Album Review: RTJ4 - Run The Jewels

“Critics want to mention that they miss when hip-hop was rappin’ / Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike’d be platinum” - Kendrick Lamar, “Hood Politics”, 2015

Rap music is important and transcendent. Not only does its sound and production appeal to the masses, particularly young people, but it can be used as a vehicle to address and advance issues such as injustice, equality, and prejudice faced by millions, particularly giving a voice to the voiceless. To Pimp A Butterfly is the perfect example of a masterfully crafted rap album which discusses a wide variety of issues, and on it, Kendrick Lamar makes reference to one half of increasingly iconic rap duo Run The Jewels. Recently, Atlanta native Killer Mike has been a voice of reason, articulating the frustration of millions of black Americans after the continuation of police brutality and murders across the country. Dropped at the perfect moment, Run The Jewels continues their streak of releasing timely and relevant, hard-hitting rap music with the release of RTJ4. It’s exactly what we need right now.

The album’s opening track and lead single “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)” sets the tone for what is to come on this record. Its high-tempo and hard-hitting instrumental pairs perfectly with El-P and Killer Mike’s aggressive lyricism, indicating that no holds will be barred on the upcoming tracks. This proves to be true, as the following “ooh la la” and “out of sight” return to a classic Southern hip-hop sound featuring contributions from Greg Nice, DJ Premier, and 2Chainz. These tracks feel like the beginning of a revolution, an ushering in of chaos in response to a broken system which has failed its subjects.

The next two tracks, “holy calamafuck” and “goonies vs. E.T.” are just as impressive sonically, but are a slight decline in substance from the tracks coming before them. Besides criticizing and resisting mainstream media’s role in sometimes spreading disinformation and fear, these tracks are slightly more braggadocious and prideful than they are a commentary on the world around them. The next two songs, however, are one of the biggest one-two punches on a rap album in recent memory.

“walking in the snow” is a heartbreaking listen, especially when considering it was recorded in November 2019, months before the murder of George Floyd. Killer Mike’s entire verse is absolutely masterful and insightful, but the lines “And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me / And ‘til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper “I can’t breathe”” are particularly crushing. This wasn’t simply an eery foreshadowing of the violent murder of George Floyd, but instead this line demonstrates the perpetual nature of police brutality in the United States, as the line was written to reference the murder of Eric Garner, who was killed similarly just years prior. These are systemic issues which have plagued black Americans for centuries, and Killer Mike is able to articulate that chillingly. The following track “JU$T”, written in collaboration with Pharrell Williams, features one of the most relevant and vicious choruses in recent memory, as Run The Jewels identifies the unjust irony of black Americans using money with the faces of former slave-owning presidents. Two absolutely incredible tracks.

“never look back” is one of the slower moments on this project, almost a calming down after the intensity of the two previous tracks. The themes of letting go of one’s past in an effort to build a brighter future are interesting, but the track gets lost in the shuffle to me. The following “the ground below” features an electric guitar riff which accompanies a killer bass, setting the stage for El-P and Killer Mike to metaphorically fight for their lives, all in style, as Killer Mike beautifully politicizes this track with the genius lines “Not a holy man, but I’m moral in my perversiveness / So I support the sex workers unionizing their services”. So good.

“pulling the pin” is a relentless takedown of capitalist American society, and sets up the album’s closer “a few words for the firing squad (radiation)” perfectly. The final track emphasizes the importance of giving a voice to the voiceless, as Killer Mike and El-P reflect on their journeys to their place in the rap game. Black empowerment is a consistent theme throughout this project, and that continues through the end of this album with brutal bar after brutal bar which encapsulate these issues perfectly.

So there we have it. Hopefully Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 declaration that Killer Mike should be platinum comes to fruition with the release of RTJ4, one of the best in this series of collaborative albums. In times of unrest and disruption, we turn to level-headed voices to beautifully articulate how we’re all feeling, which at times can be hard to identify. This project came at the perfect time and in the perfect fashion, as we are ushering in a long overdue revolution which will culminate in equality and equal treatment for every citizen in this country. This is my album of the year so far, and I highly suggest you give it a listen. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “ooh la la”, “out of sight”, “walking in the snow”, “JU$T”, “pulling the pin”, “a few words for the firing squad (radiation)”

SCORE: 9/10