Slaughterhouse (group)
| Company type | Hip hop collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Kxng Crooked, Royce da 5'9" |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Products | Studio albums, mixtapes |
Slaughterhouse was a prominent American hip hop collective featuring rappers Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Kxng Crooked, and Royce da 5'9". Their independently produced debut album, titled after the group, was released in 2009. Subsequently, they signed with Shady Records, a division of Interscope Records, to launch their sophomore project, Welcome to: Our House, in 2012. The ensemble dissolved in 2018.
2008: Formation
The group came together in late 2008 following a collaboration on the track "Slaughterhouse" from Joe Budden's album Halfway House, which inspired their name. Each artist brought a history of industry controversies, which they collectively addressed in the track "Move On".
2009–2010: Debut album
Their inaugural self-titled album dropped on August 11, 2009, having been recorded within six days during early June. Production credits featured Focus, The Alchemist, DJ Khalil, StreetRunner, and Mr. Porter from D12. The initial street single, "Woodstock (Hood Hop)" featuring M.O.P., was unveiled through Joe Budden's Twitter account. The official lead single was "The One", followed by a music video for "Microphone" directed by Rik Cordero.
In its opening week, the album moved 18,000 units with only 20,000 copies distributed to retailers, reaching total sales of 31,000 by September 2009.
Although they initially aimed to release a second album in 2010 under the tentative title No Muzzle, discussions with Shady Records began towards the end of that year. Royce da 5'9" confirmed these negotiations and emphasized the importance of releasing their next project through a major label.
2011–2012: Shady Records and Welcome to: Our House
Speculation about Slaughterhouse signing with Shady Records grew as early as March 2010. During this period, Joell Ortiz publicly criticized E1 Entertainment via Twitter for obstructing the deal with Shady, implying interference from another party. Joe Budden later confirmed that contractual issues involving E1 and Amalgam caused delays. Royce da 5'9" alluded to Shady Records in his Bar Exam 3 freestyle, while the group issued "Beamer, Benz or Bentley (ShadyMegaMix)" still under E1’s banner. Without Budden, Slaughterhouse appeared on Eminem’s Recovery iTunes deluxe edition track "Session One," and featured on "Loud Noises" from Hell: The Sequel (2011), a collaboration between Royce and Eminem.
In June 2010, plans emerged for an EP entitled Slaughterhouse EP. Released on February 8, 2011, it contained four new songs alongside two remixes by Frequency. On January 12, 2011, Slaughterhouse officially joined Shady Records, alongside fellow signee Yelawolf. Both acts appeared with Eminem on the cover of the March 2011 issue of XXL.
One year later, Slaughterhouse featured on the July/August cover of The Source magazine ahead of their Shady debut release. On July 7, 2012, Royce announced an upcoming pre-album mixtape slated for early August. The first promotional single "Throw It Away," produced by Swizz Beatz, was released shortly after. Joe Budden shared via Twitter that the mixtape would be titled On The House and hosted by DJ Drama. A preview video showcased "See Dead People," which included guest appearances from Eminem and members of Black Hippy. On August 16, they dropped another track called "Truth or Truth." The mixtape officially launched on August 19.
Their second studio album and first under Shady Records, Welcome to: Our House, was released on August 28, 2012. By November 23 that year, it had sold approximately 146,000 copies in the United States. Budden acknowledged struggles with substance abuse during the recording process but confirmed that all members were sober and actively preparing material for a third album.
2013–2018: Glass House and Group Dissolution
In May 2013, Slaughterhouse set aside individual projects to focus on their third studio album, which was executive produced by Just Blaze and included production contributions from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Cardiak, Illmind, AraabMuzik, and DJ Premier. By November 2013, Joe Budden announced a projected release for early 2014, mentioning a guest appearance by Action Bronson but confirming no collaboration with Eminem at that time. On May 21, 2014, the group dropped their second mixtape, House Rules, containing 10 tracks produced by Nottz, AraabMuzik, DJ Pain 1, The Heatmakerz, Illmind, and Harry Fraud. By February 2015, Royce da 5'9" revealed that the album was nearly finished, with Eminem involved in its final stages and targeting a summer release. However, on February 7, 2017, Joe Budden declared on his podcast that the album would ultimately never be released.
In April 2018, KXNG Crooked announced his exit from the group via Instagram, confirming that Glass House exists but lacks an official release date, while stressing there were no hard feelings involved. Both Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9" voiced their support for his decision. Subsequently, on April 26, 2018, Royce da 5’9” officially confirmed the disbandment of the supergroup.
2018–present: Post-Slaughterhouse Developments
In September 2018, Eminem published a four-part interview series with Sway Calloway on his YouTube channel where he discussed the reasons behind Slaughterhouse’s breakup.
In January 2020, Royce da 5'9", KXNG Crooked, and Joell Ortiz appeared on Eminem’s eleventh studio album, Music to Be Murdered By, contributing to the track "I Will".
In February 2022, KXNG Crooked and Joell Ortiz announced a joint album titled Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse, which reflects on the group's dissolution from their viewpoints. Royce da 5'9" and Joe Budden criticized this project as an unauthorized exploitation of the Slaughterhouse name. After a public disagreement in March 2022, KXNG Crooked explained that he and Ortiz had long attempted to reunite the group but were met with Budden’s disinterest; their intention was to deliver a concluding project that would offer fans closure.
Discography
Studio albums
- Slaughterhouse (2009)
- Welcome to: Our House (2012)