Photo Credit: Owen Ela

EL-P and Killer Mike are back again. Well, actually back again, again (numero tres). Run The Jewels delivers exciting news of a long awaited follow up to their sophomore album RTJ2. The third album comes via the shocking and original namesake— RTJ3. Okay so maybe the album title tends more towards the not so surprising, but – three year wait for the hip-hop super group’s album is definitely a little shock-and-awe. The new record is due to drop January 13 eek 20 and 17 (wow, where did 2016 go?) here in the US of A, while international followers of Run The Jewels can expect to purchase their hard copies of RJT3 January 20th. Oh yeah, and its free for digital download. Yes, Virginia, there is a santa claus (well, two actually…apparently).

While Run The Jewels already hosts two of the biggest names within the genre, the two artists feature collaborations with indie-esque rhymer, Adderall king guru Danny Brown, as well as Jazz phenomena Kamasi Washington, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Trina, Boots, and more. New Years resolution? Run those new jewels, please.

While the star power involved in the musical stylings in questions promises at the least, satisfactory reward to fans of Run The Jewels (and intrigued music bingers, as well), according to Pitchfork, the album cover boasts even more attention to detail and metaphor. Art school kids can like this group to: music for the people (say cheese). The music purveyors forking the pitch declare, “Timothy Saccenti, Run the Jewels’ frequent artistic collaborator, made the new album’s cover. RTJ shared a statement about how the new album’s artwork fits in the trilogy of covers. It depicts the RTJ logo as “a sculpture of the hands cast in metal, chromed, and gold-plated”:

“For us, the RTJ1 hands were about “taking what’s yours”—your world, your life, your attitude. The RTJ2 hands were wrapped in bandages, signifying injury and healing, which for us represented the growth in ideas and tone of that album. For RTJ3 the bandages are off, the chain is gone and the hands have been transformed into gold. For us this represents the idea that there is nothing to take that exists outside of yourself. You are the jewel.”

Thats so, uh, beautiful. Seriously though. Very cool. But, while listeners out there (and everywhere) anticipate the upcoming releases, they can listen to the new single for the album “Legend Has It” in the interim.

Find the full track listing and the single below ladies and gentle, gentle men. Au devoir!

Run the Jewels 3:

01 Down [ft. Joi Gilliam]
02 Talk to Me
03 Legend Has It
04 Call Ticketron
05 Hey Kids (Bumaye) [ft. Danny Brown]
06 Stay Gold
07 Don’t Get Captured
08 Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost) [ft. Tunde Adebimpe]
09 2100 [ft. Boots]
10 Panther Like a Panther (Miracle Mix) [ft. Trina]
11 Everybody Stay Calm
12 Oh Mama
13 Thursday in the Danger Room [ft. Kamasi Washington]
14 Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters