{{Infobox musical artist | name = Royce da 5'9| background = solo_singer | image = Royce feeling it.jpg | caption = Royce in 2008 | birth_name = Ryan Daniel Montgomery | alias = | birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | genre = Hip hop | occupations = | years_active = 1995–present | label = | current_member_of = }} Ryan Daniel Montgomery, known professionally as Royce da 5'9" (or simply Royce 5'9"), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Montgomery is currently one half of the rap duo Bad Meets Evil with fellow Detroit rapper Eminem, and is one half of the hip hop duo PRhyme with producer DJ Premier. He was also one quarter of the Shady Records hip hop group Slaughterhouse with Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Kxng Crooked. Alongside his recording career, Montgomery served as a ghostwriter for Puff Daddy and Dr. Dre. Online magazine About.com ranked the rapper as one of the "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)". Early life In an interview with DJ Vlad, Royce stated that his first stage name was "R-Dog", which was short-lived. He moved to Oak Park, Michigan when he was ten years old, later acquiring the nickname "Royce" in high school after wearing a chain with an R pendant resembling the Rolls-Royce symbol. Royce's name comes from his height, , but the numbers five and nine have been in his life numerous times as he "found his calling" as a rapper in 1995 and in his song "Tabernacle" he discusses his grandmother dying on the fifth floor of a hospital and his first son being born on the ninth. He started rapping at age 18, influenced mainly by Ras Kass, Redman, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Esham, Heltah Skeltah, LL Cool J, Nas, Jay-Z, Detroit's Most Wanted, and N.W.A. Career 1997–2001: Early years Through his manager Kino Childrey, Royce was introduced to fellow Detroit rapper Eminem on December 29, 1997. The two formed a duo, Bad Meets Evil, and released several tracks together. On August 20, 1998, they appeared on The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show for the first time. Royce appeared on Eminem's debut studio album The Slim Shady LP (1999), in which he was featured on a song called "Bad Meets Evil". They later collaborated on the track "Renegade", from which Royce's vocals would later be replaced with Jay-Z's on the latter's The Blueprint. Through Eminem,