Ryan Daniel Montgomery (born July 5, 1977), known professionally as Royce da 5'9" or Royce 5'9", is an American rapper. He is recognized for his collaborations with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem; the two met in 1997 and formed the hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil in 1998. The duo's 2011 single "Lighters", featuring Bruno Mars, peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of their debut extended play (EP) "Hell: The Sequel" (2011), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Both the single and the EP represent Montgomery's highest commercial achievements. Montgomery began his solo career with the release of his debut studio album "Rock City" in 2002. Originally scheduled for release in 2001, the album was delayed due to disputes with Columbia Records and ultimately released independently. He has self-released eight subsequent studio albums, receiving critical acclaim for each. His most recent album, "The Allegory" (2020), earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album in 2021. In addition to his solo work, Montgomery formed the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse in 2008 with Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Kxng Crooked. The group released two studio albums, "Slaughterhouse" (2009) and "Welcome to: Our House" (2012), achieving commercial success. In 2014, he formed the duo PRhyme with producer DJ Premier, releasing two albums together. Studio albums Rock City (2002) Death Is Certain (2004) Independent's Day (2005) Street Hop (2009) Success Is Certain (2011) Layers (2016) Book of Ryan (2018) The Allegory (2020)