Ryan Montgomery (born July 5, 1977), is an African-American rapper known by his stage name Royce Da 5'9". He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. To date, he has three studio albums and numerous mixtapes credited to his name. Royce is best known for his freestyle and battle rap technique. Early career Ryan Montgomery, born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, moved to Oak Park, Michigan when he was 10 years old, later acquiring the nickname "Royce"