Ryan Montgomery, born and raised on the West Side of Detroit, Michigan in the W. McNichols & Wyoming Ave. area, moved to Oak Park, Michigan when he was 10 years old, later acquiring the nickname "Royce" during highschool after wearing a Turkish link chain with an R pendant resembling the Rolls Royce symbol. He began rapping at 18, influenced mainly by Ras Kass and Redman. He signed his first deal in 1998 with Tommy Boy Records, after Tommy Boy Records shut down, he signed a deal with Columbia Records where he started recording an album called Rock City, referring to Detroit's former status as home to Motown Records. When the project was heavily bootlegged, Royce left the label for Koch Records to re-record some of the album, eventually releasing it in 2002 as Rock City (Version 2.0). While the album didn't sell very well, the DJ Premier-produced single "Boom" gained 5'9" some underground recognition and eventually resulted in the two working together more closely.
Through his manager, Royce was introduced to Eminem at a show in 1997, and the two formed a working relationship; they formed up as a duo, Bad Meets Evil, and released several tracks together. Royce appeared on Eminem's debut studio album The Slim Shady LP, in which he was featured on a song called "Bad Meets Evil". Royce and Eminem also released a track called "Renegades", from which Royce's vocals would later be replaced with Jay-Z's on the latter's The Blueprint. Through Eminem, Royce would also be introduced to both Dr. Dre and execs at Game Recordings. After his manager revealed that Royce was involved in writing the tracks "The Message" and an original version of "Xxplosive" for Dre's 2001 (entitled "Way I Be Pimping"), Dre requested that Royce cut ties with his manager. Royce refused to fire his manager and his relationship with Dre ended.
Dinner Time
Royce Da 5'9\" Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you wan' share your food with these niggas?
We don't share food in the recession
Bite these niggas like you bite the microphone
Living legend inside of a Smith & Wesson sliding out
Of the barrel, I'm fire, don't try me cause I am hot
Police cars with they sirens come by when I'm rhyming
Mac-11's in order, the flow is like water
Each quote's a quarter of blow, the chorus is followed by the dot
Goons, goblins and creatures and monsters are bouncing
And beat ya and stomp ya and eat ya, don't get swallowed by the block
I pay a shrink every week to basically tell me
"Lay here and speak to me" just to say how psychotic I am not
I'm too fly with the viral and physical copies
Niggas sloppy, look up what you under, I'm what you tryna top
I'm scared and compared to no man, I'm like the big hand on Big Ben
I get in and I'm hitting my numbers 'round the clock
I'm 'bout to give it back to my nigga Bus-a-Bus
And have a seat, it's convenient I'm already copping a squat
Nowadays when niggas walk around
They start to look like hamburgers and frankfurters
Ayo, Royce Da 5'9", feed on these mothafuckas, homie, come on
Take him, gut him and take out his organs and smorgasbord him
The more important he is I'm toe-tagging his beat
Turn him to chicken chowder, dip him in some sniffing powder
Season him with gasoline and throw his ass in the grease
Mention my name in a record, I'mma come get you lyrically
Individually I'mma take it back to the streets
Cannibalistic mentality, rappers hating
Decapitate him, rap 'bout what I naturally happen to be
Flow is superb and you heard us forget it, two verses
Two murders acquitted, personally it's a wrap, capiche?
Fingers snapping and tapping they feet
Clapping what happened the street, 'bout to happily bring it back to the D
Niggas claiming harder that all of this time
Niggas believe him until I see him and then slap him and see
I ain't having it, havoc is average to me
War's normal, only thing I'm having is having a feast
Royce Da 5'9", you my dog and I'm your dog
Being that I already sic'ed you on these mothafuckas
It's your turn to sic me on they ass, let's go!
Every time that I marry the rhyme and the beat
I go hairy and grind in the street, then I'm fucking up everybody
Mobilizing shit like we gorillas and peeling your skin
Like we banana peelers, it's hazardous if you copy
Don't you know that I'm one of the coldest courageous
The boldest contagious, ain't no one can phase this thing that I do
Well, you know since I report the latest that niggas can't fuck with me
Cause I'm the greatest, my shit is sick like the flu
You see I'm animalistic, the cataclysmic events
That'll happen whenever I grab the mic and talk
Indeed them bag us specifically that I'm hickory dickory
Dock of this rizzy, the diddy bop in my walk
Now I'm the messenger to set the temperature nigga
Whenever the heat will be needed to hot the block up, I'm saying
I got the dillinger, Harry Kissinger with the ratchet
The fact is I'm back with the clack and the click, see I ain't playing
Why, oh why, oh why? Royce Da 5'9", please tell me why!
