There is no denying that hip-hop has taken over the popular music category. Since the early 2000s, we have seen the likes of everyone from Eminem to Drake break records for album sales and sellout arenas built to withstand rowdy sports fans. Hip-hop music, along with its vernacular and distinct style of dressing, has integrated into our society, allowing the genre’s growth to become ceiling-less. It was ten years ago today when two of hip-hop’s most underappreciated contributors would combine forces to become one of the most popular and influential duos the genre has ever seen. Run The Jewels’ debut self-titled LP was released on June 26, 2013, and the infected hands that grace the cover have become almost as recognizable as the Wu-Tang “W”. The duo of Georgia’s Killer Mike and the producer/emcee El-P have crossed genres and become a cultural phenomenon that is solely built on the duo’s love for hip-hop and fearless creativity.
The birth of the duo dates back even further than their 2013 debut. It was two years earlier that Killer Mike and El-P were introduced via a mutual friend in 2011 and whatever happened in that meeting, the chemistry must have been instantaneous. El-P would go on to produce Killer Mike’s 2012 solo LP, R.A.P Music with Killer Mike returning the favor by lending a verse to El-P’s Cancer 4 Cure album that same year. It seemingly took the duo a year to finish the songs featured on their self-titled debut, and the popularity these off-kilter rap songs would achieve has far surpassed anyone’s expectations.
Along with the impressive numbers and critical praise, the fact all of this happened for Run The Jewels is extraordinary. Their debut album was released as a free download via Fool’s Gold Records with the amount of critical acclaim culminating in a bridge overseas as the album was later released in Europe via Big Dada. Despite its fan-first release approach, the album went on to land on multiple Billboard charts and rack up a plethora of positive reviews from some of music’s biggest outlets. This success felt like a win for diehard hip-hop heads, with Killer Mike establishing himself as Atlanta’s underground king long before this moment and El-P’s contributions to the culture dating back to the genre’s birth, it was finally time for two true titans of their craft to bask in their shine. This success story felt so pure due to the duo’s long-standing relationship with hip-hop and their dedication to the genre, the natural chemistry deployed on their debut didn’t hurt either.
El-P crafted a smorgasbord of hard-hitting, nuanced instrumentals that would go on to define Run The Jewels’ sound. These aren’t traditional hip-hop beats per se but once in the hands of two purists, the electronic influences and warping melodies morph into some stellar examples of the genre. “Producer gave me a beat, said it’s the beat of the year. I said ‘El-P didn’t make it so get the fuck outta here’” raps Killer Mike on the stand-out “Banana Clipper”, ironically boasting his partner’s skills over neck-breaking drums that sound like a rattling chainlink fence. This instrumental acts as the blueprint for the rest of the album, implementing electronic elements and forcing them into a hip-hop mold for a sound that has never been heard and is seemingly impossible to duplicate. Along with this masterclass of production, the duo’s vocals only move the duo further away from convention and closer to the top of hip-hop’s mountain.
The duo couldn’t approach these songs like they have in the past, they had to reimagine their flows and writing style to fit the grandiose minimalism achieved by El-P. It’s not like they had to forget everything they learned over their careers, both of these artists are veterans of their craft and harkened back to their prior solo work plenty, although neither artist has ever sounded so energized and liberated. After decades in the game, the duo was essentially given a clean slate, and an immense amount of freedom to turn Run The Jewels into anything they pleased. They chose the path of two slick-talking shamans that have felt dormant for too long, exploding into the limelight with braggadocious gusto. The lyrics of Run The Jewels feel like two deities humbling themselves enough to lend us their words with these biblical passages being delivered with a booming confidence more akin to a clap of thunder than any of their peers.
Killer Mike and El-P didn’t want to make a collaborative album between themselves, they wanted to establish Run The Jewels as a hip-hop entity. The duo had already placed themselves in the hearts of true hip-hop fans across the nation but Run The Jewels turned them into a global phenomenon. Leaning on nothing but their pure skill and dedication to the genre, two of its most beloved yet underappreciated heroes are now seeing a level of success traditionally held for British rock acts. Global tours, chart-topping LPs, and merchandising that can now be found in any trendy dorm, Killer Mike and El-P built an empire around this ten-song tracklist. Ten years later, Run The Jewels has not only crossed genres by diving deeper into the one they call home but have birthed an unforgettable album that will be equally celebrated on its 50th anniversary as it is on its 10th.
