The Allegory CD

Since making his debut at the turn of the century, Detroit rapper Royce Da 5'9" has delivered a steady stream of mix-tape style albums that fuse his socially-conscious lyrics and life-on-the-streets commentary with well-crafted, sample-heavy beats made by an impressive list of collaborators (DJ Premier included). "The Allegory", his first album for two years, continues in this vein, offering a non-stop, mix-tape style excursion full to bursting with thoughtful spoken word samples, hard-edged lyrics, and beats boasting more subtle variations and eclectic sample sources than those employed by many of his contemporaries. As a result, it's a hugely impressive album.