Royce Da 5'9"

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 groups 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. Born Ryan Montgomery, Royce spent his earliest years in the Motor City and moved to neighboring Oak Park at the age of ten. He absorbed hip-hop through his older brother and radio and television. During his late teenage years, he attended open-mike sessions, eventually battled, and quickly established himself in Detroit's burgeoning underground. 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. The following year, the rapper was featured on Willa Ford's "I Wanna Be Bad," a number 22 pop hit. 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. Shortly after the 2005 set Independent's Day was self-released through Trouble, the same outlet for some of his many supplemental mixtapes, Royce co-wrote "Tell Me" for Diddy's Press Play. Among the tracks on which he appeared during the next couple years was on Joe Budden's "Slaug