Royce Da 5’9″ was never officially signed to Eminem’s Shady Records as a solo artist — he is, however, signed to Shady as part of Bad Meets Evil. Still, that hasn’t stopped Nickel from continuously holding it down for Eminem’s label and its legacy, understandable given his own deep history with the Detroit legend.
Today, Royce took a moment to share a nostalgic video clip dating back to the year 1997, long before he first made an impression on Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP. In fact, it’s likely that the video in question actually took place following December 29, 1997, the fateful night that Royce describes at length on his Layers intro “Tabernacle,” in which he details his first time meeting Eminem.
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“In 1997, I wore Iceberg because of Jay Z,” captions Royce. “I wore Cartier because of Detroit … I wore durags because of thin corners… @eminem would share his stage with me, tho most didn’t know me yet. Forever Grateful… Forever Loyal, Forever #Shady.”
As for the contents of the video, it’s likely that longtime Royce fans will appreciate the glimpse into his early years. In it, he’s seen rocking a stage (while Eminem casually strolls in the background), spitting venomous bars that served to highlight his formidable lyricism. It’s no wonder he and Em had such strong creative chemistry, with both emcees seemingly cut from the same cloth of influences.
Check out the footage below, and should you appreciate Royce’s intensity, be sure to revisit some of his earlier releases like Rock City and his Build & Destroy sessions.