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TSS: What are some of the differences between establishing a group persona and a solo persona? How do you strike a balance between your career as a solo artist and your career as part of a team?

Royce Da 5’9″: I don’t personally feel like we tried to establish a group persona, all we did was announce we were forming a group.

TSS: Do you feel like one was thrust upon you?

Royce Da 5’9″: Well, however people perceive you, going back to the perception thing, that’s what they’re going to call you.

TSS: Well you hear words like “supergroup” thrown around, comparisons with other “supergroups”…

Royce Da 5’9″: Yeah, that’s not self-proclaimed, that’s something that was put on us. We didn’t say like “let’s form a supergroup.” It started as one song, and then we were like “you see how they peepin us? We should keep doing this.”

TSS: Going back to more solo-oriented questions. In “Shake This” you chronicled your battle with alcoholism. Where are you at with that now?

Royce Da 5’9″: Well, I don’t drink and drive anymore. You know what? I’m in and out with it man. I’m not perfect. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I don’t drink no more. I never claimed that. I think it’s a natural growth process for me, to grow out of certain things, but I can only battle one vice at a time. It’s a lot of imperfections that I have that I’m trying to deal with. I look at them and I try to be as realistic as possible. All I can say is I’m a work in progress.

TSS: Is that your most difficult struggle?

Royce Da 5’9″: I mean, there’s so many different things. I never went like full fledged “I’mma stop drinking.” There’s so many other things that I need to work on, I’m taking them one little issue at a time. I’m dealing with them as I get to them. Right now, I’m not necessarily living the lifestyle where it’s necessary that I just 100% quit drinking cold turkey. If I was in a situation where I just got my license back and I’m taking my son to basketball every day, now I have to start thinking about that vice. It’s a different situation.

TSS: I ask that question because it seems like now you’re making songs, like in “Shake This” especially, where, especially lyrically, you’re taking a different approach. Like you’re looking at it like “my past is behind me, maybe it’s time to make other decisions.” Like you’re trying to look toward the future.

Royce Da 5’9″: Like I said, I acknowledged all my imperfections to the point that I don’t need to point them out anymore. I know what they are. In my mind I feel like I’m going to deal with them, but I’m also dealing with so many other different things.

TSS: So was there a specific point where you said “that’s it, time to move on?”

Royce Da 5’9″: Yeah, when I was in jail! When I was in jail, I thought to myself “I’ll never be in here again.” It’s part of moving on with my life. Part of moving on is not making that mistake again, because in terms of repercussions, that was the most drastic mistake I ever made in my life. It was the biggest repercussion I’d ever received. One thing that I stand behind is that I will never drink and drive again. There’s probably some people around me that are like “yeah, we’ll see,” but we’ll see.

TSS: What can we expect out of Street Hop?

Royce Da 5’9″: I need you to pound this into their heads: October 20th, Street Hop is released. Executive produced by DJ Premier.

TSS: What excites you about this record compared to your previous work?

Royce Da 5’9″: You know, I’m happy with all the mixes, I’m happy with all the masters, I’m happy with the guest appearances, I’m happy with all the beats. I’m totally happy listening to it from front-to-back. I’m real, real confident in it. I can honestly say that if it doesn’t work for whatever reason, I don’t achieve what I’m looking to achieve, at least that’s on me this time. I didn’t take a lot of advice on this record. I did what I know deep down what God intended. My God-given talent? I used it. And now, we’ll see what happens. October 20th.

TSS: So people can expect a real honest, genuine Royce on this album?

Royce Da 5’9″: They can expect honest Royce, the storytelling Royce.

TSS: Angry Royce?

Royce Da 5’9″: Angry Royce, the picture-painting Royce. All the Royce’s. You’re even going to hear some new Royce. It’s very diverse, a real versatile album.

TSS: How many tracks did Prem produce himself?

Royce Da 5’9″: Prem did three. We cut about eight or nine songs, a few of them got leaked, and we felt like “no need to put leaked material on there when we can put new ones.”

