Shortly after his prolific 2018 -- which saw the release of a pair of full-lengths -- Detroit emcee
Royce da 5'9" returned with his eighth LP, 2020's
The Allegory. Typically hard-hitting and thoughtful, the veteran rapper highlights street struggles and big-picture injustices in America, tackling economic disparity, racism, street violence, drug addiction, and social justice through a sharp, wise lens. With bars upon bars of head-spinning wordplay and complex lyrical content,
The Allegory is unabashedly political. From the educational interludes "Ice Cream" and "Mr. Grace"/"Ms. Grace" to cultural shots "FUBU" and "Dope Man," each track is a lesson in itself. The layers are so dense that repeat listens are almost required, revealing fresh quotables each time.
Royce is joined on this grand opus by guests
Eminem,
DJ Premier,
KXNG Crooked,
T.I.,
Vince Staples,
G Perico, and the
Griselda trio (Westside Gunn,
Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher). Intense and thrilling,
The Allegory is a powerful work with uncomfortably realistic and poignant snapshots of American life that linger long after the last song has finished. ~ Neil Z. Yeung