Run the Jewels continues to be at the forefront of social and political activism with their release of RTJ4.
Run the Jewels, the activist-themed hip-hop duo consisting of Killer Mike and El-P have released “RTJ4” preemptively at 12PM on June 3, 2020. It was set to come out on streaming services this Friday, June 5. Killer Mike and El-P released a statement on Instagram, saying:
“Fuck it, why wait. The world is infested with bullshit so here’s something raw to listen to while you deal with it all. We hope it brings you some joy. Stay safe and hopeful out there and thank you for giving 2 friends the chance to be heard and do what they love.”
The album comes during the height of the nationwide protests for justice for George Floyd. Social media, the news, and the streets are being flooded with activist messages, protests, and information on how people can help fight racial injustice.
RTJ4 is available for free download with an option to donate to the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee, which is a “network of lawyers, legal workers and law students providing legal support for political activists, protesters and movements for social change.”
They released their album despite having their summer 2020 tour with Rage Against the Machine postponed because of pandemic. Zach de la Rocha features on “JU$T,” his second feature with the duo.
RTJ consistently bring raw, gritty, and nasty raps with airight flows. Their production is consistently hard, loud, danceable and head-noddable at the same time. This album sounds very zany and ear-grabbing, full of glitchy drum fills and noisy vocal samples that sound like being in a hip-hop factory.
The lyrics for “walking in the snow” mirror exactly what is going on at this moment in the media and the justice for George Floyd protests:
“...everyday on the evening news they feed you fear for free, and you so numb, you watch the cops choke out a man like me, until my voice goes from a shriek to a whisper, “I can’t breathe, and you sit there in the house on couch and watch it on TV, the most you give's a Twitter rant and call it a tragedy.”
The music was recorded in the fall of 2019, but could not have come at a more relevant time: https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/1268224780102176768
Run the Jewels are constantly vocal about racial justice. On their 2016 song, “Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost)” they address criticisms against rioting and looting.
“JU$T” featuring Pharrell and Zack de la Rocha is a standout centerpiece for the album. The production credits have not been released yet, but this song sounds like it included production from Pharrell because of his signature “four-count” intro to the song, and his simple, bass heavy beat that echoes his production on “the light is coming” and “WTF (Where They From)” by Missy Elliot.
The chorus of this song seems to be be attacking those who have mastered economic, politics, and academics, and Instagram, calling them “slave masters posin’ on your dollar.”
Last week, Adult swim released an e-commencement speech from Killer Mike, addressing the youth and saying:
“If that’s coming from a cop beating up a person they shouldn’t… it is time that we understand that being brave and standing for something is a virtue that is not always rewarded.”
Here is RTJ's list of suggested organizations to donate to: