THE BAND: The fact that Run the Jewels could quite easily lay claim to the title of modern day hip hop’s most incendiary act in a field inhabited by Death Grips, OFWGKTA and Yeezus-era Kanye is testament to the intoxicating nature of Killer Mike and El-P. Having come good and more with their universally acclaimed sophomore record Run the Jewels 2 in October, the duo’s political snarl took on an even wider resonance when they fronted up for shows in Ferguson amidst the November riots.
THE SOUND: With a loop sample featuring Rage against the Machine’s Zak de la Rocha buddied up against RTJ’s unmistakeable hyper-grit bludgeon, fan favourite “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” is a typically uncompromising affair. The trio have since confirmed that they plan on releasing more material in the future.
THE VIDEO: The power of the cut lies in its stark simplicity as an unarmed black man grapples with a white police officer over lyrics such as “we killin’ them for freedom ‘cause they tortured us for boredom and even if some good ones die, fuck it the lord’ll sort ‘em”.
THE LOWDOWN: RTJ hit up a couple of UK festival dates this summer playing London’s Field Day on 6th June and Reading/Leeds Festival on 28th and 29th August. In addition to this, the duo have confirmed that they will take part in this year’s Record Store Day event; scheduled to release a limited edition EP featuring new track ‘Bust No Moves.’
