Run The Jewels (RTJ4 Discussion Thread)

[Pseudopath]

OK...so it's not out quite yet, but they've been dropped two new songs over the past two days and there's only supposed to be 11 tracks on the album, so I predict a release date of Friday 3rd April. You heard it here first! Anyway...here are the new tracks - both absolute bangers:

Yankee And The Brave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DFypFVnSS0
Ooh LA LA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C4zAbTA-QM

Any other lovers of Jaime Meline and Michael The Murderer on here? Feel free to post your favourite tracks (as long as they're not from that cat album).

[up_the_hampipe]

Absolutely throbbing for this.

[Non Stop Dancer]

As with all my favourite musical acts, I tend not to be blown away by their new stuff but grow to love it. Hence I'm not too concerned about not loving the 2 tracks so far.

[Non Stop Dancer]

Also, as an El-p worshiper of over 20 years, I feel strangely proud of/pleased for him and his new-found riches, like an old mate who's done well for himself.

[Pseudopath]

Also, as an El-p worshiper of over 20 years, I feel strangely proud of/pleased for him and his new-found riches, like an old mate who's done well for himself.

Yeah...the boy done good.



Nah...that doesn't look like the RTJ logo, does it? Looks like a playground gesture.

[Bazooka]

Also, as an El-p worshiper of over 20 years, I feel strangely proud of/pleased for him and his new-found riches, like an old mate who's done well for himself.

I still yearn for the early defjux production, whilst he's still obviously very good, early 2000's elp was otherworldly.

[thugler]

I still yearn for the early defjux production, whilst he's still obviously very good, early 2000's elp was otherworldly.

This. His rtj production is way stripped down and less janky than his old stuff. Big fan of his first solo record. I think the 2 newies are fine, short but sweet really. Be happy if it's a bit shorter but all really strong tunes, think all of the rtj albums have a couple of plodders on them.

[Pseudopath]

Be happy if it's a bit shorter but all really strong tunes, think all of the rtj albums have a couple of plodders on them.

11 songs at around 40 minutes, by all reports. Hoping it will be bangers all the way.

[Non Stop Dancer]

I still yearn for the early defjux production, whilst he's still obviously very good, early 2000's elp was otherworldly.

Yes, I'd love to hear what he would be capable of now if he did a sample-heavy album in the vein of his earlier stuff, but I love his RTJ style as well. I doubt he'll do it any time soon but I'd love to see him produce an album for somebody else again like he did with Can Ox, and come up with a signature sound for them. His current style is a bit too replicable (albeit still fantastic) whereas his older stuff was unlike anything anyone else was doing or capable of, although his influences are obvious. Who the fuck else was producing anything that came within a mile of Delorean, Deep Space 9mm, Truency, Ridiculous etc? Fucking no cunt, that's who.

[Pseudopath]

Yes, I'd love to hear what he would be capable of now if he did a sample-heavy album in the vein of his earlier stuff, but I love his RTJ style as well. I doubt he'll do it any time soon but I'd love to see him produce an album for somebody else again like he did with Can Ox, and come up with a signature sound for them. His current style is a bit too replicable (albeit still fantastic) whereas his older stuff was unlike anything anyone else was doing or capable of, although his influences are obvious. Who the fuck else was producing anything that came within a mile of Delorean, Deep Space 9mm, Truency, Ridiculous etc? Fucking no cunt, that's who.

Nicely put, Non Stop Dancer. Let's find out. That Def Jux shit was insane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiqd9ux0MR4

[kngen]

Yes, I'd love to hear what he would be capable of now if he did a sample-heavy album in the vein of his earlier stuff, but I love his RTJ style as well. I doubt he'll do it any time soon but I'd love to see him produce an album for somebody else again like he did with Can Ox, and come up with a signature sound for them. His current style is a bit too replicable (albeit still fantastic) whereas his older stuff was unlike anything anyone else was doing or capable of, although his influences are obvious. Who the fuck else was producing anything that came within a mile of Delorean, Deep Space 9mm, Truency, Ridiculous etc? Fucking no cunt, that's who.

This is why I can never full engage with RTJ. El Producto reached his zenith with I'll Sleep When You're Dead. I so fucking want to love RTJ, but ... there's something lacking.

[SpiderChrist]

Really underwhelmed with Ooh La La, but maybe it'll grow on me (as mentioned above).

[alan nagsworth]

For such a bombastic and raucous group their music is really quite flat. As others have touched on, even El-P's production, whilst still packing all that trademark crunch and clobber, is relatively unimaginative at this point. I find it really hard to put my finger on it because it makes little sense to me how music which kicks like a mule can leave me totally cold. Is it back-slapping? Not really, they're clearly having fun. Is it by-the-numbers? Yeah that feels a bit more accurate, but only at this point in their career. It's just... it's just lame. It's backpack rap for people who quote Rick & Morty watch FPS headshot compilation videos. The Mastodon of hip hop. All the clout and absolutely none of the cool.

