Run the Jewels- 'RTJ3' Album Review

Run The Jewels- ‘RTJ3’

Run The Jewels’ third album completely adheres to the duo’s manifesto in which their followers have become accustomed to over their previous efforts. With a no-holds barred, aggression filled, fiery, finely tuned approach to creating their music, the group’s members El-P and Killer Mike have again created a rap album that challenges all preconceptions of this genre. The album is a true rap epic which fires and rattles its way through its 14 tracks without offering the listeners any chance to catch their breath in the process. The tracks seem to bounce off one another as you listen to it, with each track instantly following on from the one which preceded it in an unrelenting way which keeps the listener engaged.

It seems to me that Run The Jewels is like a fine wine, maturing and bettering with age and each new album.  RTJ1 was a fun, yet lucrative experiment for the duo, RTJ2 was a raw, emotive statement against the man, and RTJ3 is the group’s revolt. Each track on this LP relays the rage and defiance felt by the two members and their political angst. On ‘Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost)’, EL-P raps “Fears been law for so long it feels like therapy” fully displaying the band’s viewpoint of the current political turmoil occurring in the US, whilst on ‘2100’, Killer Mike spits about his President Trump survival strategy, “You defeat the devil when you hold onto hope”. RTJ3 also utilises guest spots to its full advantage. On ‘Hey Kids (Bumaye)’, the duo feature Danny Brown, one of the leading rappers in the US at the moment, in order to create a powerful stroke of genius that leaves the listener exhausted, despite its relatively short 3 minute long running. The album’s opener ‘Down’ featuring Joi is also an exceptional piece of work with each rapper complimenting each other with their killer verses whilst Joi melodically sings the chorus with a haunting tone, thus crafting a truly superb retrospective opener to the album.

This blogger is under no illusion that RTJ3 is nowhere near as catchy and accessible as RTJ1 and 2 were, however RTJ3 triumphs where the previous efforts were shorthanded. RTJ3 is the cacophonic soundtrack to the mourning of a world gone dark, and whilst that may sound pretty bleak, RTJ certainly manage to make this album work and appeal to the masses.

Overall Rating- 8/10

Fave Songs- ‘Down’, ‘Panther Like a Panther (Miracle Mix)’, ‘Oh Mama’, 'Legend Has It'

Least Fave Songs- ‘Don’t Get Captured’, ‘A Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters’