While the world waits for PRhyme 2, Royce Da 5’9″ has announced he’s releasing his sixth studio album, LAYERS, on April 15 via Bad Half Entertainment/INgrooves.
His first solo offering in nearly five years, Royce looks to elevate his name and show his growth since finding success with Bad Meets Evil, Slaughterhouse and PRhyme.
“This album was the first album that I spent a lot of time putting it together as a complete thought,” explains Royce Da 5’9.” “Most of my albums reflect an emotion based off of my feelings. Death Is Certain was dark because of everything I was going through; this album reflects my emotion, but also my thoughts. I’ve learned a lot from being apart of Bad Meets Evil, Slaughterhouse and PRhyme and I’ve had the opportunity to use all of those experiences to better myself as artist, so it’s very exciting to see how those experiences will affect my career.”
Executive produced by Mr. Porter, Royce makes the importance of the D12 member’s vision known.
“Denaun is a genius and working with him is one of my comfortable working zones,” says Royce. “I like working with everyone I’ve worked with a lot on this project but Denaun’s super easy and a lot like myself in a lot of ways.”.
LAYERS arrives April 15th. But for now, enjoy an a cappella verse from a record called “Hard” from Nickel below.
The clip—debuted by Ambrosia for Heads—is the first in a series of videos that will help show off Royce’s precision with words.
“A lot of people ask me since I’m a lyricist / In this business / How come I haven’t gone broke yet? / I tell ’em it’s ’cause I’m the flyest backpacker, ever / I’m flyer than Mos Def / In the Trump Tower / Surrounded by four chefs / Fixing him some salmon croquettes / With Kendrick, Cole, and Kweli / In their dinner clothes. Try me / You and your crew will bleed / Y’all bums ain’t shot for the stars / Just New Years Eve / Nothin’ was given to me / I had to go up side heads just to get up side hills / Never over-the-hill though, so I don’t strike when the iron is hot / I strike whenever the fuck I feel / I eat what the fuck I kill / I got this way from not being allowed to eat dinner / If you knew how much I’d lost, you’d have no problem with me winnin’ / How many times—how many times—how many times could I be reinvented? / Money is the deadlier of the five venoms / In my denim / Definitely got a widen ’em / Garages with cars in ’em / Hangin’ out at bars to have menages with bartenders / God was an artist, and Jesus was a car-penter / They put me together like an easel / In the darkness of hell / And lost it / And left me some loose screws, but these are the nails to your coffin / These are the folk tales of a starving artists / Battling demons / Through his notepad / Like Adam and Eve /Eating kale in the garden / Flying private away from all charges / As my Layers keep evolving.”
