Royce Da 5’9″ is opening the Book of Ryan. Hot off the release of PRhyme 2 with DJ Premier, the Detroit spitter unleashes his first solo album since 2016’s Layers.
It’s a star-studded story with some famous faces. Eminem, J. Cole, Pusha T, Jadakiss, Fabolous, T-Pain, and Logic all make appearances, while AntMan Wonder, Mr. Porter, Cool & Dre, DJ Khalil, and Boi-1da provide production.
Prior to unveiling the album, Royce dropped a series of singles, including the Eminem-assisted “Caterpillar,” “Boblo Boat” with J. Cole, and “Dumb” featuring Boogie. Additional guests include Robert Glasper, Marsha Ambrosius, and Ashley Sorrell.
Recently, Ryan Montgomery spoke with Rap-Up about why the album arrives at the perfect time. “This is the perfect me to share with people,” he said. “It’s not the negative me across the board. I still got a little bit of 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.”
He said fans can expect some of his best work yet. “I’m a master now of storytelling,” he added. “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.”
Open up the Book of Ryan below.