Review: Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2
By Xavier Veccia, Managing Editor
[Mass Appeal; 2014]
Rating: 8.5/10
Key Tracks: “Blockbuster Night Part 1,” “Love Again (Akinyele Back),” “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry”
When 2014 began, hip-hop fans were promised some huge 4th quarter releases from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Two months away from the new year and they’re still waiting for those big names. However, El-P and Killer Mike have made it hard to hear the clamoring for more, whether that’s because Run the Jewels’ sequel is that damn good, that damn loud or a combination of both.
Run the Jewels is the insane brainchild of Southern hip-hop mainstay Killer Mike and expert producer/rapper El-P. What started as frequent collaborations turned into a full-fledged, adrenaline-filled album last year with their self-titled. With pace and amplitude turned to full blast, the duo’s debut felt like a member of the Fast & Furious film franchise. That must make this sequel both too fast and too furious.
The first project from these two was loud, to say the least, but RTJ2 makes last year’s release feel like background noise. The insane opening trio of “Jeopardy,” “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry”and “Blockbuster Night Part 1” pairs blaring bass with competitive-yet-complementary lyrics to the point that it could hype up even the most stubborn of listeners.
“Blockbuster Night Part 1" in particular notes a larger influence from hardcore rock. The beat is built around a terrifying heavy-guitar riff and the two spitters match that energy to a tee. Before the album is even a third over, it already feels more Rage Against the Machine than the Southern hip-hop the duo usually aligns themselves with.
Speaking of Rage, Zack De La Rocha stops by on the hilariously titled “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck).” This combination is so perfect it would make the people at Reese’s jealous.
The energy on RTJ2 is what makes this album even better than the last. Run the Jewels really go balls to the wall for most of the album. There are a few spots when the duo takes a collective breath, such as the song “Crown (featuring Diane Coffee).” While a good song that still includes rock influence, the slower pace shows just how much better the duo handles all-out bangers.
However, while RTJ2 does slow down in the end, it also gives Run the Jewels time to do what it does best--shock and awe. “Love Again (Akinyele Back)” is one of the group’s most jarring tracks to date. The song takes its name from one of the most vulgar rappers of all time in Akinyele and Run the Jewels does him justice.
With a sickening, dizzying beat, Killer Mike and El-P each spit incredibly disgusting verses in the best possible way, giving us lines too dirty to repeat here. The chorus follows suit.
However, Three 6 Mafia’s Gangsta Boo stops by to not only help out RTJ with any criticism for their misogynistic lyrics but also to put the boys to shame. Her lyrics are even more explicit than the boys, and her swagger closes the song out leaving the listener cackling and stuck with hundreds of visuals that won't wash out of their psyche any time soon.
RTJ2 is everything hip-hop needs right now. El-P and Killer Mike’s exhilarating pedal-to-the-metal mindset is enough to wake up those sleeping on the genre as a whole. Sure, this new crop of hazy “rappers” can be fun, but they’re nothing compared to Run the Jewels.
