Royce Da 5'9" Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs

By Insanul Ahmed | Jun 15, 2011 | 3:45 pm | Permalink

7 of 26

Royce Da 5’9” “Boom” (2002)

Producer: DJ Premier

Album: Rock City (Version 2.0)

Label: Game Recordings, Koch Records

Royce Da 5’9”: “Well that was a different process. I went to the studio to see Premier for something, I can’t remember what. He told me he had a beat for Capone-N-Noreaga, which was that beat. So he played it for me and I think I begged him for it. He was like, ‘You know what, I’ll just make them something else and I’ll let you take this one.’

That particular tick that he used wasn’t the one I was thinking in my head. The tick that he used reminded me of a [60 Minutes kind of tick].

“I was staying in Harlem. So I went to his crib that night and wrote it and went back the next day and laid it. And then I had the idea to put the ticking in there because obviously that’s what the concept is. So I asked him if I could add a clock ticking. That particular tick that he used wasn’t the one I was thinking in my head. The tick that he used reminded me of a [60 Minutes kind of tick].

“Premier played me beats all the time when I went up there. He’s always working on something. It was just something about that ‘Boom’ beat that just stuck out to me. Plus, I was under time restraints. I was trying to get stuff turned in so I would’ve took anything from him at that point. That beat was just retarded to me. Thank God he gave it to me!”