TSS: Who else have you collaborated with on this album that you’re particularly excited about?

Royce Da 5’9″: Busta Rhymes is on the album, I’m excited about that. Bun B, excited about that.

TSS: Now, tell me about the Bun B collaboration, because I actually heard that song. That’s a pretty interesting match –up, how did that come about?

Royce Da 5’9″: I don’t have a lot of rap friends. But Bun B, he actually reached out to me to support me, a long time ago. It was actually the first time that an O.G. in the rap game had ever done anything like that for me. I didn’t even know people in the music game did that, that anyone gave up props for no reason, not looking for anything in return. So after that, I decided that if this dude was going to support me, I was going to forever support him. He’s somebody I feel comfortable calling because I knew he would come through.

TSS: Are there any other artists that you’ve met in the industry that you would reach out for like that? I mean, you mentioned that you don’t have many friends in the industry…

Royce Da 5’9″: Nah, no I don’t. But, the guys in my group obviously, because I know them so well. Mr. Porter, he’s a great dude. He’s someone I would call for advice. I never hear him talking shit about anybody. Other than that though, I can’t think of anybody.

TSS: What about Xzibit? You gave him that shout out on the “I’m Me Freestyle” (“Only rapper I admire for his strength is Xzibit…”)

Royce Da 5’9″: Xzibit is my man. I can’t remember everyone. But the reason why I mentioned that, why I mentioned his strength, is because at that time, he had just lost his baby. He spoke on it publicly, he let everybody know that it happened. That took a lot of strength and I admired that. I was also using that in comparison to these rappers who act like they have muscle in the streets. That’s not real strength. But that was my way of sending my blessings to him without having to call him and remind him of what happened.

TSS: Getting into the generational gaps in Hip-Hop, now. You mentioned how you’re 11 years deep, but still looking toward a future. When you see the new acts burst onto the scene, do you view them as competition or do you view them as artists that you can help mold and structure for the future of Hip-Hop?

Royce Da 5’9″: I mean, I would like to help anybody that I can help. I’m the type of person that if I’m walking down the street and there’s a fire, as long as the fire ain’t too bad, I’ll go in and grab a couple cats.

TSS: So Hip-Hop’s the fire right now?

Royce Da 5’9″: Nah, I’m not even trying to make an analogy. I’m just saying I’d be down to help anybody as long as I can. I don’t judge the younger generation too much. Hip-Hop is going in another direction, and it needs balance. I think the people who’ve been in the game a long time need to do less judging and be more productive in doing whatever they can to fix it. Like the skinny jeans. I have no more problem with the skinny jeans than the generation before ours had with the Hammer pants. It’s just the music business going in another direction. What I would have a problem with is if my son wore them, but that’s because I’m in control of him until he’s 18.

Another thing I have a problem with is balance in music. If everyone is doing one thing, Hip-Hop can’t evolve. If Young Money is doing what they do, and they great lyricists over there, Slaughterhouse is the exact opposite. So if Slaughterhouse can get a machine behind it and we can co-exist with Young Money and it can all be Hip-Hop, I think that would be a good balance.

TSS: Closing comments?

Royce Da 5’9″: October 20th. Street Hop.

TSS: October 20th. Thanks Royce. Also, I noticed that the Slaughterhouse tattoo on your hand is spelled correctly- well done.

Royce Da 5’9″: (Breaks stoic demeanor and laughs heartily.)

Royce Da 5’9″s Street Hop is in stores NOW courtesy of M.I.C./One Records and is executively produced by DJ Premier. For more information on Royce Da 5’9″, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/roycedafive9 and visit his official MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/roycefivenine.

Watch — Royce Da 5″9″ – “Shake This” Video | Royce Da 5″9″ – “Part Of Me” Video

As an additional bonus, here’s the latest installment in Court Dunn & Nah Right’s “One Shot” series with the “Count For Nothing” video which also appears on Royce Da 5’9″‘s Street Hop.