Book of Ryan

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.[3] 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.

Book of Ryan
Studio album by Royce da 5'9"
Released	May 4, 2018
Recorded	2013–2018
Studio	Various studios Heaven Studios (Birmingham, Michigan) Plymouth Rock Studios (Plymouth, Michigan) Collective Studios (Oak Park, Michigan) Record Room Studios (Miami, Florida) Effigy Studios (Detroit, Michigan) Palms Studio (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	60:10
Label	Heaven Studios eOne
Producer	Royce da 5'9" (exec.) Mr. Porter (also exec.) Akino Childrey (co-exec.) S1 (also co-exec.) 808-Ray AntMan Wonder Boi-1da Cool & Dre DJ Khalil Epikh Pro Frank Dukes Fuse Illmind Key Wane The Maven Boys StreetRunner Tarik Azzouz
Royce da 5'9" chronology
PRhyme 2 (2018) Book of Ryan (2018) The Allegory (2020)
Singles from Book of Ryan
"Boblo Boat" Released: March 2, 2018[1] "Stay Woke" Released: April 13, 2018 "Dumb" Released: April 20, 2018 "Caterpillar" Released: May 3, 2018 "Amazing" Released: August 31, 2018 "Power" Released: September 7, 2018 "Cocaine" Released: January 18, 2019[2]

Background

Discussing the album in a Vibe interview weeks prior to the release of his sixth album Layers in April 2016, Royce stated Book of Ryan will be a "very personal one" and more introspective than his previous discography, saying that "it's really, really a lot of the stuff that I want to share".[4] He also stated that the album was approaching completion and was going to be released the same year. Little was said about Book of Ryan until after two years of delays for unknown reasons, the tracklist and cover art were revealed on March 22, 2018, after the collaborative release of PRhyme 2 with producer DJ Premier as a part of the duo PRhyme.[5][6] On the same day, it was also announced that Royce, along with producers Mr. Porter and S1 (both who did production for Layers), are serving as executive producers for the album.

On April 25, Royce officially revealed the producers for Book of Ryan.[7] The next day on April 26, Royce announced the featured artists on the album.[8]

Singles

The lead single, "Boblo Boat" featuring J. Cole, was released on March 23, 2018.[9] A music video for the single, directed by Cole, was released on Apple Music and Royce's official Vevo channel three days later on March 26.[10] In "Boblo Boat", the two artists focus on reminiscing on their childhood while the video centers on a group of children going to a local carnival and walking around the park while simultaneously getting into trouble, with frequent references to the Boblo Island Amusement Park. Comedian Cedric the Entertainer makes a cameo in the video as a security guard, who also contributed additional vocals at the beginning of the song.

"Stay Woke", the second single featuring female Detroit singer Ashley Sorrell, was released on April 13, 2018.[11] In the song, Royce talks about his documented past struggles with alcohol addiction, while celebrating how long it has been since he became sober. In an interview with HotNewHipHop on April 13, 2018, Royce elaborated on the choice of "Stay Woke" being the second single for Book of Ryan:

“Stay Woke” is more like an excerpt off the album. When you listen to the album in its entirety, “Stay Woke” serves as a commercial. Like a small gap in the story, just for you to hear some bars for a second.[12]

The third single, "Dumb" featuring Shady Records rapper Boogie, was released on April 19, 2018. It describes Royce and Boogie's frustration with the music industry. Joel Zela of 2DOPEBOYZ described the song being a "bar-for-bar" collaboration and also noted the production, calling it "piano-driven".[13] The fourth and last single, "Caterpillar" featuring Eminem and King Green, was released and accompanied by a music video on May 3, 2018.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	84/100[15]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Exclaim!	9/10[16]
HipHopDX	[17]
HotNewHipHop	88%[18]
JOE	[19]
XXL	[20]

Upon its release, Book of Ryan was met with widespread acclaim from music critics, receiving a score of 84 from review aggregator Metacritic.[21] Will Lavin of JOE stated that Book of Ryan "proves Royce Da 5’9” is a Top 5 dead or alive rapper, no question. Wearing his heart on his sleeve throughout, the album is an introspective gift that not too many people are capable of giving. Combining transcendent lyricism with incredible instrumental choices, it's an excellent example of how beats and rhymes are supposed to marry one another."[19]

Commercial performance

Book of Ryan debuted at number 24 on the US Billboard 200, with 19,000 album-equivalent units, which included 11,000 pure album sales.[22]

