Success Is Certain

Last updated
Success Is Certain
Roycesuccess.jpg
Studio album by
Royce da 5'9"
ReleasedAugust 9, 2011
Recorded2010–2011
Genre Hip hop
Length40:55
Label
Producer
Royce da 5'9" chronology
Hell: The Sequel
(2011)		Success Is Certain
(2011)		 PRhyme
(2014)
Singles from Success Is Certain
  1. "Writer's Block"
    Released: March 29, 2011
  2. "Second Place"
    Released: June 14, 2011
  3. "Legendary"
    Released: July 19, 2011

Success Is Certain is the fifth studio album by rapper Royce da 5'9" released on August 9, 2011. The first single is "Writer's Block" featuring Eminem, which was released in March 2011. Production for the album came from DJ Premier, Mr. Porter, Eminem, Nottz, Streetrunner, The Futuristiks and The Alchemist among others. [1] Guest appearances include Eminem, Joe Budden, Kid Vishis and Travis Barker.

Contents

Singles and promotion

The album artwork, track listing, and related promo art (such as a full-website "takeover" on RapRadar) was created by Brett Lindzen. The official artwork was revealed on July 4, 2011. [2] The artwork depicts a black Rolls-Royce car parallel parked in front of the Detroit Savings Bank. The photo is in black and white. [2] Instead of Royce da 5'9"'s full stage name, the cover shows only "R5'9"" with "Royce" written in smaller font below. [2] The track list was revealed the same day with the availability for pre-order. [2]

"Writer's Block" was announced to be the first single from Success Is Certain. It was released March 29, 2011, on iTunes. [3] The song features Detroit rapper Eminem, but only on the hook. It is produced by Streetrunner and Raymond (SAROM) Diaz. [4] Royce da 5'9" originally reached out to Eminem for this song. Later, they started recording for Bad Meets Evil's EP, Hell: The Sequel . [5] It was confirmed that this would still be used on Royce's Success Is Certain. "Second Place" was released on June 14, 2011, as the second single from the album. [6] [7] It was produced by DJ Premier. There were rumors that Royce had originally planned for this song to feature Raekwon and Method Man, but did not because of the leak. Later this was confirmed false. [8] "Legendary" was released on July 19, 2011, on iTunes as the third single from the album. [9] All three singles from the album can be streamed at Royce's website. [10]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200 with 16,000 copies sold in its first week released. [11] In its second week, the album sold 4,700 copies to bring in a total of 20,700 copies to date. [12] As of March 20, 2012, the album has sold 43,500 copies in the United States.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. Club (B) [13]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
HipHopDX Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
RapReviews(8/10) [16]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]

Success Is Certain has received general acclaim from music critics. [18] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on 5 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". [18]

David Jeffries of Allmusic wrote, "Musically, the results are a brighter, tighter, yet more elaborate version of the man's best work, with tracks like "Security" and "Merry Go Round" sounding both flashy and meaty at once." [14] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club gave the album a "B" rating, writing "disorganized as it is, this is the environment he works best in, and Success smartly just lets him do his thing". [13] Meka Udoh of XXL gave the album an "XL" review, writing "maybe influenced by Marshall himself, Royce has learned to channel his loquacious voracity into a controlled rage, and the end result is perhaps his most complete body of work". [17]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Legendary" (featuring Travis Barker)
4:49
2."Writer's Block" (featuring Eminem)Streetrunner, Sarom4:35
3."Merry Go Round" Nottz 2:40
4."Where My Money"Streetrunner3:14
5."ER" (featuring Kid Vishis)Streetrunner2:54
6."On the Boulevard" (featuring Nottz and Adonis)Nottz3:47
7."I Ain't Coming Down" The Alchemist 3:44
8."Security" Mr. Porter 3:39
9."Second Place" DJ Premier 3:46
10."My Own Planet" (featuring Joe Budden and Mr. Porter) Mr. Porter 3:36
11."I've Been Up, I've Been Down" Mr. Porter 4:13
iTunes deluxe version [19]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
12."Rock That" (featuring Kid Vishis) Mr. Porter 4:04
13."Writer's Block" (DJ Premier Remix) (featuring Eminem)DJ Premier4:47
Note

Chart history

Chart (2011)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [20] 25
US Digital Albums (Billboard) [21] 15
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [22] 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [23] 7

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royce da 5′9″</span> American rapper

Ryan Daniel Montgomery, known professionally as Royce da 5'9", is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, they became acquainted in 1997 and formed the hip hop duo, Bad Meets Evil the following year. Their 2011 single, "Lighters" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of their debut extended play (EP), Hell: The Sequel (2011). The song and its parent EP, which debuted atop the Billboard 200, have yielded Montgomery's furthest commercial success.

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<i>Hell: The Sequel</i> 2011 EP by Bad Meets Evil

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writer's Block (Royce da 5′9″ song)</span> 2011 single by Royce da 59" featuring Eminem

"Writer's Block" is the first single by Royce da 5'9" that was released on March 29, 2011. The song appears on his fifth studio album, Success Is Certain that was released on the record label Gracie Productions. The song features rapper Eminem, though he only sings the hook and speaks in the intro. It is produced by StreetRunner, and co-produced by Sarom Soundz. "Writer's Block" charted at #199 in the UK and #4 in the US on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles charts. "Writer's Block" is available as a digital download from iTunes, there is no CD single for the song however.

