Royce Da 5’9 first gained national popularity through his appearance on “Bad Meets Evil,” his 1999 collaboration with Eminem that was featured on Em’s The Slim Shady LP.
During an interview with XXL, Royce recalls how his manager Kino introduced them at a show.
“Kino was like, ‘Let me introduce you. This is Eminem,” Royce Da 5’9 says. “So I was like, ‘Waddup, man? How you doing? I like your shit.’ And he was like, ‘Dog. Did you just say, “I’m iller than standing in front of a gorilla holding a banana?”‘ [Laughs] That’s a line that I said when I was on stage, I said it a cappella. I was on my Canibus shit back then [laughs]. So I was like ‘Yeah’ and he was like, ‘Yo, man, that’s fucking ill.’ I was like, ‘Thanks, man.’”
From there, the two Detroit rappers remained in touch and recorded an early version of “Bad Meets Evil” in the Motor City. Once Eminem signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment, Em called Royce to re-record the song for what would become The Slim Shady LP.
AD LOADING...
The two formed a bond and have remained close throughout the years, even though they fell out for a few years before reconciling in 2008.
Royce Da 5’9 Preparing “Layers” Album
Royce, who is preparing for the April 15 release of his Layers album, says that his various layers will be on display on the project, including the persona he uses as a member of Bad Meets Evil, his duo with Eminem.
“I’ll be peeling back all of them,” he says. “One of my layers is PRhyme, another is Slaughterhouse, another is Bad Meets Evil. All of these different styles and sides of my creativity come out in different ways and different groups, and this is basically me peeling back all the layers and giving you every side of me as Royce da 5’9” the solo artist in 2016. This is the complete artist.”
AD LOADING...
The Michigan rapper also says that the water crisis taking place in Flint is an atrocity.
“Nothing short of an act of terrorism,” Royce says. “It’s a testament to young Black lives being treated like guinea pigs. Our lives don’t matter. All of these things aren’t coincidence. There are ulterior motives, like moving people out of these communities. It’s always some greater power move aligned with these types of situations, and the lives that are lost during that shit just shows how disposable we can be. So we gotta stand up and fight that shit. We gotta raise the awareness and make statements like Black Lives Matter. That’s not to offend White people or anybody. It means we’re standing up for ourselves. Look what’s happening to us. Put yourself in our shoes. I got a son that’s 18 years old. I don’t want my son to die from lead poisoning, and I for sure don’t want no police officer blowing his fuckin’ head off because he got Skittles in his pocket.”
For additional coverage of Royce Da 5’9, watch the following DX Daily:
