Hip Hop at it’s Finest

After last year’s successful self titled album, Killer Mike and EL-P continue onward with Run The Jewels 2. Over the course of a year these two’s bond has grown more tightly knit and it definitely shows. Whether live onstage or in an interview at a studio the chemistry between these two is undeniable. The way they talk and vibe off of one another you can tell they truly like and enjoy the other’s company. On RTJ2 EL-P plays duel roles as both producer and MC and juggles each job with ease, but it’s Killer Mike who shows the most improvement since their last get together. Killer Mike was never weak on the mic but on RTJ2 he stepped up his game and it is phenomenal.

“Your looking at history being made,” Killer yells at the beginning of “Jeopardy,” and that may be one of the most honest things spoken on this record. From the get go RTJ2 picks up right were its predecessor left off.  “Blockbuster Night Part 1,” with its simple yet banging beat is perfect for Mike and EL to pass the mic back and forth creating some of the flows. As hinted at earlier, Mike really shines here. Not taking anything away from EL-P, but Mike’s deliver and word choice are superb. Plus when you say a line like, “Top of the morning, my fist to your face is fucking Folgers,” so nonchalantly you have to be given praise.

“Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” featuring Zach De La Rocha is one of the stand out tracks on this album. EL using a sample of Zach saying “Run the jewels fast,” creates the perfect hook and Zach does a great job on his own verse as well. The other stand out track here is “Crown” featuring Diane Coffee. Mike and EL display their craft of story telling and create two chilling verses that will go down as some of their best work as of yet.

Run the Jewels 2 is a must listen album.  If you are a lover of hip hop, each track produces  the pheromones that attracted you to the genre to begin with. Mike and EL is the modern day equivalent to McCartney/Lennon but i don’t see a woman getting between these two.