Rock City (Royce da 5'9" album)
| Company type | Studio album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | November 26, 2002 |
| Founder | Royce da 5'9" |
| Products | Hip hop music |
Rock City—also referred to as Rock City - Version 2.0—marks the first studio album released by American rapper Royce da 5'9". Its official release date was November 26, 2002, following a delay of two years caused by creative differences and complications with record labels.
Background
Royce da 5'9" first drew widespread recognition in 1999 through his collaboration with Eminem on the track "Bad Meets Evil". Although Dr. Dre expressed interest in signing him to Aftermath Entertainment, Royce chose to remain loyal to his manager and declined the offer. He briefly entered into a development agreement with Tommy Boy Records, but the deal fell through due to disagreements over publishing rights and ownership of masters. The recording process began in 1999 under Game Recordings, highlighted by the release of the single "Boom".
After signing with Columbia Records in 2000, progress on the album slowed as the label insisted on producing radio-friendly singles, a direction Royce resisted. Although the album was finished by October of that year, it experienced multiple postponements between December 2000 and November 2001 due to internal issues at Columbia. Eventually, Royce was dropped from the label in December 2001 and subsequently signed with Koch Records (currently known as MNRK Music Group).
In February 2002, Columbia issued the original album version overseas for promotional purposes without Royce's authorization, leading him to threaten legal action against Sony Music; however, these threats were never formally pursued.
As a result, Royce re-recorded a significant portion of the album, eliminating tracks owned by Sony. This revised project was released on November 26, 2002, through Game Recordings and Koch Records, adopting the subtitle Version 2.0 to signify the alterations.
In mid-2023, the initial version of Rock City surfaced online and appeared on various digital platforms without official release.
Chart performance
Upon release, the album entered the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at its highest position of number twenty-nine.
Track listing
- Multiple editions of the album exist; among them, Version 2.0 is considered the definitive release.
- The track list below corresponds specifically to Version 2.0:
Notes
The tracks "Get'cha Paper", "We Live (Danger)", "D-Elite Part 2", "She's the One", and "What Would You Do" featured on the original album are excluded from Version 2.0.
Samples
- "My Friend" incorporates elements from "Let's Have Some Fun" by The Bar-Kays and "Cross My Heart" by Killah Priest.
- "Nickel Nine Is..." contains samples from "I'll Live My Love for You" performed by Millie Jackson.
- "Boom" draws from compositions by Marc Hannibal, Kay-Gees, Gang Starr, and The Lady of Rage.
- "Who Am I" features a sample from "Livin Inside Your Love" by Earl Klugh.
- "Life" includes portions of "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand.
- "You Can't Touch Me" samples "Love and Happiness" by Al Green.
- "King of Kings" utilizes elements from "Distant Land" by Traci Lords.
Album
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| scope="row" Template:Album chart | |
| scope="row" Template:Album chart |
Singles
| Year | Track | Chart Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | ||
| 1999 | "Boom" | - | 48 |
| 2000 | "You Can't Touch Me" | 66 | - |
| 2002 | "Rock City" | 99 | - |