Run The Jewels Run The Jewels 3 2LP (Opaque Gold Vinyl)

Run the Jewels - hip-hop's preeminent collaboration between veteran rhyme-slayers El-P and Killer Mike - have gone from a whim-driven underground rap project to a worldwide sensation since the release of their 2013 debut, Run The Jewels. Mixing the industrial grime of New York City with the vibrant bounce of the dirty South, they forge hip-hop's future while adhering to the core tenets of its bedrock: gymnastic displays of skills, incendiary political rhetoric, merciless braggadocio, battle-honed assholery, R-rated punchlines and a back-and-forth that brings the interplay of the shell-toe Adidas era screaming into our contemporary nightmare.

RTJ3, the third outing by the firebrand rap duo of Killer Mike and El-P, features a cadre of talented guest performers, including Zack de la Rocha, Danny Brown, Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Kamasi Washington, and more. The album is "essentially the Run the Jewels manifesto, an outpouring of rage and defiance that never loses sight of the objectives: rallying the troops, holding all accountable, and toppling oppression." (Pitchfork) Released on Christmas Day 2016, the album charted in 11 countries, with its breakout hit from the album, "Legend Has It," being featured in the Super Bowl advertisement for the global blockbuster feature film Black Panther. Embraced by fans and critics alike, it's received praise for its near-perfect execution, as well as its sharp, visceral observations, blistering beats and superb guest artists, cementing RTJ as one of the most important artists of its era.

Titanic rap duo Run the Jewels returned with their third self-titled effort... El-P and Killer Mike managed to deliver a collection even more satisfying than 2015's sophomore installment. Whereas RTJ2 was the sound of multiple slugs to the chest, RTJ3 is as streamlined and focused as a laser blast between the eyes. Furious and hungry - with endlessly quotable lyrical zingers to spare - RTJ3's potency isn't as immediate as RTJ2. However, once it digs its claws in, RTJ3 reveals itself as their best work to date. The interplay between Mike and El remains the main draw, their chemistry elevating them above most contemporaries as they bounce back and forth on agile verses packed with enough outrageous boasts to fill a how-to guide on making more prudish listeners blush.... In short, RTJ3 is near perfect in its execution. They're so good at this that it seems almost unfair in its effortlessness.