Review: "Run the Jewels 2" is a Savage, Chaotic Masterpiece

Killer Mike and El-P first joint project was Mike's album R.A.P. Music, which was entirely produced by El-P. Last year, the duo released the free album Run The Jewels under the moniker of the same name. The album featured rapid flows, political and social issues, ferocious rhymes, and was met with immense praise. Well a few days ago, the duo released the sequel Run The Jewels 2 and it's amazing.

After signing to Mass Appeal Records earlier this year, Run The Jewels announced the release date of Run the Jewels 2 to be October 27, but they surprisingly released it on October 24 instead. The album can be purchased online and in CD format, but is also available for free download on their website, but the iTunes version contains the track "Blockbuster Night Pt. II".

Run The Jewels 2 blends elements of humor, anger, political commentary, and threats through an archaic delivery over bombastic beats courtesy of El-P. There is, and probably will be nothing like Run The Jewels. The sequel takes all of the great elements of Run The Jewels and elevates them. Killer Mike and El-P are open with how they would be more than happy to beat the living hell out every "fuck boy" in existence, with smiles on their faces. The album opens up with Killer Mike shouting that he "FINNA BANG THIS BITCH THE FUCK OUT". This album is chock-full of incredible lyrics, from "Jeopardy" where Mike spits "Fuck you fuckboys forever, I hope I said it politely/ and that's about the psyche of Jamie and Mickey" to "Oh My Darling, Don't Cry", where El-P tells his critics that they "can all run backwards through a field of dicks", or on "All Due Respect", where El-P tells you that your parent's separation is all your fault, and then Killer Mike jumps in to say that he's "gotta go bang out mom and auntie". What's so splendid about Run The Jewels 2 is that while the duo spit out insanely aggressive lyrics, they deliver them in a way that show that they are just having fun on this album.

The album isn't just savage lyricism. On the track "Love Again (Akinyele Back)", Killer Mike and El-P craft a sexually explicit song so raunchy it rivals "I Will" for the Nastiest Song Ever Made, with the help of former Three-Six-Mafia member Gangsta Boo. On "Early" (featuring Boots, the guy who produced almost all of Beyonce)  Killer Mike portrays a scenario where overzealous police officers arrest Mike over a little weed in front of his entire family, and all hell breaks loose. And on "Crown", Mike again details a story about how he used to sell crack to a pregnant woman. This poignant storytelling, in addition to the fierce rhymes, create an album that will make you want to destroy your annoying neighbor's car, and then volunteer at a soup kitchen for the rest of the day. Run The Jewels 2 is undoubtedly in the running for the best album of the year.