With protests against police brutality and systemic racism ongoing throughout the United States and Canada, many rappers have come forward in solidarity with the revolutionary movement. The legendary rapper and orator Killer Mike recently caught attention with a powerful speech in Atlanta, where he implored those hurting "to strategize, to organize, and to properly mobilize.” Mike's voice continues to resonate now more than ever, and it's likely he'll expand on some of his positions on the upcoming Run The Jewels 4 album.
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Following the announcement that it will arrive this Friday free of charge, an initiative announced by El-P yesterday, the rapper slash producer took to Instagram to preview one of the album's upcoming tracks "A Few Words For The Firing Squad." Premiering the song in full, the track features a heavy-build up accentuated by frantic bursts of brass.
"It's crippling, make you want lean on a cup of promethazine, but my queen say she need a king, not another junkie, flunky rapper fiend," raps Mike, drawn between love and duty. "Friends tell her he could be another Malcom, he could be another Martin / she told her partner 'I need a husband more than the world need another martyr.'" El matches Mike's energy, offering some words of wisdom of his own. "When your surrounded by the fog, treading water in the ice-cold dark," he spits. "When they got you you feeling like a fox running from another pack a dogs / put the pistol and the fist up in the air, we are there, swear to God."
Check out the track below, and look for Run The Jewels 4 to arrive in full this Friday.
View this post on InstagramKiller Mike Raps Powerful Bars About Police Brutality On "RTJ4"
Following the tragic killing of George Floyd at the hands a police officer, Killer Mike showcases some poignant lyrics from “Run The Jewels 4.”
With Run The Jewel’s RTJ4 lined up to be released on June 5th, Killer Mike has taken it upon himself to preview one of the upcoming tracks, “Walking In The Snow.” And while a sneak peek is generally seen as a joyous affair, this latest arrives under somber circumstances. Though it wasn’t specifically written about the death of George Floyd, Mike’s lyrics about police brutality resonate even harder in the wake of it.
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“And every day on the evening news they feed you fear for free, and you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me,” he raps, over El’s off-kilter production. “And ’til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, ”I can’t breathe” / and you sit there in the house on couch and watch it on TV / The most you give’s a Twitter rant and call it a tragedy.”
It’s unclear whether Mike’s verse offers his suggestions as to what might be done, but it doesn’t appear as if he’s particularly satisfied with the current societal state. He all but confirms as much in his caption, writing “I will keep pushing for a better society but I refuse to not acknowledge the one I am stuck with.” Given everything that has transpired, all the racial tension that seems to be brewing in the United States, it’s no surprise that Mike feels the way he does. For now, he remains one of the most powerful voices in the game, speaking as an authority when people need to hear it the most.
Look for Run The Jewels 4, complete with the full version of “Walking In The Snow,” on June 5th. Rest in peace, George Floyd.
Run The Jewels Promise New Album Is "Relentless"
Run The Jewels might be waylaid by the pandemic, but that hasn’t dulled their excitement for dropping their most “relentless” album yet.
As the quarantine continues to run its course, so too does it impact the artists that keep us entertained. Unfortunately, such has indeed proven to be the case for Run The Jewels. Having already completed their long-awaited fourth album, the aptly-titled RTJ4, it seemed like only a matter of time before we’d be getting our hands on the project. Yet now that coronavirus has gone and flipped the table, all bets are — for the time being at least — off.
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That doesn’t mean its creators can’t come through with some much-appreciated details in the meantime. Today, Killer Mike and El P hit up Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show to open up about the current state of the album. “It’s just a pain in the ass because me and Mike really want to get this record to the people and so we’re working our asses off to make sure that that happens as soon as we possibly can,” says El, prompting Mike to offer a creative suggestion. “We’re going to come to everybody’s door like the census.” “In hazmat suits,” adds El — safety first.
“Relentless, if that’s what you want to hear,” says Mike, describing the sound of the record, as well as its creative process. d. We relentlessly pushed through because there were songs where we both had different verses. We’d go for a month, meet back up and be like, “You know what? I don’t like my last eight bars. I’m going back in to do it.'” El proceeds to lay out a key distinction between RTJ4 and its predecessor. “We weren’t in the same mind frame as we were in [Run the Jewels 3],” he teases. “This one we were in a fiery place.”
Keep an eye out for more news on Run The Jewel’s upcoming album the minute it surfaces, and be sure to check out the latest single “Ooh La La.” Are you excited for this one?
[ Apple Music]
"Run The Jewels 4" Is Finished
El-P and Killer Mike have officially finalized "Run The Jewels 4," though a release date has yet to be revealed.
After years of waiting, the creative brain trust that is El-P and Killer Mike, better known as Run The Jewels, have finally wrapped on Run The Jewels 4. El Producto confirmed the news on Twitter this morning with a concise yet hype-inducing proclamation: "RTJ4 is done." Given that the pair have been busy finalizing the project for a minute now, with El previously describing it as a "filthy, dirty, dusty" body of work, the news comes as a pleasant surprise to the duo's loyal fanbase.
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Other than the revelation that the project is "done," much about the fourth installment remains a mystery. Details surrounding guest appearances or a possible release windows remain scarce, though it wouldn't be surprising to see them drop it before hitting the road with Rage Against The Machine in March. While you might be tempted to call that wishful thinking, ask yourself this: why wouldn't El and Mike want to take their new material on tour?
Either way, expect more news on RTJ4 to surface in the coming weeks. Given that the pair have yet to miss, look for this one to be another major release for one of hip-hop's most unexpected yet deniably harmonious bromances.
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