Ryan is due May 4.