CHICAGO, IL (Top40 Charts) The new Run the Jewels 2 (Mass Appeal) is the kind of powerful, instantly gratifying rap record that makes all the other music in your regular rotation feel irrelevant. The duo of dystopian Brooklyn MC-producer El-P and earnest Atlanta rapper
Killer Mike proved themselves capable of greatness on their 2013 self-titled debut, which owes its appeal to much more than just their rap-game buddy-cop pairing. But I wasn't prepared for just how great their follow-up would be, and I'm still not sure I'm done wrapping my head around the pointed, playful, wide-ranging postindustrial rap on Run the Jewels 2. I always seem to get stuck on one song—right now my ears are in the vise grip of the drone like low-end hum and chattering, chipmunky vocal sample of "Oh My Darling Don't Cry." El-P and
Killer Mike's back-and-forth rapping, by turns loping, singsong, swarming, and aggressive, has enough character and color just as sound that it took me several listens to digest their lyrics—lines such as "You can all run naked backwards through a field of dicks" might have seemed silly in other hands, but with Run the Jewels silliness is part of the appeal. Their fierceness isn't any less compelling just because they're sometimes goofy and endearing.
The show started with New York City emcee Nightwalker, with a powerful and energetic performance, immediately pumping the vibe of the fans.
David Ruffin
Theory was the initial opening act for the 5PM show, but was switched to Nightwalker for the 9PM show. Nightwalker performed four songs, and incredibly became a crowd pleasing performer.
Next up was hip hop duo known as RatKing. The reggae-esque approach was a crowd pleaser. The momentum did not diminished, and fans interacted with the duo accordingly. They performed five astonishing songs.
The final opening act was Queens, New Yorker Despot. Without a DJ, he utilized a connected playback device, controlling the instrumental in every song. The rapid fire, and aggressive gritty East coast style lyricism repelled a well with the crowd.
Seven songs were executed with success.
Finally, the headlining duo was time to showcase their anticipated performance.
Killer Mike came out, complete in oversized tee and a variety of two-steps he pulls off with smooth agility, the crowd went bonkers. For real this time. Add in El-P and his stunner shades and this odd couple natural chemistry was evident from the jump.
Whether they were running through their top hits like "Banana Clipper" or "36" Chain" or steamrolling fresh tracks off RTJ2 like "
Close Your Eyes" and "All My Life," the crowd had the same reaction - go fucking hard. No matter the song, no matter if they knew it was really
Killer Mike and El-P or two soundmen with exceptional mic skills, the crowd did whatever these guys said, even making some kind of slow wavy-wave you'd expect to see at a new age festival. From there to the signature handgun and fist symbol of RTJ, the duo showed why they're releasing some of the freshest rap music of the year.
El-Producto's always been fresh on the beats, always finding a way to make sense of left-field highs and lows that somehow make sense, but perhaps he's finally found the perfect contemporary audience for his work.
Killer Mike can rap over cat sounds all day, but the low synths from El-P fit his aggressive flow like a glove. And El-P rapping over his own shit sounds just like it's supposed to.
As far as their live show, whether it's quirky dance moves, getting the crowd to do silly shit, or damn-near inciting a riot, these guys put on a clinic as far as what a live hip-hop show is supposed to be. What helps that even more is how live their songs are, which are perfect for the live show, spinning classes, or both at the same damn time.
Despite both artists having a more-than-solid body of solo work to their name, they never stray from their RTJ material. Don't expect "Deep Space 9mm" or anything off the I Pledge Allegiance series. El-P and
Killer Mike came strictly to run the jewels and after an hour-plus of one of the best live shows I've seen, it's safe to say the jewels got run.
