With the release of PRhyme’s self-titled debut, 2014 will undoubtedly go down as the year of the rap “super-duo.” The two-piece hip-hop project joins critically acclaimed duo Run The Jewels in releasing one of this year’s most anticipated albums. Consisting of Royce Da 5’9” rapping over DJ Premier’s instrumental tracks, PRhyme, self-released this week, shows that vets of the rap world still have a few things to teach the kids. This is a true “hip-hop-head” album, featuring once-prized linguistic complexity atop innovative and soulful sample work.
PRhyme roots can be traced back over a decade, when Royce Da 5’9” and DJ Premier worked together on the track “Boom” way back in 2000. At the time, Royce was a rough-around-the-edges yet technically adept rapper from Detroit, piggy-backing his way into the hip-hop consciousness on the back of similarly complex but significantly more recognized Eminem. Meanwhile, DJ Premier had been quietly grinding his way to the top of the production world after the break-up of Gang Starr. While the pair formed a bond creating “Boom,” it took 10 years for PRhyme to be born.
Initially, the project was intended to include the members of Slaughterhouse, Royce’s other super-group. Because scheduling a handful of active performers to record a second side project proved to be an impossible task, PRhyme got trimmed to the duo of Royce and DJ Premier. However, a host of guest appearances are made on PRhyme, ranging from Dwele and Common to Jay Electronica and Killer Mike (of the aforementioned Run The Jewels.) While bringing in guest performers can often make otherwise solid hip-hop records become bloated with filler, in the case of PRhyme each guest spot provides a distinct identity to the tracks.
When brainstorming for the project, DJ Premier made an important decision to exclusively sample from the works of composer Adrian Younge. The funky and soulful sounds that Younge is famous for are the perfect complement to DJ Premier’s typically gritty East Coast production style. In some songs the samples remain in the background, subtly guiding the lyricists through the bridges and choruses. In other tracks such as “Rhyme” and “To Me, To You,” the sample shoves itself into the forefront as the definitive sound.
Meanwhile, Royce provides the hip-hop world with a full album of linguistic gymnastics, showing that there is still a place for rappers that eschew bubblegum-pop choruses and trendy electronic hooks. Royce offers up a back-to-basics approach on the nine tracks of PRhyme, utilizing the complex verse structures and a high level of technical prowess. Perhaps his advance rhyming techniques influenced and inspired the guests on the album, as they are able to go toe-to-toe with Royce in their verses.
At the middle of the album is “You Should Know” featuring fellow Detroit-born artist Dwele and it is one of the clear highlights in this packed-to-the-gills record. The track represents a full realization of PRhyme’s intended sound – from the powerful horns in DJ Premier’s sampling to Royce’s dexterous vocal delivery and Dwele’s perfectly placed guest vocals.
While the album may not be enough to unseat Run The Jewel’s reign as the top “super-duo” in the game, PRhyme offers up nine of the year’s best rap tracks and represents a solid, cohesive effort. While Royce Da 5’9” and DJ Premier may initially sound like an odd pairing, the results show both performers are truly in their “permanent prime.”
Matt Matasci
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