<i>Welcome to: Our House</i> 2012 studio album by Slaughterhouse

Welcome to: Our House is the second and final studio album by hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, consisting of Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9". The album was released on August 28, 2012 via Shady Records and Interscope Records. This would also be their only major label album before disbanding on April 26, 2018.

<i>Shady XV</i> 2014 compilation album by Shady Records

Shady XV is a hip hop compilation album performed by various artists of Shady Records. The double disc album was released on November 24, 2014, by Shady Records and Interscope Records. The album was released in honor of the label's 15th anniversary and as its 15th project. The compilation consists of two discs, the first featuring new material from Shady Records artists such as Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, D12 and Yelawolf, as well as the label's founder Eminem. The second disc includes the label's greatest hits, also featuring former Shady Records members. All previous and current members of the label are represented on the album.

<i>PRhyme</i> (album) 2014 studio album by PRhyme

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.

<i>Layers</i> (Royce da 5′9″ album) 2016 studio album by Royce da 59"

Layers is the sixth studio album by American rapper Royce da 5'9". The album was released on April 15, 2016, by Bad Half Entertainment.

<i>Book of Ryan</i> 2018 studio album by Royce da 59"

Book of Ryan is the seventh studio album by American rapper Royce da 5'9". It was released on May 4, 2018 by Royce's own label Heaven Studios and eOne Music. The album features guest appearances from artists Eminem, J. Cole, Pusha T, Jadakiss, Fabolous, T-Pain, Logic, pianist Robert Glasper, Chavis Chandler, Agent Sasco, King Green, Ashley Sorrell, Melanie Rutherford, and Marsha Ambrosius. Meanwhile, the production was handled by a wide array of producers, including Mr. Porter, S1, Boi-1da, Cool & Dre, DJ Khalil and Frank Dukes, among others. Upon its release, the album received critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caterpillar (song)</span> Song by Royce da 59" featuring Eminem and King Green

"Caterpillar" is a song by American rapper Royce da 5'9" featuring fellow American rappers Eminem and King Green, released as the fourth single from the former's seventh studio album Book of Ryan (2018). Produced by Symbolyc (S1) One and Epikh Pro, it was released for digital download through iTunes on May 3, 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "Royce Da 5'9" Talks 'Success Is Certain' & Writing For 'Detox' | HipHop-N-More". Hiphop-n-more.com. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Shake (July 4, 2011). "Royce da 5'9" - Success Is Certain (Artwork x Tracklist)". 2 Dope Boyz. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  3. ↑ Writer's Block (feat. Eminem) - Single by Royce da 5'9" on iTunes. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Royce Da 5'9 & Eminem "Writer's Block" (Prod. Streetrunner)". HipHopDX. April 8, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  5. ↑ Markman, Rob (April 28, 2011). "Royce da 5'9" Says Recording with Eminem 'Pushed' Him". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  6. ↑ Second Place - Single by Royce da 5'0" on iTunes. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  7. ↑ Horowitz, Steven (July 5, 2011). "Royce Da 5'9 Reveals Tracklist For "Success Is Certain," Features Eminem & Travis Barker". HipHopDX. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  8. ↑ Horowitz, Steven J. (2011-08-05). "Royce Da 5'9 Reveals Production Credits For "Success Is Certain" | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  9. ↑ Legendary (feat. Travis Barker) - Single on iTunes. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Royce da 5'9" - Success Is Certain". July 23, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  11. ↑ Jacobs, Allen (2011-08-17). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/14/2011 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  12. ↑ Jacobs, Allen (2011-08-24). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/21/2011 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  13. 1 2 Rytlewski, Evan. Review: Success Is Certain. The A.V. Club . Retrieved on 2011-08-16.
  14. 1 2 Jeffries, David. Review: Success Is Certain. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-08-16.
  15. ↑ Bassa, Amanda. Review: Success Is Certain. HipHopDX. Retrieved on 2011-08-16.
  16. ↑ Padania, Jesal. RapReview of the Week: Success Is Certain. RapReviews. Retrieved on 2022-06-30.
  17. 1 2 Udoh, Meka Review: Success Is Certain Archived 2012-06-12 at the Wayback Machine . XXL. Retrieved on 2011-08-16.
  18. 1 2 Success Is Certain Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More Metacritic Retrieved on August 27, 2011
  19. ↑ "iTunes Store". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  20. ↑ "/chart-history/TLP "Royce da 5'9" Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  21. ↑ "/chart-history/digital-albums "Royce da 5'9" Chart History (Digital Albums)".[ dead link ] Billboard.
  22. ↑ "/chart-history/IND "Royce da 5'9" Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "/chart-history/BLP "Royce da 5'9" Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.

Success Is Certain at AllMusic . Retrieved August 27, 2011.

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