There's a new Run The Jewels song out. It doesn't have any cat sounds, but it's still one of the best new hip-hop tracks I've heard in months.
Hugely respected solo artists in their own rights, Brooklyn's El-P and Atlanta's Killer Mike set off a fiery, explosive reaction when they combined forces to create Run The Jewels. It's been nearly exactly a year since their acclaimed second album Run The Jewels 2 came out (my personal pick for album of the year 2014, by the way), and while the pair have told fans that a new album won't be out until 2016, "Rubble Kings Theme" (Dynamite) is a welcome, much-needed RTJ fix.
The track has two purposes: not only has it been released as part of the Adult Swim singles series (previously, we've seen new tracks from DOOMSTARKS, Danny Brown, Chromatics, and plenty more), but it will also be featured on the soundtrack to upcoming documentary Rubble Kings, about the emergence of hip-hop in New York throughout the '60s and '70s. Watch the trailer here.
The scorching track is anchored by a slow and deliberate beat, with a grimy rhythm furiously bubbling and boiling beneath Mike and El's verses, captivating in their own unique ways. As always, El-P's killer production is such a huge part of what sets RTJ above so many other hip-hop groups. Experimental and futuristic, his frantic instrumentals are tense, exciting, and powerful.
Next week is the final week of the 2015 Adult Swim singles series -- keep an eye out, the featured artist is still a mystery.
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