Street Hop
Street Hop is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Royce da 5'9", released in the United States on October 20, 2009, on One Records. It is the follow-up to his previous album Independent's Day (2005). At the release of Success Is Certain (August 9, 2011), Street Hop sold approximately 24,000 units in the United States via HitsDailyDouble.
Background
Set for July 2009, the record was released as a joint venture between Royce's M.I.C. Records and the independent label One Records. Originally intended for the first quarter, he was in the studio with his frequent collaborators DJ Premier, Nottz, DJ Green Lantern, Quincey Tones and Carlos Broady of Diddy's The Hitmen, as well as producers Ski Beatz, Kay Gee and Emile.
Announcement
Street Hop was originally announced in 2006, and early rumors had fans speculating that Premier would produce the entire album. In September 2006, it was announced that DJ Premier would executive produce and contribute roughly half of the album's material, in addition to helping to select beats. In the same month, Royce was convicted of drunk driving, resulting in a parole violation and a prison sentence. After a year in prison, he prepared the release of the first The Bar Exam mixtape amid rumors that Nas was amenable to signing him to the rapper's Def Jam imprint, The Jones Experience.
Street Hop
[Woman talking:]
Nickel.
The M.I.C. bitch
(Statik)
You show off
Verse one
[Verse 1:]
I've been a monster bitch
My shit been bonkers
The flow been conquered
Hoes I been pompous (Smash Squad)
I've been conceited but I don't 5-0
I haven't been shot up either and I ain't from Chicago
When I enter the center stage the show's over
Minutes later the floor is frozen, a Rolls, rolls up
I'm demonstratin' a coke flow but I'm so sober
The original "Renegade" before Hova
They like, "Damn, why ain't Dre ever get him?
He seem like so much anger and pain represent him."
Eminem himself will tell you I'm the only nigga livin'
That done ever spanked him on the same record with him
Your man's gettin' jealous
Cause what I'm spittin' is sicker than his single
He got to think of a dance just to sell it
This is street hop to the fullest
To them real niggas out there on the corner beat boxin' with bullets
Niggas that be trigger packin'
Pop lockin' with glocks
Could aim well enough to shoot the zippers off your Thriller jacket
Me, I'm the illest rapper
Since every rapper killin'
From here on out, you can call me Shottie The Killer Capper
These record labels just manufacture shit
Like the pimp game homie, I'm here to snatch yo bitch
Got a fist game on me that ain't an afro pick
Try that ying yang on me, I'll handy cap you quick
[Woman speaking:]
Verse two
[Verse 2:]
Usually I play the two or three I been ballin'
Bitch, losin' me is like the Piston's losin' Ben Wallace
I'm to Detroit like what Souljah Slim is to Chopper City
So losin' me is like musically losin' Pac or Biggie
I'll be your ass, leave you with your mouth piece wired
Losin' pounds in the hospital, be quiet
Til you finally come up out that coma, boney
Lookin' like somebody put you on the South Beach Diet
If you hearin' me spit it, it's soundin' like the king died
Trippin' when I kick it, it's soundin' like my strings tied
I put the clip in and pull it
And woof
Woof
Listen, the pistol is soundin' like Hakeem's bride
And you don't wanna beef nigga cause my arm's be
All through Cali and Miami like a palm tree
My crew be
In New York or New Jerz usually
With tools to recognize you as who is you?
Excuse me
You don't wanna fool with the etiquette or the Uzi
I'll put you in the credits that's at the end of the movie
I pity your mother
She never seen you in a magazine
For the obituary I give you the cover
(Smash squad)
So when I'm rhymin' with ya
I'm Ving Rhames of the pimp game
I play the same role as Tiny Lister
Again and again
The Debo of the type cast
When I TiVo the mag they be showin' the white flag
So sit at the table and get it like it's digital cable
I torture you into talkin' to me till it get's fatal
Fuck with you till I put you out of your misery
With a silence or I'm a just muffle it up with a potato
[Scratch Outro:]
[Nas 'Made You Look':] "This is street hop"
DJ Premier on the cut