PRhyme (album)
PRhyme is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo PRhyme, consisting of Royce da 5'9" and DJ Premier. The album was released on December 9, 2014, through their own record label PRhyme Records. The album features guest appearances from rappers Killer Mike, Jay Electronica, Common, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Slaughterhouse, Mac Miller and soul singer Dwele. "PRhyme" features production by DJ Premier, as well as samples from psychedelic soul composer and producer Adrian Younge. The album was supported by the single "Courtesy". A sequel, "PRhyme 2", was released on March 16, 2018. Background. On September 15 , 2014, it was announced Royce da 5'9" and DJ Premier would be releasing a collaborative album. In September 2014, Royce da 5'9" and DJ Premier spoke about the album, saying: "I want people to appreciate the fact that we didn’t compromise in lieu of the environment. In order to try to change the way that people digest music, we had to take a leap of faith," says Royce. DJ Premier adds, "The bar has to be high. For this album to be another body of work and another chapter for both of our lives." On October 17, 2014, the  album's first single "Courtesy" was released. On October 22, 2014, the music video was released for "U Looz". On November 20, 2014, the music video was released for "PRhyme". On November 24, 2014, the teaser was released for "Courtesy". On April 1, 2015, the music video was released for "You Should Know". On October 26, 2015, the music video was released for "Courtesy". Critical reception. "PRhyme" received universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 84, which indicates "universal acclaim", based  on 5 reviews. Fred Thomas of AllMusic said, "The formula for "PRhyme" is a simple one of inventively constructed beats and passionate rhyming from all involved. Sounding both effortless and intricately composed at once, "PRhyme" is an instant classic, and one that sounds better and better as repeated listenings reveal more of the details hiding behind the album's deceptively straightforward approach." Sheldon Pearce of "HipHopDX" said, "Part of the magic of "PRhyme" lies in its murky depths, which come courtesy of Younge’s soulful live compositions sampled by Premier in a rare deviation from his typical exploratory tactics. Premier  has always had a penchant for sampling whatever he stumbles upon, but the refined selection of this endeavour, despite mildly restricting the great producer, makes for a cohesive listening experience." Personnel. Credits adapted from AllMusic. PRhyme Additional personnel