As was first reported exclusively at HipHopDX, Royce Da 5’9” is hard at work on not one, but two new solo albums, Street Hop and The Revival [click here for all the details]. But even though his current recording schedule is hectic, the emcee from the 313 is taking time out to give back to Hip Hop by offering up his services on the M.I.C., for a reduced rate.
For a limited time Royce will be offering up 16 bars of supreme lyricism to any and all comers for just $1,000. “I’m trying to challenge myself,” begins Royce, explaining the origins of this idea. “I’m trying to put myself in the position where I’m always in the studio. I look at Lil Wayne and I’m like, How is he doing all of this shit? I sat down one day and I had an epiphany like, You know what man, I gotta figure out something to do where not only am I appreciative for Hip Hop, what Hip Hop has given me, but I gotta figure out something to do where I’m giving back to Hip Hop and I’m also making myself more visible.”
Roughly two months ago Royce first tried out his idea to simultaneously give back to the Hip Hop community while raising his own profile when he recorded 30 verses in a month’s time for a variety of different artists online. “I was writing every one of ‘em,” he says of the thirty 16’s. Every one of ‘em was an exclusive verse. It was a challenge for me, and it was fun. It was [for] strictly Myspace artists from all over the world – Japan, Australia. It was all via Internet, just sending files off.”
Anyone interested in soliciting Royce’s lyrical services while he shoots his gift for a grand should contact his personal assistant Brian [313-282-1782] or his manager Kino [kino1147@aol.com] immediately. In the past, other Hip Hop artists such as Sean Price, Da Beatminerz, Rockwilder, and Mr. Porter have publicly sold beats and rhymes over the internet.
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In between recording verses for up-and-comers Royce will be continuing work on his aforementioned two albums, along with his forthcoming mixtape, Bar Exam Volume 2. The mix should be available by the end of ’07, and will feature the Nottz-produced banger “Promise Land,” which premiered here at HipHopDX yesterday [click here to listen].
The second installment to the street release that Royce unleashed back in May will again feature an assortment of new songs and original freestyles. “Any original songs [on the mixtape] will probably be [produced by] [DJ Premier] and Nottz,” he notes. “A lot of it is just gonna be me rhyming over other people’s beats.”
On a side note, this afternoon Royce finally put to bed the longstanding rumor that his current search for a new major-label home isn’t really a search at all and that he will be soon signing with Nas’ label, The Jones Experience. “I haven’t actually had a conversation with Nas,” Royce clarifies. “The reason why that [rumor] surfaced is because Nas said in an interview that I was nice. And they was like, ‘Well, would you sign him?’ And he said, ‘Yeah. Hell yeah I’d sign him!’ So that’s about as far as it went.”
“I went to Statik [Selektah] ‘cause he’s in touch with somebody from Nas’ camp,” Royce continues. “I went to him about getting Nas on [my album]. That hasn’t happened. I got a record that I want Nas on. I’m always open, it’s just that conversation hasn’t happened yet.”