Why the fuck these niggas gon' let us get together and do this shit to 'em
It's so fucking unfair, shit is so unfair!
In “Dinner Time” by Royce da 5’9”, he delivers a hard-hitting verse that explores his prowess as an emcee and his cannibalistic-based mentality towards his competition. The first lines of the song present a direct challenge to the listener. The singer asks why Royce would want to share his food with them, suggesting that they do not share food in tough economic times, and that Royce should instead bite them like he bites the microphone. This sets the tone for a truly aggressive and intense verse.
The following lines are essentially a litany of reasons why Royce is a fierce lyricist. He describes himself as a living legend, he notes that police cars are called when he raps because he’s that intense, and he compares his flow to water. He also references creatures and monsters, suggesting that his rivals are not on his level and that they might even be consumed by the streets. The next few lines, which state that Royce pays a shrink to reassure him of his sanity, imply that his murderous, cannibalistic mentality is central to his art.
The third paragraph is a direct challenge to Royce’s competitors. He goes into detail about how he would deal with them, describing how he would gut and smorgasbord them, dip them in sniffing powder, and season them with gasoline before tossing them into the grease. He invites rappers to mention his name in their songs, only to say he would lyrically come for them. He ends the verse by describing himself as the greatest, saying that his rapping is like a sickness. Overall, the song is an intense, violent and transformative rap performance that shows off Royce Da 5'9"'s incredibly complex and pinpoint-accurate flow.
Line by Line Meaning
Ayo, Royce Da 5'9"
Speaker addresses Royce Da 5'9"
Why you wan' share your food with these niggas?
Asks why Royce would want to share food with others
We don't share food in the recession
Suggests that food is scarce during the tough economic times
Bite these niggas like you bite the microphone
Encourages Royce to go after his enemies with the same intensity he has when rapping
Living legend inside of a Smith & Wesson sliding out
Describes the powerful status and impact Royce has as a rapper
Of the barrel, I'm fire, don't try me cause I am hot
Asserts that Royce is not to be tested or underestimated
Police cars with they sirens come by when I'm rhyming
Describes the attention and excitement Royce draws when he performs
Saying they got a call that somebody 'round here done fired shots
Alludes to the notion that Royce's raps can be so intense that they could be mistaken for gunshots
Mac-11's in order, the flow is like water
Compares the style of his raps to the reliability of a gun, saying things come naturally to him
Each quote's a quarter of blow, the chorus is followed by the dot
Compares each verse of his rhymes to a quarter of cocaine and emphasizes their addictiveness
Goons, goblins and creatures and monsters are bouncing
Describes the violent and dark nature of his surroundings
And beat ya and stomp ya and eat ya, don't get swallowed by the block
Reinforces the danger of the streets and the ruthless nature of the people in them
I pay a shrink every week to basically tell me
Reveals that Royce gets professional help to maintain his mental health and avoid becoming psychotic
"Lay here and speak to me" just to say how psychotic I am not
Indicates that he uses therapy to cope with his own mental state
I'm too fly with the viral and physical copies
Suggests that his success is both digital and tangible
Niggas sloppy, look up what you under, I'm what you tryna top
Says that his rivals don't have the same level of skill that he does
I'm scared and compared to no man, I'm like the big hand on Big Ben
Asserts his dominance and relevance like the clock tower's giant hand
I get in and I'm hitting my numbers 'round the clock
Indicates that he is constantly working and delivering results
I'm 'bout to give it back to my nigga Bus-a-Bus
Says that he is turning the rap over to his friend Busta Rhymes
And have a seat, it's convenient I'm already copping a squat
Says that he is done rapping for now and will let Busta take over
Nowadays when niggas walk around
Reflects on the current state of society
They start to look like hamburgers and frankfurters
Implies that people in society become easy targets or are consumed like fast food
Ayo, Royce Da 5'9", feed on these mothafuckas, homie, come on
Encourages Royce to attack his enemies with his rapping skills
Take him, gut him and take out his organs and smorgasbord him
Uses vivid imagery to convey that his enemies will be ruthlessly attacked and dismantled
The more important he is I'm toe-tagging his beat
Suggests that Royce goes after more significant targets and takes them down musically
Turn him to chicken chowder, dip him in some sniffing powder
Uses violent and bizarre imagery to describe the disassembly of his enemies
Season him with gasoline and throw his ass in the grease
Continues with the violent imagery and suggests lighting his enemies on fire
Mention my name in a record, I'mma come get you lyrically
Warns those who mention him in their rap songs that they will be challenged and attacked lyrically
Individually I'mma take it back to the streets
Says that he will fight his battles in the same way he grew up - on the streets
Cannibalistic mentality, rappers hating
Indicates that his enemies are jealous and that his mentality is predatory
Decapitate him, rap 'bout what I naturally happen to be
Suggests that he will disassemble his enemies in his raps and brag about his natural rap skills
Flow is superb and you heard us forget it, two verses
Asserts that his rap skills are highly advanced and impressive
Two murders acquitted, personally it's a wrap, capiche?
