Run The Jewels have just kicked off their 2017 tour in Philadelphia, where they’ve performed songs from Run The Jewels 3 live for the very first time.
A few videos have surfaced on Youtube and across social media, giving us an idea of how exuberant and energetic the pair were for their opening night. One video in particular features El-P regaling the crowd with an amazingly funny story of the last time he performed at that venue, The Electric Factory, back in 1998 – 19 years ago – with his former group Company Flow. Co Flow has just come off a European tour, having broken up at the very start of the two month long run, and were invited to open for the Beastie Boys. At that time, it was by far the biggest room they had ever played in.
In this video, El-P began by saying, “I was like, ‘have I been here before?’ And I realised, 19 years ago I had been here before, it was with my old crew Company Flow.
“Now, Company Flow had just come off a two month long winter tour through wonderful, disturbing winter wonderlands like Germany.” At this point Killer Mike pipes up, repeating the word “Germany” a few times in an hilariously ominous tone.
“To add even more pain to that, Company Flow had broken up the day we left for the tour. So we went on the tour for two months…[“Germany”]… I was frazzled, I was fucked up, my whole crew was fucked up. Everything that I had been building was falling apart. But we got the call while we were on tour: ‘You guys are opening for the Beastie Boys in Philly when you get back.’
“True story. So we did it. We came here to Philadelphia, I think it was the Check Your Head tour for Beastie Boys [note: it was actually the Hello Nasty tour]. It was a very big thing for us, we had ever been in a room of this fucking size, we had never seen this many people in front of us before…. Meanwhile, we’re just wrecks, human wrecks of men. So the first couple songs come on, shit is going okay. Let’s just imagine you guys aren’t here for Run The Jewels, you’re here for the Beastie Boys, and you see… someone else. So, you’ll probably be a little bit polite but you’re not gonna be that excited. Fair enough, totally fair. At the time I was about 21, so I didn’t have that much experience.
“There was one person in the crowd one – how many thousands of people are here tonight?… There was one person in the crowd while I was doing a song, that one person was like, ‘Boo, fuck you, bring on the Beastie Boys.’ [Killer Mike puts on a high-pitched voice and repeats in the background, ‘Boo! Fuck you! Bring on the Beasties! Fuck you!’]
“So somehow, I managed to hear that one person, and the song is going, but I was like, ‘Cut the fucking sound off!’ And I look, and I’m just like, [now yelling], “I will jump down there, and I’ll beat the shit out of you, and I’ll strangle your fucking neck if you don’t stop yelling! I will come down there!’
“Needless to say, they booed the fuckin’ shit out of us, not just the guy, it started with the guy… They booed us so hard that we had to walk off stage after three songs. It was my fault.
“It’s 19 years later… and we’re here tonight with you guys, our name is on the headline of this fuckin’ bill, and I can’t tell you how amazed and thankful I am to be here tonight.”
Coming full circle never sounded so damn good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3BP9a0pOo
RTJ last visited Australia over the 2014-2015 new years period for Falls Festival. Our fingers and toes are crossed that they’ll be back super soon to perform material from their phenomenal new album.
Image: Red Bull
A solo album from Zack de la Rocha, former frontman of Rage Against The Machine, has got to be one of the most mythical and mysterious non-entities in all of music.
For years, artists and collaborators have hinted at new, solo work. Meanwhile, the remainder of the band have existed in various non-RATM incarnations, having recently teamed up with members of Cypress Hill and Public Enemy to create the formidable Prophets of Rage.
De La Rocha has all but disappeared entirely, save for a collaborative EP with The Mars Volta‘s Jon Theodore in 2008 and a brilliant feature on Run The Jewels’ Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck) in 2014.
Now, finally, a solo single is here. More than that, it’s produced by El-P. More still, it’s really fucking good.
The song – De La Rocha’s first solo output in more than ten years – is called Digging For Windows. Of its release, El-P has stated that it was written in 2016 and that a full solo album will out next year.
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/773885755210862595
It’s been released as a free download on BitTorrent, and you can listen right here:
The beat is sparser than expected, but that’s just a result of 15+ years listening to RATM. The core beat is deep, heavy and synthetic, with the remainder of the instrumental peppered by bulging synths and sound effect. El-P’s penchant for the post-apocalyptic is the perfect accompaniment to this powerful song. Lyrically, it’s a dark and visceral depiction of the world surrounding him – lyrics here.
El’s industrial beats and Zack’s starkly poetic lyrics are an impeccable match. I cannot wait for more.
Welcome back Zack. We’ve missed you.
The image credit is as follows, as written by Zack: Thanks to the late Manuel Alvarez Bravo for creating the cover art photo “Fireworks for the Infant Jesus”, 1990 (Castillo en el barrio del Niño), by Manuel Álvarez Bravo (c) Copyright 1990 Archivo Manuel Álvarez Bravo, S.C.
Everyone knows that the formidable duo of Killer Mike and El-P (Run The Jewels) love to joke around, but it turns out El might have barked up the wrong tree this time. After the rapper released a series of Tweets joking about the dangers of the new augmented reality Pokémon GO app, which has had people walking around aimlessly using their smart phones to catch Pokémon, fans immediately retaliated.
