Once Eminem was established, he moved quickly to set up his peoples (Detroit's D12 and Royce Da 5'9"). Whereas D12 piggybacked the bleached blond to a platinum plaque, Royce sets out to prove he can do it on his own. Well produced and well balanced, his solo debut relies on a solid, bass-heavy beat selection that defies coastal identification. Chanting over commanding tracks like his hometown anthem "Rock City" (on which Em lends a helping hand on the hook without upstaging Royce) and the DJ Premier-produced underground smash "Boom," Royce lets his wicked wordplay run wild with delightful results. He demonstrates his range, schooling his seed on the album's most emotional selection, the aptly titled "Life." Royce even shows love to Chicago's tightest (Twista) on the dark but bouncy "Let's Go." Topically, he sticks to gangsta staples plus some lighthearted concept rhymes like "My Friend," a clever tribute to his genitalia. Whether his debut will propel Royce to Em's stratospheric fame remains to be seen, but the album shows that da 5'9" is solid as a rock. - Vibe (April, 2002). Much respect to Royce, who is celebrating his born day today! Salute!! Listen below...
The full Rock City album review in Vibe (April, 2002) ...