Jokes about how successful he is at destroying his enemies
Fingers snapping and tapping they feet
Describes the reaction of his audience when he performs
Clapping what happened the street, 'bout to happily bring it back to the D
Says that he will bring his style and swagger back to his hometown of Detroit
Niggas claiming harder that all of this time
Says that his enemies talk tough and act like they are better than Royce
Niggas believe him until I see him and then slap him and see
Suggests that he will use physical force to test his enemies' claims and prove his own superiority
I ain't having it, havoc is average to me
Declares that he will not tolerate disrespect and that he is not intimidated by anyone
War's normal, only thing I'm having is having a feast
Says that he is used to battles and the thrill of the fight, but he is enjoying the victories that come with it
Royce Da 5'9", you my dog and I'm your dog
Acknowledges friendship and loyalty with Royce
Being that I already sic'ed you on these mothafuckas
Says that he has already directed Royce to his enemies to lyrically attack them
It's your turn to sic me on they ass, let's go!
Asks Royce to direct him to the enemies to lyrically attack them too
Every time that I marry the rhyme and the beat
Describes the process of creating and performing a rap song
I go hairy and grind in the street, then I'm fucking up everybody
Says that he gets serious and goes after his enemies when performing, leaving everyone else impressed or intimidated
Mobilizing shit like we gorillas and peeling your skin
Uses aggressive imagery to describe his attacking style
Like we banana peelers, it's hazardous if you copy
Continues the violent imagery and warns others that copying his style can be dangerous for them
Don't you know that I'm one of the coldest courageous
Boasts about his bravery and the fact that he is extremely talented
The boldest contagious, ain't no one can phase this thing that I do
Says that he is unrivaled and unstoppable in his rap game
Well, you know since I report the latest that niggas can't fuck with me
Says that because he is always informed and up-to-date, his rivals can never compete with him
Cause I'm the greatest, my shit is sick like the flu
Confirms his greatness and implies that his skills are infectious and attractive
You see I'm animalistic, the cataclysmic events
Says that his rap style is raw and intense, and can cause chaos when he performs
That'll happen whenever I grab the mic and talk
Suggests that his performances are powerful and can cause a scene
Indeed them bag us specifically that I'm hickory dickory
Uses nonsense words to reinforce the abstract nature of his rhymes
Dock of this rizzy, the diddy bop in my walk
Uses slang and phrases to describe his style and swagger
Now I'm the messenger to set the temperature nigga
Says that he will set the tone and pace for the other rappers to follow
Whenever the heat will be needed to hot the block up, I'm saying
Suggests that he will bring the fire and drive to his performances, to garner attention and excitement
I got the dillinger, Harry Kissinger with the ratchet
Compares himself to gun-toting, influential individuals in the war community
The fact is I'm back with the clack and the click, see I ain't playing
Confirms that he is back and ready to perform at his full intensity
Why, oh why, oh why? Royce Da 5'9", please tell me why!
Asks Royce a rhetorical question to prompt his response
Why the fuck these niggas gon' let us get together and do this shit to 'em
Questions why his enemies would let him and Royce team up against them
It's so fucking unfair, shit is so unfair!
Says that it is no contest and that his rivals are doomed to fail against them
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RYAN MONTGOMERY, TREVOR SMITH, SEAN MCCAFFREY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind