Ryan Daniel Montgomery (born July 5, 1977), known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 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" (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). The song and its parent EP, which debuted atop the Billboard 200, have yielded Montgomery's furthest commercial success. Montgomery first embarked on a solo career with his debut studio album, Rock City in 2002; originally slated for release the year prior, disputes with Columbia Records led it to an independent release. He released eight follow-up studio albums to critical acclaim; his latest, The Allegory (2020), earned…
