Royce Da 5’9” is having a busy year. After dropping PRhyme 2 with DJ Premier in March and announcing an upcoming tour, he's started building up the hype for this seventh studio album, Book of Ryan, which was released less than a week ago. In a new interview with Billboard, the rapper spoke about his career, his sobriety, and how he views the music industry today.
Royce also touched on the recent controversy surrounding Kanye West’s “quest for attention,” as he put it. Unless you live in a wi-fi dead zone, you'll know that Kanye's had an interesting few weeks where he supported Donald Trump and claimed he’s a “free thinker” who also believes slavery was a “choice.” Nearly everyone had an opinion on the new Kanye, which ranged from shocked, angry, disappointed and curious about what exactly he’s up to. Royce’s response ran the emotional gamut as well.
“I might say a prayer for Kanye tonight. He either going through something, battling something or extremely ahead of his time,” he said. “You can’t keep it that funky. You can’t be talking like that [about slavery.] Not your friends, not nobody. When it gets to that point, where somebody is that off with what they’re trying to do, all you can do is pray for him.”
Still, Royce acknowledged that Kanye is entitled to his own opinion, and Royce isn’t going to be the one to get offended over that. Royce’s respect from Kanye comes from his creative work as an artist, not from who Kanye is personally. That’s a distinction that not everyone can make, though.
“This is a society and climate that’s moving so fast that you don’t have to see what you don’t want to see,” he said. “Everything is on-demand. You can live in your own world and be completely happy. That’s your right as a fan.”
“Unfortunately, there are people who are stuck to this man. They follow his every move and cling to his every word. He’s got to be responsible,” he added. “I feel bad for them and I feel bad for Chicago.”
“I do think we all have a responsibility to at least be mindful of what we’re saying from our platforms,” Royce explained. “Regardless of how we intend something to come across, the kids literally take that shit and they live by it.”
The rapper also touched on how hip-hop has undoubtedly influenced mainstream culture but still doesn't get the respect it deserves. He cites this year's Grammys as a prime example of that: Jay Z walking away with no awards, and Kendrick Lamar not winning album of the year, instead only winning rap album of the year. However, Royce also notices how this popularity has created a world of “sheeple” who don’t necessarily understand the culture or the importance of lyrics. “Imagine how many people go online to check out what they’re supposed to like,” he said.
"You know how many artists said behind the scenes that I’m the best rapper alive right now, but won’t say it publicly? They’re waiting for somebody else to say it," Royce added. "At the end of the day, you’re a sucker. The need to fit in is just bigger than anything else in the world right now."
Check out the rest of Royce’s interview over at Billboard.
