*By Christian Smith*
On his new album, the rapper Royce 5'9" adopts a more optimistic tone while reflecting on his experiences growing up in Detroit in the 1980s.
"It's kind of an autobiographical, it talks about everything that I went through as a child," said Royce da 5'9", whose given name is Ryan Daniel Montgomery. "I reflect on it in a way where I compare it to why I'm how I am today, be that good or bad."
The new LP, "Book of Ryan," is Royce's seventh solo album and goes on sale Friday. It features some of the biggest names in hip hop, including J. Cole, Pusha T, and Royce's long-time friend and mentor Eminem.
The album is about growing up in Detroit, Royce's struggles with alcoholism, politics, and "Staying Woke," the title of a song from the album. The rapper said he got sober in September 2012, and credits Eminem with helping him make it music and contend with his addiction.
"It's almost kind of like Em was hand delivered to me from God," said Royce. "He put me in the business, and he's also the one who helped me get sober."
Royce recorded "Book of Ryan" in Detroit at his newly-constructed recording studio, Heaven Studio. He said the album and his hip-hop career are compilations of all of his good and bad decisions, and in the end he was, "happy with the way it turned out."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rapper-royce-59-releasing-new-album-book-of-ryan).
A California appeals court on Wednesday will consider reviving the dismissed lawsuits of two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children for years, a move the court appears likely to make after a tentative decision that would order the cases back to a lower court for trial.
An intense police search of the Long Island home of Rex Heuermann is now complete, authorities said Tuesday as they ended a 12-day hunt for evidence that involved ripping up the yard and the discovery of a basement vault containing hundreds of weapons kept by the man accused of killing at least three women more than a decade ago.
A towering construction crane caught fire high above the west side of Manhattan on Wednesday morning, then lost its long arm, which smashed against a nearby building, dangled and then plummeted to the street as people ran for their lives on the sidewalk below.
