“The jewel runners, top tag team for two summers” – Killer Mike, Jeopardy

I spent five years of my life in Atlanta as a student of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, and as a result I became a (very) minor adept of Atlanta’s hip hop scene.  Beyond the realms of Outkast and DJ Unk, who you could argue represent the two extremes of the Atlanta sound, you have the subsets and outcasts (if you will) that forge their own path.  One of the people I heard plenty about was Killer Mike, a politically minded powerhouse out of the Dungeon Family collective, and unlike Janelle Monae and the always positive things spoken about her, Killer Mike met a more mixed reception in my camp.  Peer pressure being what it is, I joined their perceptions.

Then I manned up and gave him a listen.  To be fair I don’t listen to emcees like Mike very often (nor his Run the Jewels companion El-P) but my reasoning always perplexed people.  It wasn’t that I wasn’t cool with the music: it was how difficult it can be to listen to Killer Mike.  He offers plenty of content in a concentrated space, and its rich and full of contemplative richness, so it isn’t hard to experience mental fatigue when listening for more than a few tracks at a time.  If Outkast was content rich but easy to digest, then Killer Mike was content rich and impossible to break into bite-sized pieces.  If DJ Unk was mindless but danceable, Killer Mike was the angry battering ram that offered no f**** (edited for possible viewers) towards who it might offend. 

So while I’m no “fan” of Killer Mike, I respect Killer Mike, because I’ve yet to hear anything less than hard-hitting from him.  El-P is a slightly different story: I knew of him through guest appearances on projects from the likes of Aesop Rock, MURS, Das Racist and, of course, the label Definite Jux, home to some of my favorite acts such as Cool Calm Pete and the Mighty Underdogs.  Then he dropped Cancer 4 Cure back in 2012 and I was interested enough to give him a listen.  I was impressed.

That brings up to Run the Jewels, a group name that invokes the very spirit and literal feel of the music.  At the first note of the first song of Run the Jewels 2  it isn’t hard to imagine Killer Mike and El-P walking up on you in a dark alley and stealing your jewels, compounded with the notion that they may have given you the jewelry first just to snatch it off of you.  That’s the perfect metaphor to their sound: don’t tense up because you’re going to be hit hard by the beats.  El-P has long been a talented beat maker but the dark, grimy, punch-to-the-gut assaults on the ear he provides here really make clear how serious the duo is.  This is no country for smooth backdrops.  Those seeking anything influenced by R&B or soul need to keep walking.

“Lie Cheat Steal” provides a solid example of the dark synths and menacing bass offered throughout the album, creating a feeling of unease for the listener that keeps them on their toes and firmly focused on the music at hand.  Even the most comical breaks in the beats – such as the dying Pac-Man sample in “Early” – remind you just how cold the tracks are supposed to be, but this all only comes together with the verses Killer Mike and El-P provide.

There are no guest verses (the three guests are relegated to hooks or frantic percussion work via Travis Barker) which lets Run the Jewels commence with an intensity and self-confidence rarely seen in hip-hop from anybody not named Kanye West.  Unlike the man who calls himself Yeezus however, Killer Mike and El-P don’t ease you into their words or even try to be melodic.  They rap how that earliest metaphor I offered said: words are their fists, and they aim for the head.

All the same, what we have is two artists operating at their peaks, gliding effortlessly over tracks with a damning lyricism over a myriad of subjects.  Let me reiterate in plain language: this is NOT music for the faint of heart.  This is not an album, nor a group, meant for those who see the world through rose-colored goggles.  This is not music for those who cling to those who try to adhere to traditional American values, or adhere to crappy notions of misogyny, or adhere to the long standing and extremely outdated idea of being a bitch (not edited because I don’t care anymore).

I won’t go into the lyrics directly because there’s so much to unpack (yes, I know, I’m reviewing an album, it seems lazy) but that’s because every line is so capable of generating a slew of controversy.  “Angel Duster” alone might be the perfect track to put on trial for a growing state of mind amongst younger people in the United States (or even the western hemisphere (ironic considering both artists are 39)), from the rejection of the white dress bride, to the mild anti-religious activism to straight up telling you to be your own man.  Oh, and of course there’s personal bravado.  What’s a rap album without personal bravado?

What Run the Jewels have crafted is a candidate for rap album of the year but two things stick out to me more than anything, and they may not have much to do with the music itself per se.  The first: the sequencing on this album is incredible.  Some of the best albums are sequenced in a way where it feels like the music functions as one long track that can be broken up into pieces with little to no break in the flow whatsoever.  Give credit to El-P for how the album comes together like a near-flawless live set.

Which brings us to the second thing: it just sounds like this would be an amazing album to be performed in its entirety live, and even listening to the album on repeat it sounds like a constant loop that would best be performed on stage for a capacity crowd.  Maybe that’s just me though.  It might just be my passion in hearing terrific music live. 

Have Killer Mike and El-P done it again?  The first Run the Jewels album was met with critical acclaim, garnering astounding praise from outlets and listeners due to its take no prisoners sound.  While there is no review for that album on Weight in Words the general consensus amongst the team (wow, that sounds a bit pathetic) is that it was a gem.  When we go back in time and give it a little review treatment we’ll see how RTJ2 stands against it.  Until then, enjoy the music.

Hard hats advised.

The review is over but be sure to click on the Run the Jewels cat picture at the start of this post.  It takes you to the Kickstarter page for Meow the Jewels, a remix project that utilizes all cat sounds for the music.  Yes, this is real.  The actual project was successfully funded so you can just go to see the funny page and eagerly await the pussified rendition of the rap album of the year with a cuddly look on your face. 

Oh come on, like you don’t wanna hear it!