2012 proved to be a fantastic year for music, especially underground Hip-hop; with guys like Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and Death Grips, all releasing solid, to amazing records. But in the maelstrom of quality music, two artists did manage to stand out especially well; the team of Killer Mike and EL-P.
Both of these guys have been releasing great music for the last 10 years, and EL-P has enjoyed the honor of being considered one of the genres greatest innovators. And when these two came together on Killer Mike’s Rap Music, it proved to be a match made in heaven. Then EL-P came out with Cancer for Cure, another heavy hitter, and is considered one of EL-P’s best.
So, what are these two highly skilled, critically acclaimed artists to do after having such a successful year? Celebrate.
Run the Jewels is essentially a victory lap for Mike and P; showcasing their more braggadocios side. If you’re looking for some deep, socially conscious raps; you’re going to be a little let down. Instead, Run the Jewels is a fast-paced, adrenaline filled 30 minutes of pure technical prowess. Tracks like the title track and “36″ Chain” are jittery and feature nothing but pure fire spitting from these two MC’s.
In fact, the track “No Come Down” is a very apt way to describe this album; because EL-P’s production manages to stay at top speed for the entire runtime of Run the Jewels, and the rapping is never far behind.
If there is one downside to note, it would simply be how short the album is. Granted, this is a free LP and the content you get is far above a lot of current rap albums being released for $14.99 *Cough* Jay Z *Cough*.
9.5/10
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