Run The Jewels, Run The Jewels 2 – review

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Emphatic rap duo Run The Jewels, consisting of Michael “Killer Mike” Render and Jaime “El-P” Meline, may have just released the best hip hop record of this or any year in recent memory. The two 39-year-olds have forged a late-career renaissance through sheer force of will. Rap duos are infamously difficult to actualise; how do you achieve synergy when you operate within a genre framework that’s notorious for being a theatre of the ego? Despite this, the two virtuosos have crafted a genuinely compelling album. The negligible differences in their (already glittering) musical CVs have been surmounted, and in the process they’ve managed to articulate a lucid, politically charged vision reminiscent of Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back.

Their first (self-titled) release under this moniker was an enthralling slice of minimalist hip-hop that merged gripping production with audacious lyricism. RTJ2 is a sequel in more than just name; everything is heightened, embellished, astutely expanded. Killer Mike’s stormy, observational style struts confidently alongside Meline’s polished, often outrageous wordplay. They spar as much as they cohere, seemingly trying to one-up each other in who can be quicker, cleverer, or just more brazenly ignorant. “You can all run naked backwards through a field of dicks” barks El-P on album highlight Oh My Darling Don’t Cry. Killer Mike delivers some of his most labyrinthine lines to date — on Blockbuster Night Part 1 he snarls, “The gates of hell are pugnaciously pacin’, waitin’/I give a fuck if I’m late, tell Satan be patient.” Many tracks sound as though they should collapse under their own weight, yet it’s the duo’s explosive, undeniable chemistry that acts as (essential) ballast.

El-P’s bold production allows the lyrical pyrotechnics to flourish. It’s frantic and chaotic, yet the pacing, coupled with a discerning use of hooks, ensure the listener is never alienated. The two are accompanied by a veritable smorgasbord of guests, all of whom are ancillary to maintaining this 11-track maelstrom. James McNew (of Yo La Tengo) gifts volatile bass to Early, an engrossing, politicised and timely look at police brutality in America. Gangsta Boo’s show-stealing verse on Love Again (Akinyele Back) denotes a maturation in Run The Jewels’ sexual politics. Zack De La Rocha utterly carpet bombs the climax of Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck); “Phillip A.K. Dickin’ you” is a contender for cleverest rap lyric of the year. This record bleeds confidence and poise throughout.

It’s a confidence that’s earned. Every facet of this album speaks for itself; everything down to the manner of its release was conducted solely on the terms of Killer Mike and El-P. With this blazing behemoth of a sophomore effort, they’ve firmly established themselves as one of the most captivating music projects currently working today.

Run The Jewels 2 is available as a free download. RTJ play the Opium Rooms on December 21.

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