Acclaimed hip-hop duo, Run the Jewels, comprised of rapper/producer El-P and rapper Killer Mike, have just announced the release date and full tracklist for their upcoming album, Run The Jewels 4. The album is due for release on June 5 with a total of 11 tracks .
Firstly, for those unfamiliar with the group’s work, El-P is known as a pioneer in underground hip-hop for his innovative, off-kilter production and unique rap style. Killer Mike, on the other hand, rose to fame through his association with the group OutKast. This therefore earned him a Grammy for the song ‘The Whole World’.
The unexpected match made in heaven was certainly due to Killer Mike’s aggressive vocals blending perfectly with El-P’s production style. EL-P went on to produce Killer Mike’s critically acclaimed 2012 album, R.A.P. Music, and Mike features in EL-P’s own album, Cancer for Cure, released in the same year. They began touring together and got the idea to form their supergroup. The name, ‘Run the Jewels’, derives from the LL Cool J song ‘Cheesy Rat Blues’.
The tracklist for their upcoming album conveys eclectic features, to say the least, with appearances from many well known names. From 2 Chainz, Pharell Williams, Greg Nice and DJ Premier to gospel singer Mavis Staples, Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, and the expected feature killer from Zack De La Rocha.
The duo released a music video for their single, “Ooh LA LA” featuring Greg Nice & DJ Premier. The video earned them more than three million views on Youtube. To say that anticipation for the album is high is an understatement, with the site crashing shortly after the announcement.
In keeping with previous releases, the artwork features the group’s iconic logo front and center, with a neon magenta background. Pre-orders for the digital version and vinyl edition are already available.
Words by Kai-Ming Chow