Reacting to 'Run the Jewels 2'

The Kendrick reference to Killer Mike is from TPAB. Kendrick says that if critics actually cared about "when Hip Hop was about the rapping" then Killer Mike would be a Platinum rapper.

I've got tickets and cannot wait!

fightnerd

You should do RTJ3 and 4 like this too. They book end the trump presidency and you can tell by the content. RTJ4 was actually released early during the protest after the murder of George Floyd.

fightnerd

RATM is doing their final tour this year with RTJ, you should go!

Shail

El-P is a lot more raw, but in the same neighbourhood as Aesop Rock in that regard

Teddy

truly is the best universe out there. rivals marvel and star wars fr

Shurikinney

between these RTJ reactions and TTT's 'Awaken, My Love' reaction, this week has been my favorite within the multiverse

Psykopomp

Ahh yes the argument that incentivizing the politicians with money and power (and even stock options) is legal so it’s fine. I’m sure that in no way has any sway on legislation that gets passed. If we are in a system in which corporations or extremist religious groups can decide what happens regardless of what the majority believes then I believe said system is shitty and should be changed. Nothing HAS to work the way it does. At the end of the day we made these systems up.

retrocalie

Yep. I would love to see Cancer 4 Cure and Rap Music. The solo albums that brought them together.

Dylan Woods

RTJ3 goes crazy

Litty Again

very based, very cool willing to give you $2 a month for as long as you wanna keep doing this man

Paul Polyanskyy

If someone hasn't mentioned it yet, El-P's album I'll Sleep When You're Dead features Trent Reznor (this was around the time that With Teeth came out, El-P remixed Only on the EDIETS EP), it's also a super dense almost sci-fi album, definitely worth checking out along with Cancer 4 Cure and the collab with Killer Mike's R.A.P Music. I also think you'd be intrigued by Aesop Rock (he was on El-P's old label Def Jux) his lyrics will hurt your brain.

James T

A fun little amusement for you, not for review, would be Meow the Jewels, a version of RTJ2 with instrumentals replaced by cat noises. Anyway, it's been cool to revisit these two albums through your videos. When I was in college, I listened to RTJ1 nonstop during a winter break, stuck at home with parents who fought and vented at any time of day or night. Maybe now the debut pales in comparison to RTJ2, but at the time it absorbed my attention with its witty anger and spacy electronic melange. I know you preferred Killer Mike's lyrics, and even though I know way more about El-P's discography, I actually agree that Mike's just something special as a rapper. I'd be down for you following your curiosity about Killer Mike. R.A.P. Music (or RTJ0, LOL) is great, and Southern rap is a deep scene, even leaving aside popular trends like crunk music, snap rap, and trap music.

Dareka

Okay that's cool but I don't want politics to work like that. Now what?

Paul Polyanskyy

Super PACs have only existed since 2010

SAM-WISE GAMGEE

Still waiting to see what constitutes this apparent widespread bribery in American politics? Lobbying isn't bribery, if thats what you mean. Lobbying is literally just how politics works.

Evilknightz

Ill continue the sentiment that you really should dive deep into El-P's lyrics, he makes a lot of deep literary, biblical, and just general esoteric references that will go over your head (hes from the MF DOOM and Aesop Rock school of rhyming in that respect) but are absolutely worth tearing apart and thinking about. I highly highly recommend his album Cancer 4 Cure, one of the best albums of the 2010s imo and if you like his beats on this you will adore that album

Jake Curran

Loved these reactions. I totally understand that you prefer Killer Mike right now. But for me, especially on his solo albums, El-P takes the cake. Killer Mike is extremely great at throwing out amazing one-liners that are super in-your-face, but clever. El-P is the king at drenching his songs and lyrics in metaphors. After close to a decade of listening to him, I'm STILL dissecting some of the stuff he talks about. His subtle and abstract way of rapping is why he's still in my top 5 rappers. And don't even get me started on El-P's production lol

Tyree Harris

I'm still in the middle of this review and I just wanted to say that you shouldn't be afraid to take a week off if you need to. Like I'm sure I speak for most of us when I say if theres anything that's on your mind and you're ever not in the music listening mindspace you shouldnt feel forced to sit down and record. The events of the past week have been hard for ALL of us and I cant IMAGINE having that added layer of fear, anger, and concern that having a child in school might bring. So if there's ever a time where you just feel like "man I cant stop thinking about X, the last thing I want to do is have to talk to a camera for an hour", then you should definitely take some time to yourself.

Yarden

Absolutely right... Watching the new OBI-WAN KENOBI series, of course I partially had a tough time with any and all "Order 66" connotations that this real-life lunatic managed to create with the horrors that happened just a few days ago. But this SW saga "worst concievable crime in this darkest tragedy that finally turned Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader" were not created with this Uvald event in mind, and its basic message remains too worthwhile to be corrupted like this. Great points to keep in mind...

