The Allegory

Shortly after his prolific 2018 -- which saw the release of a pair of full-lengths -- Detroit emcee Royce da 59 returned with his eighth LP, 2020s 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

さまざまなプロジェクトでコンスタントに作品をリリースし続けているロイスの2年ぶりとなるソロは、プライムの相方である御大DJプレミアの手ほどきで学んだというトラックメイク・スキルを活かす全曲セルフ・プロデュースの作品。ゆえに印象的なループをベースに構築された己のラップを最大限に魅せるサンプリング風味なサウンドで統一され、そのプレミアも"On The Block"でサポートしてタイトなスクラッチを披露。客演勢にはスローターハウスの同胞キング・クルキッドを始め、ウェストサイド・ガン、ベニー・ザ・ブッチャーらの実力派MCたちが名を連ねており、盟友エミネムもスキットで参加。NWAやスリック・リックらのクラシックの引用も好事家ならばニヤリとさせられるだろう。
bounce (C)Masso187um