Guard your Jewelry: Run The Jewels is Back with RTJ2

The sophomore LP from rap duo Run The Jewels, “RTJ2,” is possibly one of the best albums to be released in 2014.

Run the Jewels is the rap duo consisting of Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike and New York-based rapper and producer El-P. The two first collaborated on Killer Mike’s sixth album “Rap Music,” which was met with critical acclaim from pretty much every critic and reviewer who listened to it.

Right from the outset of this album, Run the Jewels brings energy and fire on the song “Jeopardy.” Killer Mike’s violent and abrasive lyrics bring the excitement of this album to the center stage with his heavy southern flow, talking about how he is up at midnight lurking with his gun, metal pipe, and knife. El-P doesn’t fall short of delivering at the same level as Killer Mike either. His verses on this song are just as ruthless and pretty much as derogatory.

The two would collaborate on the first Run the Jewels album in June of 2013, which showcased a very gritty and aggressive sound that is synonymous with Southern hip-hop, I mean they even had Big Boi from famed Southern hip-hop duo Outkast on the song “Banana Clipper.” The album did really show how well the two worked together as a duo, but fans could tell how much they were trying to find that cohesive sound on this first project. The two do come from different styles of hip-hop, so obviously it would be a bit difficult to come to a middle ground, but the album was still very enjoyable to listen to.

Fast forward to 2014 and we are blessed with another album from the two, and you can tell from the outset that it was a true collaborative effort. It sounds like they were actually in the studio, coming up with these rhymes together instead of just having two different sounds.

The songs flow easily into one another. There is very little pause from song to song, especially when going from “Jeopardy” into “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry,” the second single from this album. The base on this track is unbelievable, and the lyrics from both of these guys are almost hysterically and comically ruthless.

Run The Jewels show great chemistry on songs like “Angel Duster,” in which they just go back and forth trading lines. Their different styles mesh together perfectly.

There are a number of songs that Run the Jewels add in a bit of narrative in, like “Early,” in which Killer Mike starts off the song talking about an incident he ran into with a police officer. The story is obviously very relevant to the current situation going on in America between the police and the public. Killer Mike was even interviewed about this subject on CNN not too long ago.

Whether it is with the harsh, brutal lyrics, the catchy tunes, or even the features from artists like Gangsta Boo, Travis Barker and Zach De La Rocha, “RTJ2” keeps the momentum flowing throughout this album. Even if you aren’t a fan of hip-hop, this is definitely an album worth giving a listen to.