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751903670216847360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751903068254507008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751904906613850112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751906877739532289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751908368739102720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Soon after his comments, El-P stated, “I’ve gotten more negative feedback from the Pokémon community than I have from Trump supporters. I’m actually impressed.” This was all followed by a scramble to solve the situation, claiming his account had been hacked, later superseded with hilarious pro-Pokémon tweets, “Hey guys just wanted to spontaneously show my support for Pokémon. It’s fun and cute and fun. So. Yeah that was just random.”
He even later jumped onto his Instagram and dropped a short yet similarly amusing Pokémon inspired freestyle, which he then challenged his fans to remix. It didn’t take long for the entries to come pouring in, some amazing ones, and outright hilarious ones.
Watch the freestyle below:
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751928334238486528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751949986431176704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/751978350206447616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
We’re still not sure how and why this all started, but we’re definitely stoked with the way El-P finished it. Doubtful that any of these remixes will make it to the final cut of the long-anticipated Run The Jewels 3 but after the success of their Rick And Morty crossover perhaps there’s scope for a Pokémon-themed one too.
Check out our interview with Run The Jewels.
Image: Pigeons and Planes
With recent news that Run the Jewels 3 is halfway done, bringing U.S Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders on stage at Coachella, and earlier this week Killer Mike sharing his thoughts on the state of the music industry and free music, Run The Jewels have been in the news almost constantly. Well, today we’ve got some more. Originally only released as part of the New York Times Magazine’s new music issue, Run The Jewels have released the video for Crown, off their second album Run the Jewels 2. Also the first release on their VRTJ smartphone app, the video doubles as an immersive virtual reality experience – both via virtual reality headsets and in a 360° view on Youtube.
Shot in black and white, we’re treated to a cast of characters surrounding us throughout. Killer Mike regrets selling a pregnant mother cocaine, only to meet her years later and find that she’s been reborn through Christ, and El-P gives us a scary insight into the indoctrination of modern-day soldiers. There’s some impressive visual effects going on here, like gunfire and our closeness to each of the characters. As the name of the track suggests too, Killer Mike and El-P don the symbol of the crown at a number of points throughout the clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCNzOQ2Ok8s
Artists like Björk and The Weeknd have also recently released 360° music videos, and with the rise of VR the number will continue to rise. With access to Virtual Reality headsets becoming easier and easier, immersive music videos will no doubt become an artform all of their own – further blurring the line between music and visual arts.
Image: Run the Jewels
It’s no surprise when musicians branch out into other ventures, be that clothing brands and activewear, television, barbershops and more. Now, a whole bunch of people including Alex Frankel of Holy Ghost, rapper Despot and Run The Jewels’ El-P have opened up an upmarket Jewish deli in Brooklyn, called Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetising.
At the helm of the Frankel’s operation is Frankel and his brother Zach. It’s part owned by El-P and Despot, among others. It looks incredible.
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/716059494917283841
The official launch took place today, and a whole lot of people showed up to sample the bagels, the matzo ball soup, the smoked fish and more.
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/716364067896631297
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/716363834240278528
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/716333187064942592
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/716298872071413760
Come say hi and have a bagel or something. @frankelsdeli Manhattan x Bedford 💯💯💯 A photo posted by Jenny Bahn (@jennybahn) on
Went to @frankelsdeli this morning, and you should too.
A photo posted by ted (@tedvolynets) on
Two bagels are better than one. #eeeeeats #bagels #bagelporn #frankelsdeli #pastrami #lox #brooklyn #greenpoint #neighborhoodhero A photo posted by Becca Schwartz (@beccastories) on
What’s more, is a whole lot of your favourite artists showed up to support the opening day.
A photo posted by Despot (@despotroast) on
Here’s El-P with comedian Sarah Silverman:
pretty good day so far. A photo posted by thereallyrealelp (@thereallyrealelp) on
Sinkane with Frankel
Action Bronson of course – perhaps the deli will feature on an episode of Fuck, That’s Delicious!
An indie lover’s wet dream, here’s Neon Indian, Mitzi and Zachary Allen Starkey of ZGRT
Me and @alan_palomo and @lilmitz_ at @frankelsdelicatessen, run by Zach and Alex Frankel (Alex plays in @holyghostnyc too). Great decor and food, congrats guys! #deli #greenpoint #brooklyn #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkdelicardiff #frankelsdelicatessen #holyghost #holyghostnyc #familybusiness #latkes #neonindian #ZGRT #goodtimes #musiciansoninstagram A photo posted by Zachery Allan Starkey (ZGRT) (@zacheryallanstarkey) on
Damn, that looks tasty.
Head to Frankel’s official website for the menu and more.
Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetising:
631 Manhattan Avenue (Bedford Avenue)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Image: Instagram
Run The Jewels rapper and producer El-P has announced that he is currently settling in to work on two brand new albums. He recently told fans on Instagram and Twitter that work is beginning on Run The Jewels 3, sharing a tiny snippet of a new track.