Track listing

Standard edition[23]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	Ryan Montgomery Anthony Reid	AntMan Wonder	1:29
2.	"Woke"	Montgomery Dwane Weir	Key Wane	1:32
3.	"My Parallel (Skit)"	Montgomery Denaun Porter	Mr. Porter	1:09
4.	"Caterpillar" (featuring Eminem and King Green)	Montgomery Marshall Mathers Larry Griffin Jr. King Green Stuart Lowery	S1 Epikh Pro	4:43
5.	"God Speed" (featuring Ashley Sorrell)	Montgomery Porter Ashley Sorrell Lowery	Mr. Porter	3:10
6.	"Dumb" (featuring Boogie)	Montgomery Griffin Jr. Anthony Dixson Lowery	S1 Epikh Pro	3:07
7.	"Who Are You (Skit)"	Montgomery Porter Robert Glasper	Mr. Porter	2:36
8.	"Cocaine"	Montgomery Nikki Grier Khalil Abdul-Rahman Erik Alcock Daniel Seeff	DJ Khalil	3:33
9.	"Life Is Fair"	Montgomery Abdul-Rahman Eduardo Earle Sam Barsh	Fuse DJ Khalil	2:47
10.	"Boblo Boat" (featuring J. Cole)	Montgomery Jermaine Cole Rayshon Cobbs Jr. Marcello Valenzano Andre Lyon	808-Ray Cool & Dre	4:42
11.	"Legendary"	Montgomery Porter	Mr. Porter	3:26
12.	"Summer on Lock" (featuring Pusha T, Jadakiss, Fabolous and Agent Sasco)	Montgomery Terrence Thornton Jason Phillips John Jackson Jeffrey Williams Nicholas Warwar Tarik Azzouz Clemm Rishad	StreetRunner Tarik Azzouz	3:44
13.	"Amazing" (featuring Melanie Rutherford)	Montgomery Melanie Rutherford Griffin Jr. Lowery	S1 Epikh Pro	3:44
14.	"Outside" (featuring Marsha Ambrosius and Robert Glasper)	Montgomery Porter Marsha Ambrosius Glasper Keyon Harrold	Mr. Porter	3:19
15.	"Power"	Montgomery Matthew Samuels Brett Kruger Zale Epstein	Boi-1da The Maven Boys	6:42
16.	"Protecting Ryan (Skit)"	Montgomery Porter Glasper	Mr. Porter	3:19
17.	"Strong Friend"	Montgomery Porter	Mr. Porter	2:38
18.	"Anything/Everything"	Montgomery Porter	Mr. Porter	2:10
19.	"Stay Woke" (featuring Ashley Sorrell)	Montgomery Ramon Ibanga Jr. Adam Feeney Sorrell	Illmind Frank Dukes	3:15
20.	"First of the Month" (featuring T-Pain and Chavis Chandler)	Montgomery Faheem Najim Chavis Chandler Weir Sorrell	Key Wane	4:21
Total length:				54:59

Bonus track edition[23]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
21.	"Caterpillar (Remix)" (featuring Logic and King Green)	Montgomery Sir Robert Hall II Griffin Jr. Green Lowery	S1 Epikh Pro	5:11
Total length:				60:10

Notes

• "Cocaine" features additional vocals by Nikki Grier.
• "Boblo Boat" features additional vocals by Cedric the Entertainer.

Sample credits

• "Woke" contains samples of "Woke Up This Morning", written and performed by Alabama 3.
• "Caterpillar" and "Caterpillar (Remix)" contain samples of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", written and performed by Gil Scott-Heron; and portions of "Ring the Alarm", written and performed by Tenor Saw.
• "Dumb" contains samples of "Just Playing Dreams", written and performed by The Notorious B.I.G..
• "Boblo Boat" contains samples of "A Day in the Park", written by Michał Urbaniak, and performed by Urszula Dudziak; and excerpts from the documentary "Boblo Memories", written and narrated by Mort Crim.[24]
• "Amazing" contains samples of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", written and performed by Tears for Fears.
• "Power" contains samples of "Eazy-Duz-It", written by MC Ren and performed by Eazy-E.
• "First of the Month" contains samples of "1st of tha Month", written and performed by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[25]

