During a recent interview with HipHopDX, Royce Da 5’9″ found himself surprised by an appearance from his former Slaughterhouse collaborator Joell Ortiz. From there, the pair proceeded to stroll down memory lane, reflecting on their time in the lyrically-driven supergroup, reuniting on Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By, and sharing a few thoughts on the Griselda movement — another crew who consistently holds it down with elite bars.
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At one point, host Marisa Mendez inquires if they ever felt slighted by the fact that the mainstream has embraced Griselda, implying that Slaughterhouse was not met with the same reaction. The answer is a resounding no from both parties, who make it clear that they have nothing but love for Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher. “They didn’t necessarily get more mainstream attention than we did,” clarifies Royce. “We actually released an album. It was two totally different journeys — I do understand the comparison.” “They anti-establishment, like we are,” adds Joell.
Mendez proceeds to ask about the creation of “I Will,” a highlight pseudo-Slaughterhouse reunion on Eminem’s recent Music To Be Murdered By. “That song was a joint we did a long time ago,” explains Royce. “Em just went back through it, cause he does that sometimes. Especially if we go to his studio to record it, nobody will take a copy of it. It’ll be something that exists in his world. When he called me and told me that he wanted to use it, I was like fuck, I know he ain’t gonna let me change my verse. But then I heard my verse and thought, okay, that’s cool.”
“I thought the exact same thing Royce,” laughs Joell. “I hadn’t heard it in years. It definitely held up.” For more from the former Slaughterhouse rappers, be sure to check out HipHopDX’s full interview with Royce and Joell below.