The name of the band and the self-titled song on their self titled album presents you with everything that hip-hop duo Run The Jewels have given us through their brief 3 album project. Started by Atlanta’s Killer Mike and Brooklyn based producer El-P, Run The Jewels thrive in the grittiest, grimiest bangers from El-P’s production to give the duo their trademark RTJ sound. Bombastic claims of bravado and stories filled with violence and substances. Dark comedy and items in juxtaposition of their social norms are just some of the themes RTJ explore. Add to that the commentary on social inequalities and the disadvantages of being a minority living in present day urban america presents the listener with complex topics. But RTJ present it so casually aggressive due to their skills as individual rappers and as a duo. Moving from Mike to El-P in the song happen and a beat isn’t missed. The synergy these two have is definitely what sets them apart from other artists. This article started as a “best bars” on recurring topics in the RTJ library. But after listening to half of RTJ1 it became evident that almost every song has lyrics and bars that are significant to the Run The Jewels project and I would end up wanting to discuss almost every song in their three album catalog. Instead, we’re going to go back in time and give each album a listen and discuss why RTJ may be the best act in hip hop over the past 5 years. Let’s take stroll down Interstate 85 and jump down the RTJ rabbit hole.

RTJ 1

Before the creation of the Run The Jewels project El-P and Killer Mike had decent solo careers. El-P has been in the game since 1992, with a lot of his more creative projects released through the decade of 2000’s. Killer Mike has been rapping in Atlanta since the 90’s and made his major debut on Outkasts track Snappin’ and Trappin”. For his 6th solo album he enlisted the Brooklyn based El-P to produce the entire album. The success they experienced together led to the creation of Run The Jewels and the sonic universe has since then been blessed by RTJ. Run The Jewels presents us with grimy and firey beats all produced by El-P. The title track offers the listeners the first look at this project and the message that they are attempting to project through their work. Filled with rapid fire rhymes from both Mike and El-P the track is riddled with plenty of quotables and introduces us to the world that RTJ operate in. They are violent, aggressive, comical, political, and speak uncomfortable truths about life in America. The act does a great job of sticking to the vision and it is executed well. All of this incredible hip hop music on the album, and they RELEASED IT FOR FREE. So true to the core of RTJ.

With each track produced by El-P RTJ has been able to establish a unique sound that is their own. They have a distinguishable sound and it’s easy to tell an RTJ song from anything else on the market. The production is crips, tight, and creative. Heavy use of boom-bap and bass give the album a pounding feel. Every beat fits perfectly with the rhyme schemes and overall vision for the album. Production highlights for me include “Get It”, “A Christmas Fucking Miracle”, and “Banana Clipper”, and “Run The Jewels”.

The project seems to allow El-P and Killer Mike to get into a creative competition that fuels an elevated performance from the duo. Everything makes sense, nothing seems forced, and the MC’s bring plenty of quotable bars. I’ll admit, I had listened to very little, if any, El-P before RTJ. His performance here makes me wonder why he doesn’t get more attention. El-P rhymes with a mildly paced flow. Infused with a dark sense of humour, violence, and a supremely confident stance, he fuels energy through the album. His verse on “Sea Legs” is a personal favorite from the album. This verse presents El-P at his best, the rhyme schemes he uses are great and the images that he raps about present a succinct characterization of El-P on this project. These bars in particular…

“On the lam in a hatchback blasting some rap shit

Trying not to slam into traffic

With my feet on the wheel and my hands

Through the moon roof laughing, let's crash this

See, the truth from the womb is a fool-proof plan

To be doomed while the damned do they dances

So I move through the room like an animal fooling a master

But I don't got love for the hand with the food

Matter fact, I am drooling at that shit

I don't only bite, but I'm rabid

Try to pet my fucking head again

And I'mma put a tooth through the flesh

Of the palm that you jack with”

… present us with El-Ps talents as an MC as well as themes of dark humour, violence, and bombast that are common through RTJ 1. An epic performance from El-P.

His counterpart Killer Mike just works against an El-P produced beat. It’s like a match made in Sonic Universe. On this album Killer Mike: “Moves with the elegance of an African elephant” and presents “the evidence as eloquent as a President”. His verse in “DDFH” present the world that RTJ lives in. Unjustice, fear, and the realities of life in America are on display. Using the reduced sentences of Puffy and Jay-Z present the injustices not as a racial problem, but a class based issue that is targeted at minorities living in urban America. On “Job Well Done”, Killer Mike presents the violent and aggressive disposition that fuel the sound of RTJ:

“Woo, they done let that fuckin' Mike out

It's like Tyson in the '80s

Nigga snap and punch your lights out, yeah

It's like Tyson in the '90s, if I'm losing, take a bite out

I'm so motherfuckin' grimy, so motherfuckin' greedy, gritty

Mama said she couldn't breastfeed 'cause I was bitin' at the titty. BEAST”

As well as their political/social stances in “A Christmas Fuckin’ Miracle”:

“My professor emeritus

Say we been cursed being brought to the AmeriKKKas

How you raise a whole human single parent

No marriages, no sense of heritage?

Planned Parenthood helping plan miscarriages

But I'm lucky mommy already had a narrative

Product of a teenage love, my arrogance

Derives from the pride in the job my parents did

Named Mike, I was told it was godlike

Even danced with the devil, came out alright

Okay, honor y'all? No way

Still spell AmeriKKKa with the triple K”

…display the belief of the “Triple K America” and struggle to honor a country that has placed institutional hurdles for minorities in this country. This is a common theme in future albums and could be seen as a core tenant for the project.

This album is a great introduction into Run The Jewels. The album executes a clear vision because of the way EL-P and Killer Mike work together. In hindsight, this album presents the duo as one with potential, only due to the sounds of their next two albums. And I mean, the didn’t even sell the album. It was free to anyone that wanted it. It presented a great marketing opportunity to expose RTJ to as many ears as possible and might be a reason for their loyal fanbase. This album is a classic.