Royce da 5'9″ Net Worth

What is Royce da 5'9″'s Net Worth?

Royce da 5'9″ is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer who has a net worth of $1 million.

Royce da 5'9″, whose real name is Ryan Daniel Montgomery, is best known for his elite lyricism, long association with Eminem, membership in the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, and his work with DJ Premier as one-half of PRhyme. He first gained attention in the late 1990s through his connection to Eminem and their duo Bad Meets Evil, later earning mainstream success when the pair reunited for the 2011 EP "Hell: The Sequel," which included the Bruno Mars-assisted hit "Lighters." Royce has also built a respected solo career with albums including "Rock City," "Death Is Certain," "Street Hop," "Layers," "Book of Ryan," and "The Allegory." Known for dense wordplay, technical precision, personal storytelling, and a willingness to confront addiction, family, race, and the music industry, Royce is widely regarded as one of Detroit's most skilled MCs.

Early Life

Royce da 5'9″ was born Ryan Daniel Montgomery on July 5, 1977, in Detroit, Michigan. He later moved to Oak Park, Michigan, where he attended high school and began developing his identity as a rapper. His stage name came partly from a childhood nickname, "Royce," and partly from his height, 5 feet 9 inches.

Royce began rapping seriously in the mid-1990s. He was influenced by artists including Redman, Ras Kass, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, N.W.A., Esham, and other lyricists who balanced technical skill with personality. Detroit's competitive rap scene also shaped his approach, pushing him toward sharp punchlines, battle-ready writing, and dense rhyme patterns.

Early Career and Bad Meets Evil

Royce's career changed when he met Eminem in the late 1990s. The two Detroit rappers formed the duo Bad Meets Evil, with Royce as "Bad" and Eminem as "Evil." Royce appeared on the song "Bad Meets Evil" from Eminem's 1999 album "The Slim Shady LP," giving him an early national showcase at the moment Eminem was becoming one of the biggest rappers in the world.

The duo released early material including "Nuttin' to Do" and "Scary Movies," but their partnership was interrupted by tensions involving Eminem's group D12. Royce and Eminem eventually reconciled years later, and that reunion became one of the most important second acts of Royce's career.

Solo Career

Royce released his debut album, "Rock City," in 2002 after years of delays and label issues. He followed with "Death Is Certain" in 2004, a darker and more personal project that became one of his most respected early releases. In 2005, he released "Independent's Day," continuing to build his reputation as a lyricist with a loyal underground following.

In 2009, Royce released "Street Hop," executive produced by DJ Premier. The album helped reintroduce him to fans who valued traditional lyric-driven hip-hop. He followed with "Success Is Certain" in 2011, then "Layers" in 2016.

Royce reached a new artistic level with "Book of Ryan" in 2018. The album was deeply autobiographical, exploring his childhood, family, alcoholism, fatherhood, trauma, and personal growth. It was widely praised as one of his most mature and emotionally revealing projects.

In 2020, he released "The Allegory," an album he produced himself. The project earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album and showed Royce expanding beyond rapping into full-album production and social commentary.

Victor Cruz and Royce da 5'9″ (Getty Images)

Slaughterhouse

In 2008, Royce joined Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Kxng Crooked to form the rap supergroup Slaughterhouse. The group grew out of a collaboration on a Joe Budden song and quickly became a favorite among fans of technical, bar-heavy hip-hop.

Slaughterhouse released its self-titled debut album in 2009 and later signed with Eminem's Shady Records. In 2012, the group released "Welcome to: Our House," which debuted near the top of the Billboard 200. Although Slaughterhouse never fully delivered the long-term run fans hoped for, the group remains one of the most notable lyrical collectives of its era.

Bad Meets Evil Reunion and PRhyme

Royce and Eminem reunited as Bad Meets Evil for the 2011 EP "Hell: The Sequel." The project debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and included the singles "Fast Lane" and "Lighters." "Lighters," featuring Bruno Mars, became Royce's biggest mainstream hit and reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100.

Royce also formed PRhyme with producer DJ Premier. Their self-titled 2014 album paired Royce's intricate rhyming with Premier's classic boom-bap production and samples from Adrian Younge. The duo followed with "PRhyme 2" in 2018. The projects reinforced Royce's reputation among fans who value high-level MCing and traditional hip-hop craftsmanship.

Personal Life

Royce has spoken openly about addiction, sobriety, depression, and personal accountability. Alcoholism affected several parts of his career and personal life, and his recovery became an important part of his later music. Albums such as "Book of Ryan" and "The Allegory" show a more reflective side of Royce, with lyrics about family, fatherhood, race, trauma, and the responsibilities that come with age.

He has children and has often used his music to examine his relationships with his parents, his own role as a father, and the cycle of pain and healing inside families.

Legacy

Royce da 5'9″ has never been a pop superstar in the traditional sense, but his reputation among rap fans and other MCs is enormous. His career has included underground classics, major-label frustrations, group projects, reconciliations, personal reinvention, and one of the most respected late-career artistic runs in modern hip-hop.

From Bad Meets Evil and Slaughterhouse to PRhyme and his solo catalog, Royce built a legacy as a rapper's rapper: technically gifted, brutally honest, and deeply committed to the craft.

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