Logo

(Rating: 5.0/5.0)

Materials Needed:
Sufficient sound system
Bulletproof vest (Shots will be fired)
Crack pipe (Album is quite potent)

With these materials, I promise you a safe and enjoyable session while listening to the fourth studio album by Royce Da 5’9”entitled “Street Hop”. Royce Da Fever Nina is the number one contract killer out right now. I highly doubt Royce needs any introduction, as he has been a part of the game for quite some time now. Royce began to stir up a buzz, when he first stepped on the scene alongside Eminem as the duo, “Bad meets Evil”; a name which properly describes such a deadly team. Unfortunately, the two had a falling out and went their separate ways. (Watching Drake’s “Forever” video you can see Royce {including slaughterhouse, who just might be signed to Shady Records} backing Eminem, while he spits hot fire. Shout outs to Dave Chappelle lol). Royce Da 5’9” refuses to fall short of greatness.

As we start off the album with the first song, “Gun Harmonizing” (produced by Emile) , Royce speaks to us in his native tongue; a gunshot filled jazzy scat. It is then translated into Royce explaining his hunger for committing lyrical homicide. Fellow slaughterhouse member, Crooked I, also does his damage on the track with lines such as, “…our trigger finger’ll nail you as quick as you clip a cuticle/ hollows’ll hit ya follicles/ ill split ya wig from far away like a long arm barber/ then lift ya weight like a strong arm robber…/”.

"Far Away" (produced by Emile), is a very interesting track. On this particular track, Royce decides to take a different approach by…singing. Yes singing. The track opens with a smooth R&B feel and when I heard Royce speak over the track with, “Yeah, what’s up girl, this my love song”, my shoulders dropped in despair. I couldn’t believe my ears as Royce began to sing, “Maybe you should or maybe you just shouldn't because baby I want to take you so far away, hey.” However, what prevented me from skipping to the next song was Royce’s confession,” I'm just playing I don't really want to take your ass nowhere, let’s do the real song. C'mon!” The song continues to establish Royce as a lyrical murderer.

I’m not going to review all 19 tracks but I assure you each track is worth blowing out a speaker or two. Royce Da 5’9” displays why he deserves his veteran status on each track with his cannibalistic lyrics backed by heavy hitting producers, such as; Mr. Porter (of D12), 6 July, Nottz, Streetrunner, and the great DJ Premier. This album will leave you with enough head bopping to give you whiplash, along with a few jokes to have you laughing (Beginning of “Thing for Your Girlfriend”). Guest appearances include: Slaughterhouse, Kid Vishis, Tre Little, Busta Rhymes, Bun B, and a few others. If this review, or any other for that matter, doesn’t persuade you to listen to “Street Hop”, listen to it for yourself. Still not convinced? Ok. “Street Hop” is better than "Jay-z’s Blueprint 3". That’s a bold enough statement to make anyone listen.

My Favorite tracks include: Gun Harmonizing, Soldier, Shake This, Mine in Thiz, Bad Boy (I’m Jamaican so the track appeals to me more lol), and Murder/On the Run.