By Martin Castro (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: February 25, 2015
PRhyme is the result of a collaboration between DJ Premier and Detroit rapper Royce Da 5’9”. The first thing that strikes the listener is how well Royce and DJ Premier work together; the second: the almost-intimidating lyrical complexity that Royce brings to the table, delivering metaphor after metaphor with ferocious passion.
In the eponymous first track Royce spits bars over relaxed and spread-out production. This track works well as an introduction to the record, preparing the listener for an auditory journey that will require multiple instances of hearing something, pausing, rewinding, and listening again, only this time with the giddy anticipation of a kid on Christmas morning.
DJ Premier’s funk-influenced style of production works particularly well on “Dat Sound Good,” which features verses by Ab-Soul and Mac Miller. Again Royce delivers a verse full of his complex lyricism and images — however, it’s a less busy verse, which I suspect he opted for to match Ab and Mac Miller’s flows. Ab-Soul’s verse is a highlight, but Miller holds his own, too.
“You Should Know” would have been unremarkable had it not been for Royce’s unrelenting third verse, in which he spits with a ferocity that’s hard to find nowadays, as well as Dwele’s vocals in the background working in Royce’s favour by evening the track out, making it more of a soulful jam than a straightforward sample-driven joint.
Although “Courtesy” is as lyrically dense as anything else on this record, it’s one of the tracks most likely to make your head bob along to it. Along with the scratching (which is not overdone, and adds texture to the instrumental aspect of this track), an organ rings throughout as Royce anchors the music with his particular brand of bravado. It’s odd to find a rapper’s tone of voice and style anchoring a track, but Royce achieves this by not only being deftly consistent in his delivery and use of rhythm, but also in delivering a verse that’s so commanding in its presence that it draws the listener’s attention effortlessly.
“To Me, To You” houses one of the record’s most impressive featured verses, courtesy of Jay Electronica, a rapper whose complexity and command of the English language gave Kendrick Lamar a run for his money when they were both featured in Big Sean’s “Control.” Jay Electronica brings the same amount of passion and complexity to his verse here, and it counterbalances Royce’s bravado with a calmer, smoother confidence.
This album’s guest appearances just don’t let up, as Schoolboy Q pops up alongside Killer Mike to round off the trailblazing verse that Royce drops at the beginning of the more energetic “Underground Kings.”
“Microphone Preem” ends the album on a more grounded note, featuring equally impressive verses from each member of Slaughterhouse. Already a well-respected and revered name in the Detroit hip-hop scene as well as more underground hip-hop arenas, PRhyme sees Royce Da 5’9” and DJ Premier contribute a devastatingly solid debut to the airwaves.
