It was slated to drop on January 13th of next year, but Killer Mike and El-P have delivered a Christmas present for Run The Jewels fans, releasing their third installment of the Run The Jewels series late Saturday night. RTJ3 had big shoes to fill, as RTJ2 was one of the hottest albums of 2014, and they delivered. The album contains a few singles we have already heard from the duo: “Talk to Me,” “Legend Has It,“ “2100,” and “Panther Like a Panther.” Every aspect of this album has been developed meticulously, and the attention to detail does not go unnoticed in this project. From the production to the lyricism to the guest appearances, Run The Jewels have delivered another stellar project for fans to enjoy during the holidays.

After an incredibly tumultuous year, Mike and El have a lot on their minds, and they are not afraid to say it. The album begins with Down, a melodious track with a some help from Joi on the hook. This song introduces RTJ3 perfectly, calling back to the old lives of Killer Mike and El-P. The production on this song is phenomenal, with soft, dark instrumentals and an upbeat tempo. The song encapsulates the essence of what Run The Jewels stands for, and it gets listeners on their way for a wonderful 51 minutes of music. The intro transitions into Talk to Me, another standout song from the project. With comparisons of Donald Trump to Satan and verbal abuse of the “All Lives Matter” movement, Killer Mike’s verse is as politically charged as ever. El-P does his thing as well, putting together all the pieces for one of the best tracks RTJ has ever created.

“I told y’all suckers, I told y’all suckers! I told y’all on RTJ1, then I told ya again on RTJ2, and you still ain’t believe me. So here we go, RTJ3.”

One of my personal favorite tracks from the album is 2100, a song that RTJ weren’t planning on releasing as a single, but, the day after the infamous 2016 Presidential Election, “it feels right, now,” according to Jaime and Mike. The song, like many of Run The Jewels’ work, is very politically motivated. Mike and El both deliver stellar verses over wonderful (as usual) production from El-P, and BOOTS comes in with a beautiful hook. A major theme of the song is holding on to hope in dire times, so it would make sense that the duo saw it fit to release it the day after the election.

Another excellent track from RTJ3 is Thursday in the Danger Room, and it may very well be the most powerful track El and Mike have ever created. In addition to two touching verses from these two artists, Kamasi Washington fills the instrumental void with a smooth saxophone solo. In it, El-P tells the story of a friend lost to some sort of illness, and Killer Mike raps of his friend who was murdered for his chain. The in-depth lyricism and powerful production leave listeners scrambling for the repeat button. In the two-parted final track of the album, A Report to the Shareholders / Kill Your Masters, RTJ team up with Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine to send the album off on a perfect note. As the name suggests, Killer Mike and El-P are ready to rise up and kill their masters through their music. Their way of revolting against society is to continue making hard-hitting music with the goal of becoming “millionaires.” Run The Jewels could not have picked a better artist to spit the last verse on the album, as de la Rocha delivers some of the best bars on the project. His anger at society comes through clear as day, and Zach lets us know: “We ain’t at your service, won’t stay sedated / Won’t state our numbers for names and remain faceless / We dignified, they can’t erase us.”

Each and every song on the album ends with a perfect transition into the next track; RTJ3 can be listened to as a cohesive album rather than a compilation of songs. Killer Mike and El-P have proven, through their third project together, that they are nothing if not incredibly consistent. Not a single track on the album felt out of place or thrown in at the last minute; the attention to detail on the project is second to none. This album is the culmination of years of frustration with society, and the dynamic duo have encapsulated their feelings in the form of Run The Jewels 3.

9/10