Slaughterhouse: Where Are They Now?

Slaughterhouse was a rap supergroup composed of four highly lyrical solo acts who, despite their elite penmanship, had each struggled against music industry politics. The four artists, Joe Budden, Royce Da 5’9″, Joell Ortiz, and Kxng Crooked (formerly Crooked I), first linked up in 2008 for a posse cut on Joe Budden’s album Halfway House. After releasing a cult classic debut record and signing to a major label, the group never reached their true potential.

These days, Slaughterhouse is regarded as one of hip hop’s biggest “what ifs.” Despite their struggles as a group, all four have gone on to find success in the years since they disbanded. While none of the artists have reached household name status, they are all still active today.

Joe Budden

Joe Budden is the artist most credited with forming Slaughterhouse in 2008. Conversely, the rapper-turned-podcaster is also largely to blame for the group’s falling out. Budden retired from rapping in 2016 after releasing his eighth and final solo album, Rage and the Machine. Since then, Budden has become a full-time podcaster, hosting one of the most well-known and successful hip hop-centric podcasts on the web.

The Joe Budden Podcast has been a source of endless controversy, media takes, and rap beef. This includes a tumultuous 2021 split between Budden and his long-time co-hosts Rory and Mal. Most recently, Budden has found new co-hosts, a new venue, and ignited new beefs on the platform with figures like NBA YoungBoy. While Budden’s abrasive personality and no-holds-barred attitude may have prevented him from forming lasting relationships in the music scene, it certainly makes for excellent podcast content.

Royce Da 5’9″

Royce Da 5’9″ is likely the most well-known member of Slaughterhouse for his rapping ability. The long-time Eminem collaborator has released eight solo albums, as well as a flurry of mixtapes and collaborative efforts. His most recent outing is 2020’s The Allegory, which showcases the rapper’s newfound beat-making capability. While The Allegory was hailed for its creative production choices, intricate rhyme patterns, and thoughtful compositions, the album came under fire for several anti-vax lyrics.

Like his former Slaughterhouse peer Joe Budden, Royce started a podcast in 2020 with co-host Lupe Fiasco. Unfortunately, the pod concluded following just 45 episodes after the pair became embroiled in a rap feud. Royce has been criticized for his handling of the beef, refusing to properly respond to Lupe Fiasco’s devastating diss tracks. While Royce Da 5’9″ continues to rap to this day, no new projects have been announced since The Allegory.

Joell Ortiz

Arguably the most underrated of the bunch, Joell Ortiz has largely managed to sidestep beef throughout much of his career. The former Slaughterhouse artist has had a prolific run since the group split up, collaborating on full-length LPs with producers such as Illmind, Apollo Brown, The Heatmakerz, and L’Orange. Joell has also collaborated on a series of joint projects with his Slaughterhouse associate, Kxng Crooked. The most recent project between the duo, Prosper, premiered on streaming in October 2023.

Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked sparked beef with their former collaborators in 2022 after releasing the album The Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse. Apparently, the quartet had been planning a reunion album behind the scenes for some time when the album was released without the prior knowledge or participation of Royce Da 5’9″ or Joe Budden. According to Crook and Joell, Budden refused to agree to the terms of any deal they presented. Likewise, Royce refused to do an album without Joe. As a result, Crook and Joell released The Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse as a duo, officially vowing never to return to the band again.

Kxng Crooked

Kxng Crooked has one of the most fascinating backstories in all of hip hop. The Long Beach, California native was first signed to Death Row Records in his youth. His first solo ventures with the label were shelved indefinitely due to industry politics and Suge Knight’s legal troubles. The rapper was also instrumental in arranging the posse cut with Joe Budden, eventually forming Slaughterhouse. Crooked was the first member to officially announce his departure from the rap supergroup in 2018.

In recent years, Kxng Crooked has announced plans to release a final solo album before retiring from hip hop. No specifics regarding the rumored release have been confirmed at this time. While working on the farewell album, Kxng Crooked was approached by Joell Ortiz with plans to make a series of duo albums with one another, resulting in four full-length LPs since 2020. Crooked has cited his partnership with Joell as a reinvigoration of his sound, resulting in him postponing his retirement.

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