It’s been over three years since Killer Mike and El-P blessed rap fans with the brilliant, politically charged and aggressive uppercut-to-the-mouth music that embodies Run The Jewels. Now, the Hip Hop mainstays are back to provide a much-needed jolt to the rap game.
And it couldn’t be a better time for their latest LP, Run The Jewels 4. With the nation in turmoil, who better to swim through the bullshit and hold authority figures accountable than the fuckboy murderers themselves. Mike and El-P haven’t gotten a chance to rip the injustices of the world on the mic since 2016. Their rise to prominence came in a much different time: the Obama administration. The only album to drop during Donald Trump’s regime was Run The Jewels 3, and even then, it didn’t release until (December 25), meaning most of the songs were recorded before Trump took office.
While having a capitalist, reality TV caricature for a president has been detrimental to America, for Mike and El-P, it’s fuel to elevate their legend status. No, we don’t know what the duo has in store for listeners on RTJ 4 but the latest singles provide some clues.
A Run The Jewels record always features some tracks that rail against societal injustices and class marginalization, but it’s telling the first single released in anticipation of the project is the wall punching, percussion pounding “Yankee And The Brave (ep.4).”
The majority of the track is spent with El Producto and the Outkast affiliate spitting like woke outlaws on the run but diverts briefly for El to deliver a scathing critique on the divide of classism and the consequences of electing a — money over everything — excuse for a leader.
“Scandal bliss when you puttin’ villains in charge of shit/All of us targeted, all we doin’ is arguin’/Part of them isn’t workin’ ’till every pockets been picked and sold and harvested.” Even though it’s one small glimpse, it shows the translucent failures of the system haven’t been lost on them. RTJ has a chance to not only call out the powers that be but also make an album that encapsulates the unrest of our country.
But even if this record doesn’t get as political as expected, there are other signs this could measure up to Run The Jewels 2 and maybe even surpass it. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, El-P talked about the other single that recently dropped “Ooh LA LA” featuring the one and only DJ Premier and Peach State legend Greg Nice.
El kept it real with Lowe, saying this was the first time he and Mike could afford to clear a sample (“Dwyck” by Gang Starr), meaning this record may have the financial backing to allow Mike and El-P to realize their creative aspirations.
There’s always the fear a bigger budget will lead to a watered-down project that comes out too sheen and polished, devoid of its authentic edge. But those fears shouldn’t apply to real OGs like El-P and Mike, two men who didn’t become revered by selling out. If anything, it will allow them to create their dream record. Because this is the most amount of time RTJ has had to make an album as a fully formed powerhouse.
In a time where there’s an extreme emphasis on steadily dropping material and staying in the public eye, a group like RTJ doesn’t need to keep up with this demand; they’ve earned enough respect to let it marinate. Although the coronavirus pandemic has already affected their tour with Rage Against The Machine, and likely thrown off their album’s release date, the prospects for RTJ 4 still look bright.
RTJ 1 felt like an epic one-off, a skull-cracking, hard as hell breath of fresh air in Hip Hop at the time, while RTJ 2 increased the ambition and sharpened the chemistry between the two. By RTJ 3, the chemistry hit its apex, with Mike and El-P becoming more comfortable honing their content and concepts.
In theory, with the quality of the singles, the time to flesh out all the kinks, a bigger budget and plenty of political discourse to draw material from, RTJ 4 has all the fixings to not just contend for HipHopDX’s Album of the Year, but also could give the ATLien and New York felon the coveted second classic album.
As hardcore Hip Hop enjoys a recent renaissance, Mike and El-P, two early leaders of the revival, seem poised to deliver the record to cement their legacy.
[apple_news_ad type=”standard”]
They already got four classics IMO
Preach
To answer the headline: Their most recent single was awful, so… NO. they have 3 good tracks per album maximum. They never once even came close to having a classic. Their stupid thug, yet intelectual SJW intellectual bullshit always holds them back. Killer Cholesterol Mike always goes on some rant about inequality right before he says some really racist shit about an entire ethnicity, while cuck ass El-P is in the background nodding.
Ladies and Gentlemen Hip Hop is alive and well. Great music. I’m feeling this one.
Coming from the website that said the third album felt unnecessary and like the third movie in a trilogy? This site gets dumber
This site don’t like gays.
I’m gay. I rhyme. So what.
I rap
You crap
It’s a trap
Nap nap nap
It’s time
Sleeping
Dime
Peeping
Lime
Creeping
Cock in my mouth
What
Cock in my butt
Nut.
RTJ ain’t got shit on me
Just drop the fucking album. Then drop prices to your tour with RATM so people besides the rich elite can go.
This site shit all over the third album. Now your sucking rtj dick?
Fuck yo self.
RTJ, why do you charge so much to go to a show? You’re just rich boy rap to make the elite feel hood related when they listen.
You don’t give a fuck about the people you claim to rap for/about.
Your a disguise, you’re the elite mocking us.
RTJ is just another wing of the deep state, keeping the poor sedated.
Fuck RTJ
You are a loser. And the 3rd album was pretty forgettable. Also, you’re a loser.
You call you Dig Bick… Which means you got a lil baby dick.
Go eat a bag of dicks lil baby. You don’t know shit about hip-hop.
Your mom calls me Daddy when I’m busting deep in her ass.
You sound like a fucking homo
PBJ You sound like a ex girlfriend who can’t get over the guy who broke up with her you know you listen to RTJ so stop being a little bitch about it do you know what goes into touring and how much it cost to do you act like they pocket all the money. after taxes and everyone else gets paid it’s not that much. So go choke on a bag of dicks. Fucking idiot.
you dont have to like every thing they put out to be a fan.
Rtj is the truth! Hip hop 4 the real fans. They make good music for the LISTENERS.
Killer Mike and El P deserves all of the the money because of their passion Killer Mike is a southern fried MC Ren/ Ice Cube to me they hard bruh
I changed my mind after listening. This music sucks.
Your stupid fucking idiot asshole
I can admit I’m gay. It doesn’t mean I don’t like real hip-hop.
But this, after listening… Is just gay as fuck. And not in a hot cock to suck kinda way.
I like dick. So what
Errrrrrrybody knows RTJ is deep state funded. They make music to make it seem like they are anti establishment, but if you listen… It’s music to keep you thinking you have a voice.
RTJ is the 1%
No joke, they are government
Look, I write rhymes that sounds like they were written by God.
My God.
You look like a hog
I hiding in the fog
Catch you job
Big! Clog! Flog!
What!!
I like cocks. It don’t mean I’m gay. It means you about shit.
Check it out
Is clout out
Shout out
I’m out
What
Can’t wait.
Wait, who was arrogant enough to decide how many classic albums they have? Isn’t that subjective? By my count RTJ have 3 classics and the author has none ??♂️