The Billboard 200 matter to some (i.e. major label artists) but most independent artists could care less about it. Over the past few days, we were blessed with the early release of Run The Jewels highly anticipated fourth studio album, RTJ4. The album arrived in the wake of protests across the country in support of Black Lives Matter, so it was either bound to get overshadowed by the headlines or bring solace to fans who are participating in the protests.
None of this actually matters to Killer Mike and El-P who both decided to give the album away for free with an option to purchase. Per Billboard, even with two tracking days, RTJ4 is by far Run The Jewels' most commercially successful to date. In a few days, it moved 38K album-equivalent units, propelling it to number 10 on the Billboard 200. This is now their first album to ever enter the top 10 on the chart.
The album benefitted from merch bundles with 30K of the 38K units coming from pure sales. Though it was available for free, they did encourage listeners to donate. After two days, they generated $160K in charitable donations for National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program and several other organizations.
Surely, this album couldn't have come at a better time. What's your favorite track off of the project? Sound off below.
Run The Jewels "RTJ 4" Will Be Available For Free In Wake Of Protests
El-P announces the release of “RTJ4” will be available for free.
Run The Jewels have consistently been fighting against the system through their music — even when Killer Mike and El-P work as solo artists. Following the protests going on across America against the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, Run The Jewels have announced that the release of their fourth LP will be available for free upon its release.
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In a statement issued to Instagram, El-P explained that he and Killer Mike are offering this project for free in support of the protests. “I don’t have shit left to say right now that me and my brother @killermike don’t express on this album so i’m not saying shit anymore til then. on it is all our joy, humor, friendship and rage. we got bangers to help you lose yourself and smile and we got shit that comes from the deepest places in our hearts and when it drops on friday it will not only be for sale but it will be made available for FREE for ANYONE who wants some music,” he explained. “for me this is the only way i really know how to contribute to the human struggle and experience beyond just trying to be kind and aware and grow. it’s the only weapon i’m truly trained in and i’m grateful to have it. so no more talk from me until the music drops . i love y’all be safe don’t fall for the fuck shit and protect each other and your spirits from those that would divide and hurt you. this ain’t an advertisement this is just me saying i love you and i hope this music does something for you in these fucked up times.”
The announcement arrives after Killer Mike spoke about the current situation in Atlanta last night alongside T.I. The two rappers urged their communities to stop looting and rioting, though they did acknowledge that they understood the pain that many people across the country are feeling.
Check out El-P’s post below.
Run The Jewels Announce "RTJ 4" Release Date & Share Tracklist
El-P and Killer Mike's "RTJ4" is on the way. June 5th
For anyone who's been waiting on the return of Killer Mike and El-P's Run The Jewels 4, we have some good news for you. El-P hit the Twittersphere earlier today announcing that the hip-hop duo's fourth collaborative album will be arriving next month. The rapper/producer extraordinaire shared a pre-order link that went live at noon but immediately shut down the Run The Jewels website. Instead, El-P followed with another tweet that read, "RTJ4 DROPPING IN 24 DAYS." June 5th, y'all. Get ready.
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Along with a pre-order link and a release date, El-P also shared the cover art for the project that features the fist and gun hand logo in gold and black with a pink background. The tracklist was also shared featuring an eclectic array of collaborators. Greg Nice and DJ Premier, of course, appeared on the previously released track, "Ooh La La." Aside from those two, 2 Chainz, Pharrell Williams, Zack De La Rocha, Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age, and Mavis Staples make appearances on the album.
Keep your eyes peeled for RTJ4 and peep the tracklist and album art below.
- Yankee And The Brave (Ep. 4)
- Ooh La LA ft. Greg Nice and DJ Premier
- Out of Sight ft. 2 Chainz
- Holy Calamafuck
- Goonies vs. E.T.
- Walking In The Snow
- Ju$t ft. Pharrell Williams and Zack De La Rocha
- Never Look Back
- The Ground Below
- Pulling The Pin ft. Mavis Staples & Josh Homme
- A Few Word For The Firing Squad
Run The Jewels Provide Another Update On The "Best RTJ Album Yet"
RTJ season is approaching.
We’ve known for a couple months now that Run The Jewels are working on something hot, having teased since back in November that RTJ4 “is about 11 jams, it’s under 40 minutes and not a second is wasted.” El-P and Killer Mike also noted how they were simply waiting for some samples to be cleared on the album leading us to believe that the project will have everything the fans are looking for.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Now that the new year is here and patience is running thin, the duo have come through with yet another update that we need coming from El-P. “What if I told you me and @KillerMike just made our best RTJ album yet?” he wrote on Twitter. “Would you believe me? trick question it doesn’t matter if you believe me.” Killer Mike re-tweeted the question with some purple devil emojis clearly agreeing with the rating of the upcoming release.
“A month ago I quit smoking,” El-P wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “A few months before that I got married. A few months before that I scored a film. A few months before that I got off tour. Now I am in full RTJ4 mode and it felt like a decent time to start fresh on this app.”