Run the Jewels
RTJ2
MASS APPEAL
8/10
Killer Mike and El-P are rappers that go together like cereal and milk. The veteran firebrands thankfully show no sign of stopping any time soon. RTJ2 is their second collaborative album as Run the Jewels (third, if you count Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, which El-P produced), and it’s a further crystallization of the musically ferocious ideas that have saturated their minds over the past year or so. The overall aesthetic is very similar to Run the Jewels, which means super-speed rhymes blasted through speakers alongside buzzing synths, triple-time percussion, and an overall ear-melting production. The lyrical focus has largely shifted to themes of police injustice, militarization, and social stratification to match the jagged production. RTJ2 showcases two virtuosic provocateurs pulling absolutely no punches. Lots of industrial-grade fun can be experienced while listening to this record with all of your car’s windows rolled down.