Stefan Borglycke

holy shit bob is BASED

Alec Fields

I know you're full with suggestions/requests, but I always wonder if your evergrowing list contains SAGE FRANCIS - COPPER GONE (2014) for being such a truly touching and triumphant return-to-form self-contained album (just watch either video for "ID Thieves" or "Make Em Purr" and you'll be convinced), anyway both El-P and Killer Mike adore this personable underground legend and this album is top 3 ever on my Bob the Poppop wishlist so I just wanted it stated right here. Take it or leave it, carry on <3

Stefan Borglycke

Great comment and 100% spot on. RTJ is taking on the role of anti-heroes claiming to be villains. They paint a bleak, dark and gritty picture of the world and are yelling that they'll burn it down. Sometimes it can border on destructive, or in El-P's case even nihilistic, but once you get deeper into them I don't really think you can claim that's the case. Case in point, Mike's speech during the protests in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy9io6VEt58 Also want to add that while RTJ are always walking the line between over the top and justified anger as well as the role of a villain and a hero, they are really effective in making you consider the way our society works.

Bakke

I definitely disagree with the sentiment that we should consider washing down content like the mentions of guns and killing. I understand that Bob is not saying that rap or any fictional media that portrays violence is the cause. However, that is the exact smoke screen that evil politicians and people in power use to deflect from their own misdeeds and justify their willingness to do nothing. No longer is it about passing legislation. No longer is it about making change. It’s only about the culture. These spineless jackasses in power pointing the finger at us instead of their shitty (gun lobby supported) laws and the inherently flawed police system that is only there to protect the wealthy and property. (Apologies for the rant, got passionate about this)

retrocalie

-If you want to hear more Zach De La Rocha on a hip hop track, check out this track that he did with KRS One and Last Emperor https://youtu.be/QXIqkZJzzIw -Gangsta Boo is a member of Three 6 Mafia fyi -i recommend checking out "Meow the Jewels". It's a remix of this album with all instrumentation replaced with cat sounds because El-P put it as a joke tier in a Kickstarter, not knowing that they would actually reach that tier lmao. When they did he had to keep his promise

snooza

"I'm gonna bang this bitch the FUCK OUT" Best album intro of all time.

The Gr8 Scott

Bob, you need to watch Killer Mike’s show on Netflix. It’s one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. Check out the stuff he was doing with Bernie Sanders during his campaigns as well. It’s truly a shame that people overlook him as one of the greats. Not only is he one of the best artists but he genuinely wants to make a change in his community and in America.

TylerTheEarthling

This is my all time favourite gym album lol always gets me hyped

Eoghan

Can’t wait for RTJ4

Ryan Severson

Yeah, the gun violence in their lyrics is all tongue-in-cheek. They always have that kind of major energy but get more political as their albums drop. You're going to really love RTJ4. It's incredible and dropped right after George Floyd was murdered.

Jayde Stone

Zack De La Rocha is on RTJ3 and RTJ4 too.

Cory

EL-P is a great producer. Maybe when winter comes around you will check out Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein.

daredevil777

RTJ4 is gonna be crazyyyyy

jofo48

I agree that there's no overarching story for RTJ's albums, but you should read through the notes on Genius. A lot of the bars you're listening to when you're asking "why do they have these lines about guns" are referencing school shootings or the deaths of Trayvon Martin and other events. RTJs answer to "what do we do to make this stop?" is "we burn it down, scream, curse, and tell em to go fuck themselves" I can't wait for you to do RTJ3 and 4. The lyrics become so much more potent and they really grow from project to project on how to say these things more eloquently. RTJ4 came out during the peak of the George Floyd protests and was written months before it happened.

SAM-WISE GAMGEE

You forgot the videos for Lie Cheat Steal and A Christmas Fucking Miracle

SAM-WISE GAMGEE

Run the Jewels 1 + 2 (2013 + 2014) Official Videos 36” Chain https://youtu.be/c_rwa4ZbKgA A Christmas Fucking Miracle https://youtu.be/OQ5rI461KNE Oh My Darling Don’t Cry https://youtu.be/G-S9mtYowPY Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 https://youtu.be/uuWQyfGa1yI Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck) https://youtu.be/PkGwI7nGehA Lie, Cheat, Steal https://youtu.be/BEOximWoFd0 Interviews Dead End Hip Hop (RTJ 1) https://youtu.be/Ye-w0RFasJ0 Dead End Hip Hop (RTJ 2) https://youtu.be/5rwYGXIJdVM Revolver: Secret Metal Heads https://youtu.be/phKlr4_bsEw Pitchfork – Over/Under https://youtu.be/mTuSnySz4Pw Live Boiler Room https://youtu.be/pMjFYnQGpiA Live in Paris https://youtu.be/K64k8GZYeNM Pitchfork https://youtu.be/0gBrPyAJOnY Reviews Dead End Hip Hop – Run the Jewels https://youtu.be/C8rItalK2RI Dead End Hip Hop – Run the Jewels 2 https://youtu.be/M4PMsRGnJ2w

Dylan Woods