Vevo announces Royce da 5’9″ as the next artist in their Ctrl series with a performance of “Thou Shall” and “Overcomer” premiering today.
Watch “Overcomer” HERE
Watch “Thou Shall” HERE
Vevo’s Ctrl series highlights the work of hard-hitting, cutting-edge musicians making an impact in today’s music scene – both emerging and established. These artists demand attention, and Vevo’s Ctrl shines a deserving spotlight. Shot in Vevo’s Brooklyn studio, Freddie Gibbs’ performance follow sessions from Rick Ross, Common, Rapsody, Fat Joe, Jeezy, Jadakiss, Fabolous, A$AP Ferg and more.
Rapper Royce da 5’9″ became known outside his native Detroit first for his work with Eminem and Dr. Dre, then through unexpected pop success, prolific solo output, and his roles in the group’s Slaughterhouse and PRhyme. His raw persona and talent for intricate lyrical design were on display in nonstop output that included frequent mixtapes, collaborations, and solo albums like his 2002 debut, Rock City.
His first major recorded appearance was on “Bad Meets Evil,” a track off The Slim Shady LP, Eminem’s multi-platinum commercial breakthrough released in 1999. Later in the year, Royce and Eminem released “Nuttin’ to Do” as Bad Meets Evil, and Royce debuted as a solo artist with the Alchemist-produced “I’m the King.” Additionally, Royce co-wrote “The Message,” the closing track of Dr. Dre’s 2001. Dre had previously offered an Aftermath label deal to Royce, who briefly went with Tommy Boy prior to landing with Game Recordings.
Early the next decade, Royce scored the first in a string of charting solo singles with “Boom,” a collaboration with DJ Premier that began a long-term affiliation. Rock City, his full-length debut, was released in 2002, but bootlegging of its contents prompted the rapper to decamp to Koch, where he issued Rock City (Version 2.0) and followed up in 2004 with Death Is Certain. Among the tracks on which he appeared during the next couple years was on Joe Budden’s “Slaughterhouse,” which led to group recordings of the same name. Royce, Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I released a self-titled album that debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200. Within a matter of weeks, through another independent label deal, Royce’s fourth solo album, Street Hop, was on shelves.
Royce enjoyed even greater commercial success during the 2010s, a period during which his high critical stature as a sharp lyricist likewise escalated. In 2011, he and Eminem reconvened for Hell: The Sequel. The EP topped the Billboard 200 and was trailed shortly thereafter by the release of solo album five, Success Is Certain, a Top 30 hit itself. The year 2012 was especially significant for Royce, not only for the warm reception to Slaughterhouse’s Welcome To: Our House, but also for his sobriety date that September. Alcoholism had plagued his life for several years, notably related on “Shake This,” and had led to a handful of drunken driving offenses, a prison sentence, and the deterioration of his family life.
Royce went through a protracted period of writer’s block, but his career resumed in full force in 2014, when he appeared on benefactor Eminem’s posse cut “Detroit vs. Everybody” and released his first album with DJ Premier as PRhyme. Another solo album, Layers, was out by the end of 2016. PRhyme 2, along with seventh solo full-length Book of Ryan, materialized in 2018. He continued his long history of Eminem collaborations with both the song “Caterpillar” on Book of Ryan and a spot on Eminem’s 2018 surprise-released Kamikaze album. Royce’s eighth 22-track album, The Allegory, includes cameos from Westside Gunn, YBN Cordae, Benny the Butcher, and many others.
“Thou Shall” and “Overcomer” are now streaming on all platforms. Keep up with exclusive content from artists all over the world on YouTube.com/Vevo.
ABOUT VEVO: Vevo is the world’s largest all-premium music video provider, offering artists a global platform with enormous scale through its distribution partners. Vevo connects artists with their audience globally via music videos and original content, working directly with them to find unique ways to bring their music to life visually. Vevo also works with emerging artists, providing them with a platform of global scale and reach, to find and grow their audience. Reaching 26 billion monthly views globally, Vevo has over 450,000 music videos in its catalog.
