Run the Jewels presented Killer Mike and El-P as the underground, more experimental version of Watch the Throne. This may sound odd because Watch the Throne was a mostly mediocre project by Kanye West and Jay-Z, who are two talented and unapologetically commercial rappers. Not only is El-P's production style radically different than what is heard on Watch the Throne, but his entire ethos is also the antithesis of those rappers. Killer Mike and El-P were also comfortably much better rappers than Kanye West and Jay-Z in 2013. Looking at this from the other side, a Jay-Z or Kanye West fan who loved Watch the Throne could easily come to the conclusion that this comparison is meaningless because in 2013 these rappers were not half as well known as Kanye West or Jay-Z, and the beats throughout El-P's vast catalog can be quite off-putting to those who are exclusively fans of popular hip-hop.
It's obvious that Watch the Throne and Run The Jewels are from different universes, but a link can be found in the content and attitude of the albums. As can be heard on Watch the Throne, on Run the Jewels Killer Mike and El-P completely embrace their braggadocio side. Of course, we are talking about two distinct types of bragging here, one being more rooted in money, fame, and skill and the other trading money and fame for outlandish situations and the pride of musical independence. Like Kanye West and Jay-Z, Run the Jewels is a group of two good friends trading verses who at times seem to be trying to out-rap each other, even though Watch the Throne seems to be more a celebration of status than skill. Finally, on both albums, all or most (Kanye didn't do all of Watch the Throne) of the instrumentals were handled by one of the rappers (El-P produced all of Run the Jewels). All of these similarities are a bit ironic considering that there are what could be interpreted as direct shots at Watch the Throne on "Sea Legs" as Killer Mike raps "There will be no respect for the thrones....Niggas will perish in Paris".
What made Watch the Throne a failure was not the content. It was a combination of some surprisingly lackluster production and that Kanye West and Jay-Z were not good enough emcees from a technical perspective to be able to brag for an entire album and make it interesting or impressive. Both rappers are important figures in hip-hop and have released classic records, but Watch the Throne came off feeling like something that should have been done in the mid to late 2000s. The name Watch the Throne implies something that should stop the listener in their tracks, something that should make other rappers take notes. It didn't sound like that, but Run the Jewels is so good that if Killer Mike and El-P had been cocky enough to name their album that, it really wouldn't have mattered.
Run the Jewels is a triumph of music that is, at the end of the day, not that deep. Some underground hip-hop fans tend to criticize the lack of depth in much of mainstream hip-hop. However, Run the Jewels offers a counter in that one could make a valid argument that a lot of great hip-hop records were not exactly layered content-wise. Some of these albums, like the stunning first wave of Boot Camp Clik albums for example (Heltah Skeltah's Nocturnal, Black Moon's Enta da Stage, etc.), were exemplary albums performed by emcees who were just at a high level with their craft and meshed perfectly with the beats. Emcees with the technical skills to make pretty much anything interesting. Those essential Boot Camp Clik records mostly contain lyrics with the rappers bragging or dissing people, but above all, great beats and rhymes are crucial in rap. This is why people like the Clipse could make entire albums about nothing but selling coke, and it would still be of high quality.
Run the Jewels does not have any introspective or political tracks like "Reagan" (R.A.P. Music) or "$ VIC / FTL (Me and You)" (Cancer 4 Cure). The album is about 33 minutes of hard-hitting, bass-powered adrenaline. Nothing but bangers. Run the Jewels think they are the shit and they have made this record to tell everyone why. It's incredible that this album works so well, considering any listen to El-P and Killer Mike's work before R.A.P. Music shows that the artists operated on two completely different planes of hip-hop. Anyone that has listened to both Fantastic Damage and I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II that says that they expected this to sound so seamless is probably lying.
El-P's production is influenced by the loud aggressive nature of the Bomb Squad (Public Enemy). El-P's beats are unique and have been described in many ways, such as "experimental hip-hop", "abstract hip-hop" and even "space-funk". On Cancer 4 Cure and R.A.P. Music, listeners heard two sides of El-P. The El-P who produces more abstract beats for himself and the El-P who produces for Killer Mike, which is, for lack of better words, the Brooklyn rapper's unique take on southern hip-hop. The beats of Run the Jewels are a mixture of those two styles, full of loud synths, bass, and drums. The opening track sets the tone for the entire album - Run the Jewels hits you in the face like a M.O.P. classic.
Thankfully, the emcees are just as good as the production. The notable difference in rapping styles creates a very interesting dynamic. El-P is more alien. Even though his style is less abstract now, ever since his Company Flow days, his rapping has often revealed more depth upon repeated listens in both content and structure. The way he switches up his flow on one of the weirdest songs here, "Twin Hype", is very impressive. His wordplay is strong and the timing of his rhymes has always been a bit unorthodox. Conversely, Killer Mike is definitely the more "accessible" rapper - the everyman. It's easy to see why many may prefer Killer Mike, as his rhyme schemes and flow are often more direct and conventional. The Atlanta rapper is captivating throughout Run the Jewels. He really shines when he gets aggressive and he is never anything but aggressive here. The way he powers through the first verse of "Get It" is one of the album's many peaks.
This is music that will make listeners get in the car, put the windows down, and blast it at an absurdly high volume. The short length is welcome - it's all killer, no filler. While it's lack of conceptual depth makes it ultimately marginally less impactful than R.A.P. Music, the quality of Run the Jewels is definitely hovering around the same level of top-notch hip-hop. More importantly, it's extremely fun to listen to.
