Something you may now know about Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike, is that when he’s not busy rapping, talking on prime time TV or teaching university students, he runs a barbershop in Atlanta. The shop is called Graffitis SWAG (SWAG: Shave, Wash And Groom) and it’s been open since 2011. Big Boi, T.I and Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA all count themselves as customers, and Mike and his co-owner wife reportedly have plans to open 150 more stores.
Anyway, the barbershop was used for a different purpose recently, when Jack Daniel’s filmed Run The Jewels – Mike and El were joined by their talented regular DJ Trackstar – performing Pew Pew Pew for an official Jack Daniel’s Uncut Session. I wonder whether/hope that the Uncut/barbershop pun was not lost on anyone.
Premiered earlier on Rolling Stone, check out the black and white video, shot in one take through a pinhole camera. Not that they’d need more than one – anyone who has seen them live (including us) knows how explosive and wild it gets.
Man, these guys are just so damn good. Their solo careers were brilliant, but the chemistry between them as Run The Jewels is unparalleled, and you can even see that from this one video clip. When we interviewed them in January this year, El-P said, “We weren’t expecting to meet somebody that we were just that connected to artistically, or just as a person. We’re good for each other, man. I know Mike legitimately wants what’s best for me, and that’s a rare thing. There’s no ulterior motive. He’s a snake charmer, don’t get it twisted. But that’s just conversation. At the end of the day he’s got the heart of a lion and that’s what I respect about him. I call him Lion Chest!” Jack Daniel’s also shared this short ‘behind the scenes’ video