THE WORLD IS BAD AND WE OUT HERE TELLIN YOU THAT. HATERS CAN GET FUCKED IN THE ASS, WE STILL THINK THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE CRITICISM SOMEHOW. COPS SUCK. BERNIE!

[momatt]

Any group who made a remix album from nothing but samples of cats (for a laugh) of can do what the fuck they like I reckon.

[WestHill]

^ Cat samples? Yeah that was great.

I also miss the solo El-P stuff but if you look at his career, the early stuff, Co Flow stuff, albums he's produced for others, the jazz album he did, I'm confident he's prolific and eclectic enough to return to more serious solo shit at some point. I see the RTJ stuff as him scratching his 'rap star' itch before he gets too old then he'll eventually go darker and more obscure.

Either way, as was said earlier in the thread I get an (undeserved) sense of pride when I see RTJ doing so well, when I think back to the days of 'hoppy harrington' and Co Flow etc.

I'm really looking forward to the new album.

For fans of his darker earlier stuff, I would recommend checking the albums Armand Hammer have put out (start with Paraffin) and their individual solos. For me, that fills the same space musically - but that might just be me.

[alan nagsworth]

Cat samples

Yeah, I rest my case.

[momatt]

Yeah, I rest my case.

Good album though.

[Crabwalk]

Just go and see them live, if we're ever allowed to again. I find the records inessential, for similar reasons as stated above.

[Non Stop Dancer]

Either way, as was said earlier in the thread I get an (undeserved) sense of pride when I see RTJ doing so well, when I think back to the days of 'hoppy harrington' and Co Flow etc.

I think we've covered this before but I presume from that that you were on the old company flow/def jux forum? If I recall you were Skeptic on there?

[WestHill]

Correct. Are you physikz? If so, I have your beat tape in a shoe box!

[Schnapple]

Can take or leave them, feel they've just kinda become a bit of a 'brand' in recent times, but the last LP still has hooks that are struck in my brain. They are amazing live.

[Non Stop Dancer]

Correct. Are you physikz? If so, I have your beat tape in a shoe box!

Yes! If by some chance you have the time and means to bounce that to an audio file, I would absolutely love to hear that again.

[madhair60]

For such a bombastic and raucous group their music is really quite flat. As others have touched on, even El-P's production, whilst still packing all that trademark crunch and clobber, is relatively unimaginative at this point. I find it really hard to put my finger on it because it makes little sense to me how music which kicks like a mule can leave me totally cold. Is it back-slapping? Not really, they're clearly having fun. Is it by-the-numbers? Yeah that feels a bit more accurate, but only at this point in their career. It's just... it's just lame. It's backpack rap for people who quote Rick & Morty watch FPS headshot compilation videos. The Mastodon of hip hop. All the clout and absolutely none of the cool.

THE WORLD IS BAD AND WE OUT HERE TELLIN YOU THAT. HATERS CAN GET FUCKED IN THE ASS, WE STILL THINK THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE CRITICISM SOMEHOW. COPS SUCK. BERNIE!

fucking hell

[alan nagsworth]

What?

[iamcoop]

I know what cha mean Nagsy. I fucking love RTJ but it's saccharine jump-up boom-bap. Which is great, and even better when you wanna go mental in a field. El will never make stuff like The Cold Vein or Cancer 4 Cure again though, at least not for a while but to echo what others have said I don't begrudge him having a bit of a rap star moment. I think he and Mike have earned it. Plus, ultimately it's just good energetic hip hop that bangs. Doesn't really need much further analysis.

[Schnapple]

Nags is me in this topic as I was to his recent outpouring of love for the recent, wallpaper backpackin' Caribou LP. Which also will sound undoubtedly great in a field somewhere.

[chveik]

there's nothing more flat than a Caribou LP.

[alan nagsworth]

there's nothing more flat than a Caribou LP.

Except your nuts when I curb stomp them shitz

Hey Killer Mike you can have that as a lyric if you want

[thugler]

Rtj when they're bad is pretty powerfully boring. But there's really only a handful of those tracks. El-p is capable of way more outlandish and esoteric production, but what he does on rtj records is so pure and does exactly what it's supposed to. It's them having fun, paying tribute to classic groups like run Dmc/epmd/public enemy and doing it pretty well for the most part. I think it's worth appreciating on that level at the very least. There's not much else in that vein these days. I don't think they realised for a moment on that first record how much that would strike a chord

[Non Stop Dancer]

Also, El's rapping is better than it's ever been since he hooked up with Mike.