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,
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,
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