[Royce da 5'9"]
Car won't start unless I do that. So, the lesson learned here: don't drink, kids.
[Bun B]
Royce da 5'9" is approaching a new chapter in his career. In the fifteen years that Royce has been in the rap game, he has been tempted by the stereotypical rapper lifestyle. Alcohol, women, and throwing money in the air defines success in hip-hop. And Royce fell victim to it all, especially the alcohol.
Back in New York, the legendary DJ Premier is dealing with his own addiction. While hip-hop's modern day commercially successful descendants have to an extent lowered the bar, Preemo has remained loyal to the culture's underlying purpose. After close to three decades in hip-hop, he still spins everyday in his studio.
[DJ Premier]
When I came here to, uh, shop my demos a lot of doors got shut in my face. And after pushing and pushing, every time they slammed the door, I said I'm a update my demo. Went again. They slammed the door. Updated my demo again. By the fourth of fifth time, I got a call from Wild Pitch. And Guru was sifting through all the boxes of demos. The two demos he found was mine and Lord Finesse. And I been here ever since.
[Bun B]
Detroit, Michigan: a city rich in musical history that has long been forgotten by big businesses and social politics. But Royce's mental state is miles away from those struggles. As he prepares to create the first full-length project with longtime collaborator and friend, DJ Premier, Royce is at home with his wife and four kids. Not the typical setting for a rapper about to write one of the most important albums of his career.
[Royce da 5'9"]
I always pull up to my house very, very slow 'cause these kids - these kids have no...
[Bun B]
To help sharpen his pen game, Royce hits up the gym almost daily with his brother, Vishis. A big fan of boxing, the lyricist sees a striking resemblance between the two sports. And while he may have chosen hip-hop over boxing, his mental muscle gets stronger every day.
[Royce da 5'9"]
Hip-hop was to me - was almost supposed to my style versus your style. That was the way it hit me: throwing up. That was the way it spoke to me. Just like fighters, they get in the ring, they fight. It could be bad blood between them - they fight. But they go so hard, by the time the end of the fight, they can't do nothing but shake hands. Nowhere else to go. You know what I'm saying? Like, and I kind of feel like that's kind of like how hip-hop should be. Well, I - at least I wish it was.
[Bun B]
Being the creator of an undeniably unique sound, Preem has never stopped pushing the envelope in hip-hop. But while he has been instrumental in shaping the culture's glory days as half of the group Gang Starr, no one is expecting Preem to do it again.
[DJ Premier]
Do trap, do whatever - I embrace it, I welcome it. Let them have they time, but that should not should stop us from doing the sound that worked for us. Because our market and our audience wants more of it. But which - chasing the youth by wanting to be like them and sound like them, and then we're not selling records and we're wondering why. Because we're doing something we know is not supposed to be done by us. Let those young kids have that. I'm a keep on boo-bavering it. Kicks, snares, hi-hats, dope samples and scratching.
[Royce da 5'9"]
Turned twenty-one; hanging around certain people; started drinking. And it started off in a way where it didn't even matter. You know what I'm saying. Like, we was just having fun. Record deal. I don't even remember when I started abusing it. It was just like a blur.
So my son made a comment. It's one of the things that prompted me to stop. He said, "I love my dad. I think my dad is Superman, but I don't really know him." The first step was to clean my shit up, clean my self up. The second step was to slowly ease my way back into his life the way that I'm supposed to be.
[Bun B]
Over the years, the personal lives and professional careers of both Royce and DJ Premier have crossed paths. Musically, their work together has always been met with critical acclaim. But the timing couldn't be better for hip-hop enthusiasts to go back to the drawing board. Because in order to keep moving forward, you've got to remember where you came from.
[Royce da 5'9"]
And that's basically what's happening now...
