Royce Da 5’9”
The Allegory
eOne
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Royce Da 5’9” has been on a remarkable run since 2014. Before this stretch, the emcee was already lauded as one of the best wordsmiths in hip-hop. But as of late, he has expanded his artistry and it's due in large part to his sobriety. He seems to be creating with a clearer mind now and it's lending a sense of purpose to each of his albums.
On his 2018 LP Book of Ryan, Royce delivered his autobiography. He revealed details of his past that are both troubling and inspiring. Royce looked within himself to make Book of Ryan, but on his new album The Allegory, Royce turns his gaze outward and delivers his most socially-driven work to date.
By naming his album The Allegory, Royce indicates that the LP is meant to convey a message. Making your head nod or your face scrunch up isn't the priority this time around. Royce's mission is to enlighten.
He immediately puts this plan into action on the album opener "Mr. Grace" (Intro). The track begins with a clip of a Black father quizzing his child on entrepreneurship and group economics. It's striking to hear the amount of financial knowledge the kid has, but his knowledge is a response to a problem that Royce points out once he enters the song.
Royce's verse on the intro sounds like a spoken word performance that just happens to have music behind it. And the music is minimal, giving room for Royce's words (and boy, are there a lot of them) to impact listeners. Royce raps, "Flip the dollars for wealth until our figures resemble the myriad / We are the inventors, we are the lenders, we are the matriarchs / Only thing we didn't make was slavery laws." Here and throughout the verse, Royce points to wealth disparity as the issue that must be resolved for the sake of African-Americans. In doing so, he shows that his focus has shifted from his own plight to the plight of his people.
On the intro and many other songs, Royce sounds dismayed by the financial standing of the Black community. He likens it to imprisonment by referring to Plato's cave allegory. The allegory involves prisoners who can only see shadows of puppets on the wall of a cave. What they see and deem to be reality is a fallacy, not even a fraction of what truly exists in the world.
The prisoners are in a dismal state and Royce feels Black people aren't in a much better position. This sentiment is dark and it permeates not just Royce's rhymes, but also his production. Royce produced the entire album, a new feat for him. Whether he intended to or not, he made beats that match the mood of his words. Even songs that mainly flex the power of his pen, such as "Thou Shall" And "Fubu," have an eerie sound.
The gloominess of the album's sound can be overbearing, especially given that it comprises 22 tracks. Yet, the sound creates the right atmosphere for some of Royce's best moments on the LP. "Upside Down" is a prime example, as Royce speaks about the use of the n-word as well as artistic vision among rappers. The melancholy beat embodies the caution expressed in his words, imploring the audience to take heed.
"Tricked" and "My People Free" also prove to be highlights, but a few songs on the album fall short of their potential. "I Play Forever," which features Grafh, has a soulful, horn-driven beat that would be the perfect backdrop for a vintage performance from Royce. Yet instead of powerful words or a lyrical display, Royce opts for a playful verse with a repetitive rhyme scheme. On an album that addresses harsh realities, moments of levity are welcome. But there are only so many times I want to hear Royce drag out the word "dog."
Another missed opportunity is the song "Rhinestone Doo Rag." The title comes off as a joke and the image of it is even funnier (gotta love fashion from the early '00s). But as the song plays, you hear one of the best verses from Royce on the album. He raps, "But even a jewel from a fool is still a gem / A dude'll put more energy in killing you than healing him / We went from riding in Yugos to buying sumo statues / When you fall from that level of flying, who gon' catch you?"
The philosophy present in these lines is a constant during the verse. Royce moves from criticizing President Trump to calling for Black self-empowerment. But just as you digest the ideas he's sharing, the song ends after barely running over a minute. The track's brevity makes it seem like an iTunes snippet, which is a shame because an extended version could've been the best song on the album.
While "Rhinestone Doo Rag" seems unfulfilled, the same can't be said for the album as a whole. On The Allegory, Royce prioritizes message over music. The statements he makes during songs are more memorable than the songs themselves. This may not be the ideal outcome for an album, but it is ideal for an allegory. The album's title tells us that it is art made to make us think, analyze, reconsider and learn. Above all else, Royce sought to express his perspective on being Black in America and his LP does just that.
Notable Tracks: "Black Savage" | “Hero” | "Mr. Grace” (Intro) | “Upside Down”
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