Royce da 5'9" Opens Up About Creative Process & Addiction

Now that Royce da 5'9" and DJ Premier are putting their passion together for PRhyme, their new rap duo, they see that this particular project magnified certain strengths that their output with Slaughterhouse didn't necessarily.

"With the PRhyme project, we wanted to keep it as authentic to how I started as possible," says Royce. "A lot of times as artists, especially as aggressive MCs, we sign a deal, and the thing that made people pay attention to us in the first place, we're programmed to abandon that. You start getting hit with these titles: 'I want to hear mix tape Royce! Gimme the Royce from 'Boom' on that!" You start developing all these different sides to your style, and I don't really agree with that. I want to see the day when my raw lyrics get played on the radio, and if they don't, whatever. I feel like I've got every opportunity and outlet to do that with Prem, because it's the ultimate stamp. It's the original ultimate stamp. No matter what happens or what the outcome is, we'll provide that balance for the newer kids coming up, to be able to hear raw scratches in lyrics. Not a whole lot of trendy flows and all that, just flows and lyrics that will last."