The Brooklyn artist announced the news via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/therealelp/status/683304983614369792
“The woods” is almost definitely the recording studio used to create RTJ 1 and 2, based in Garrison, upstate New York. While Killer Mike once told FADER that recording in a serene location was “strange” because “there’s no sex clubs and drugs and violence,” El-P went on to reveal that it’s still fairly debaucherous. “Constant inebriation, consistent and potentially unhealthy marijuana intake, the occasional psychedelic journey, and we just rap our asses off.”
As for the second album El-P is working on, we can only guess. Considering that he has recently contributed music to films including Fantastic Four and documentary Rubble Kings, a film soundtrack seems possible. Another option (though perhaps more far-fetched) is a new solo album from either him or Killer Mike. His last solo release was Cancer 4 Cure, released in 2012, and he produced Mike’s last solo album R.A.P Music, also in 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aES4SbFTH2Y
Image: Youtube
El-P, one half of the dynamic rapping duo that is Run The Jewels, has published the emails which led to the creation of the now iconic logo.
Shared on Instagram, the correspondence between El-P and the artist behind the logo Nick Gazin show El-P demonstrating to Gazin what he’s looking for in the design. The two different gestures, “hand robbing the chain hand” as the above and “hand coming from behind or the side and snatching the chain” beneath demonstrate the design of the logo in its very early, rudimentary stages. Clearly it was the former which won and has now come to be synonymous with Run The Jewels.
“Found this gem today randomly,” wrote El-P on Instagram. “the original email I sent the ever talented @nickgazin explaining the hands before he made them beautiful. 2013.”
Gazin spoke to Entertainment Weekly last about the creation of the logo in more detail. Apparently it was supposed to be El-P and Killer Mike “together in a fighting stance,” but El-P was not really a fan of it.
Talking about the logo, Gazin said:
“They’re kind of these blue demonic hands and there’s something either frightening or friendly about them,” Gazin told the publication in January. “I see them as being this kind of ‘haunted house’ aesthetic, not necessarily satanic… The blood stains almost imply a horror movie, but I see it as the hands have survived things. I think it makes sense considering the year we’ve had. The whole image is about coming back after having been beaten down.”
The iconography of the logo proved so distinct that fans have repurposed the artwork for the Meow The Jewels project, replacing the bloodied, mummified hands with cat claws and a cat collar. More than that, the pair – and the symbols – have inspired their very own Art The Jewels art tribute show, as well as the brilliant Tag The Jewels graffiti campaign.
As Australia wakes to news of another horrific shooting and mass murder, the hip-hop community has reacted in earnest as the country mourns the loss of life. The horrific acts committed will only fuel the racial and political tension throughout the United States, and is sure to cause further unrest. Killer Mike, hot on the heels of announcing his foray into politics, has unsurprisingly led the outcry from the hip-hop world. The current state of social affairs in America is rife with stories of racial profiling and unnecessary deaths of black men such as Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The unrest in Ferguson; riots and outrage in the face of police brutality has only fuelled the fires that are threatening to cause further unrest and lead to a greater social divide.
What happened in Charleston is an act of terror committed by a terrorist. Simple & plain. I wish those folks in that church had been armed
— Killer Mike (@KillerMikeGTO) June 18, 2015
In what has been described as an act of “pure concentrated evil” by the mayor of Charleston, the white suspect opened fire amongst a historic African American church, killing nine people, and subsequently crushing the spirit of the black community in America and throughout the Western world. The internet and social media alike has exploded with outrage, condemnation and sorrow, and while the atrocities of the day will continue to come to light, we can take solace in the fact that respected individuals and artists with great social reach and exposure are speaking out and uniting in the face of adversity. We all know Killer Mike is an outspoke political voice, and has used his status to weigh in on the racial tension that has gripped the nation, most notably in his impassioned plea to fans following the Grand Jury decision to not indite police officers in the killing of a young African American youth.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQs7CWKHM9w]
El-P echoed the sentiments of his fellow Run The Jewels front man, voicing his frustration and speaking for many of us with this defeated message:
ok thats it im rolling all the hash and weed i have and saying goodbye to this day. — el-p (@therealelp) June 18, 2015
There is a multitude other rappers and musical personalities that have spoken of their own disgust for recent events, with Solange Knowles offering a heartbreaking sentiment and plea as she is coming to terms with the plight of her people, the pain in her harrowing message is clear;
Was already weary. Was already heavy hearted. Was already tired. Where can we be safe? Where can we be free? Where can we be black? — solange knowles (@solangeknowles) June 18, 2015
In this social and political climate, rappers, singers, actors and sportspeople have all unified their voices, and it is refreshing to see these figures taking a stand. Change is on the horizon, and it appears that there may be more heartache until there is a sense of resolution and peace. It is the wise words of Questlove that so perfectly sum up the current state of affairs, his reaction to the Eric Garner situation rings true even more so today:
I’m ashamed. Mostly because I’m no longer shocked at things now-a-days. Nothing is shocking. #EricGarner
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) December 3, 2014