Royce Da 5’9″ has joked about following in André 3000‘s flute-playing footsteps, but not because of musical reasons.
The Detroit rapper has seemingly been embracing his hair turning grey in recent weeks and debuted his drastic new look on Instagram on Monday (September 9).
A photo shared on his social media page shows Royce rocking a bushy white beard that makes him look more like Saint Nick than Nickel Nine.
In the caption, the 47-year-old quipped: “Boutta pull out my 3 Stacks flute … [flute emojis] #olheadbars,” referencing the OutKast legend’s woodwind-driven debut album New Blue Sun.
Royce wasn’t the only one with the jokes as a fan commented: “Might have to change your name to Royce 59,” while another said: “Look like you bout to part the red see.”
Some were unconvinced that his beard was real, with one of his friends writing: “Ain’t no fuckin way. It ain’t been that long since the last time I saw you.”
Actor Page Kennedy was also skeptical, saying: “How can it be alllllll white. That’s cap. This A.I.”
While Royce Da 5’9″ appears to be embracing his age outside of the studio, he’s continued to prove this year that he’s as sharp as ever inside of it.
Royce Da 5’9″ Shuts Down Claim Eminem Dissed JAY-Z On ‘Tobey’
Earlier this summer, he contributed several guest verses to frequent collaborator Courtney Bell’s Microdose album, including a particularly dexterous display on The Alchemist-produced “Westside.”
He later linked up with NASAAN, the son of the late Proof, on the song “GOATED,” with the music video featuring a recreation of the former D12 rapper’s classic 1999 freestyle with Eminem.
As for his own output, Royce’s last studio album The Allegory arrived in 2020 and boasted appearances from Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Vince Staples and more.
A third installment in his acclaimed PRhyme series with DJ Premier is currently in the works, with the legendary producer saying earlier this year: “PRhyme 3 is a doozy, that’s all I can say. That one we are not going to announce until it’s done but you are definitely going to be like, ‘Oh, shit, okay!’”