General personnel

• Ryan Montgomery – composition, executive producer, A&R direction
• Denaun Porter – composition, executive producer, producer (tracks 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, 16–18)
• Larry Griffin Jr. – composition, co-executive producer, producer (tracks 4, 6, 13, 21)
• Akino Childrey – co-executive producer, management, marketing
• Brian Jones – recording
• I.V. Duncan – recording
• Morning Estrada – recording
• Mike "Kuz" – recording
• Sal Buscemi – recording
• Ryan Highland – recording
• Alexander "Smitty Beatz" Smith – recording
• Mike Strange – recording (Eminem vocals)
• Juro "Mez" Davis – recording (J. Cole vocals)
• Kevin Luu – recording (Marsha Ambrosius vocals)
• Mauricio Iragorri – mastering
• Steve Baughman – mastering
• Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering ("Caterpillar")

Additional personnel

• Tresa Sanders – publicity
• Chelsea Donini – digital marketing
• Mike Saputo – art direction, design
• Bruce Seckendorf – business management
• Roger Mendoza – business management
• Cindy De Sabato – business management

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26]	27
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27]	136
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[28]	7
Scottish Albums (OCC)[29]	52
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30]	78
UK Albums (OCC)[31]	70
US Billboard 200[32]	24
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[33]	3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[34]	14

References

1. https://listen.tidal.com/album/85077681
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_6hbM5NNoM
3. "Royce da 5'9": Book of Ryan (Album)". Amazon.com. May 4, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
4. Centeno, Tony. "Royce Da 5'9″ Says His Second Album of 2017 Will Be More Personal Than "Layers"". Vibe.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
5. Harling, Danielle (March 22, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9" Shares Tracklist For "Book Of Ryan" & Calls It His "Greatest Piece Of Work"". HipHopDX. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
6. Mojica, Nick (March 22, 2018). "Royce 5'9" Unveils 'Book of Ryan' Project Tracklist Featuring J. Cole". XXL. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
7. Montgomery, Ryan (April 25, 2018). "@Key_Wane @SymbolycOne @DJKhalil @mRpOrTeR7 Fuse808Mafia Cool n Dre 808 Ray @Boi1da @illmindPRODUCER @Antmanwonder @SRbeats". Twitter. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
8. Findlay, Mitch (April 26, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9" Confirms Eminem, Pusha T & More On "Book Of Ryan"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
9. Sapaonara, Michael (March 23, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9" Enlists J. Cole for New Track 'Boblo Boat': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
10. Sapaonara, Michael (March 26, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9" & J. Cole Reminisce About Old Times in 'Boblo Boat' Video". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
11. Robertson, Darryl (April 13, 2018). "Royce da 5'9" Celebrates Sobriety On "Stay Woke" Feat. Ashley Sorrell". Vibe. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
12. Findlay, Mitch (April 13, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9's "Book Of Ryan" Is His Most Important Album Yet". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
13. Zela, Joel (April 19, 2018). "Royce 5'9" & Boogie Go "Dumb" On New Banger". 2DOPEBOYZ. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
14. Clark, Trent (May 3, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9 & Eminem Lyrically Spaz In "Caterpillar" Video". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
15. "Reviews for Book of Ryan by Royce da 5'9". Metacritic. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
16. Wallace, Riley. "Royce 5'9": Book of Ryan". Exclaim! Media.
17. Ketchum, William (May 14, 2018). "Review: Royce Da 5'9's "Book Of Ryan" Is A Pensive Graphic Novel". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
18. Findlay, Mitch. "Royce Da 5'9" "Book Of Ryan" Review". HotNewHipHop.
19. Lavin, Will (May 5, 2018). "Royce Da 5'9" proves he's Top 5 DOA with the unf*ckwitable Book of Ryan". Joe. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
20. Gibbons, Chris (May 14, 2018). "ROYCE 5'9" POWERS 'BOOK OF RYAN' ALBUM WITH BRUTALLY HONEST BARS". XXL. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
21. Book of Ryan by Royce da 5'9, retrieved 2018-09-05
22. Eustice, Kyle (May 14, 2018). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Rae Sremmurd's "SR3MM" Makes Top 10 Billboard 200 Debut". Hiphopdx. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
23. "Book of Ryan by Royce da 5'9" on Apple Music". iTunes Store. (US). March 22, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM4Aq0PItbU
25. Book of Ryan (liner notes). Royce da 5'9". Heaven Studios, Inc. / eOne Music. 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
26. "Royce da 59 Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
27. "&titel=Book+of+Ryan&cat=a "Dutchcharts.nl – Royce da 5'9" – Book of Ryan" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
28. "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
29. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
30. "&titel=Book+of+Ryan&cat=a "Swisscharts.com – Royce da 5'9" – Book of Ryan". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
31. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
32. "Royce da 59 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
33. "Royce da 59 Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
34. "Royce da 59 Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.