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Death Is Certain [PA] By Royce Da 5'9" (CD, 2004, Koch Records) KOC-CD-9500Very Good · Buy It Now$16.99
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Death Is Certain is the second studio album by Royce da 5’9″, released February 24, 2004, on Koch Records.
The story
The album followed a two-year gap after Rock City, a period that included a falling-out with his former allies in D12. It was recorded between December 2002 and January 2004 at three Detroit-area studios, and Royce has said much of it was completed in about two weeks.
Sound and production
Carlos “6 July” Broady produced most of the record, with additional production from DJ Premier, Ty Fyffe, Asar, Rob “Reef” Tewlow and Mark Bassin. Guest appearances are limited to Ingrid Smalls, 6 July, Cha Cha and Cutty Mack. The lead single “Hip Hop,” produced by DJ Premier, was released in November 2003, followed by “Death Is Certain Pt. 2 (It Hurts)” in February 2004.
Legacy
Death Is Certain reached No. 161 on the Billboard 200, No. 39 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, No. 5 on Independent Albums and No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums. Reviews were generally positive, with an aggregate score of 70 out of 100 on Album of the Year. Royce returned to the title’s phrasing with Success Is Certain in 2011.
Tracklist & credits
- 1Intro0:12
- 2RegardlessProd. Carlos "6 July" Broady3:01
- 3Throw BackProd. Ty Fyffe4:16
- 4What I KnowProd. Rob "Reef" Tewlow2:49
- 5I PromiseProd. Carlos "6 July" Broady3:54
- 6Call Me Never!Prod. Asar1:59
- 7Hip HopProd. DJ Premier3:47
- 8Gangsta4:42
- 9T.O.D.A.Y.Prod. Carlos "6 July" Broady3:55
- 10I & MeProd. Asar3:28
- 11BeefProd. Mark Bassin, Carlos "6 July" Broady4:19
- 12Bomb 1stProd. Asar2:59
- 13Everybody GoesProd. Carlos "6 July" Broady3:05
- 14Death Is Certain Pt. 2 (It Hurts)Prod. Carlos "6 July" Broady4:12
- 15Something's Wrong With HimProd. Carlos "6 July" Broady3:57
Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.
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