Album Review: Success Is Certain by Royce da 5'9"

Royce Da 5'9" :: Success Is CertainGracie ProductionsAuthor: Jesal 'Jay Soul' PadaniaRoyce Da 5'9" is - as things stand - one of the best rappers on the planet right now. He's in the midst of a run of form that can no longer really be called that - virtually everything he spits is superb, his flow is the perfect mix of old and new school, the punchlines are vicious and he has enough subtlety as an artist to complement his near-superhuman confidence. It's also interesting to note that, although he's had ups and downs throughout his career, that's not really reflected within his body of work - if you look at all the Royce albums, mixtapes or collaborative EP's (I quickly scanned twelve on this site, though may have missed some) and look at the scores, every SINGLE one scores between 7.

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There’s a brilliant bit in “Where My Money” when Detroit rapper Royce da 5’9” throws hip-hop down the stairs, claiming he’s the genre’s “landlord” and that he’s going to get that money out, Joe Pesci style. From that Rolls Royce parked outside the Detroit Savings Bank to the numerous references about being ignored by the industry, Success Is Certain seems another near-concept album from the artist who has complained about this for years, but this time the attitude is a streetwise spin on the Law of Attraction, as if Royce could thug-charm money into jumping in his pocket. Musically, the results are a brighter, tighter, yet more elaborate version of the man’s best work, with tracks like “Security” and “Merry Go Round” sounding both flashy and meaty at once.

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Riding the wave of critical acclaim which resulted from his collaborative work with Eminem as one half of Bad Meets Evil, Royce Da 5’9 is about to keep his audience talking with his new solo effort, Success Is Certain. As if Hell: The Sequel and a major label deal for Slaughterhouse weren’t enough to make 2011 a great year for the Detroit emcee, Success Is Certain is only continuing his impressive run. Lyrically, Royce isn’t holding back, and he’s also holding his own.

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“Better later than never” has applied to few more aptly than Royce Da 5’9”. Public discord with co-conspirator Eminem, ghost writing controversies and jail time gave the Detroit MC’s career more false starts than a deaf track athlete. Unfazed, Royce joined forces with Crooked I, Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz—all lyrically outstanding outcasts in their own right—to form Slaughterhouse.

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