Run The Jewels

Run the Jewels built its reputation on a partnership between two established rap figures: Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta rapper Killer Mike. Also known as RTJ, the American hip-hop superduo paired El-P’s production and rapping with Killer Mike’s forceful delivery, creating a project rooted in underground, alternative, hardcore, and political rap.

The pair first worked together on Killer Mike’s 2012 album R.A.P. Music, which El-P produced. They formally launched Run the Jewels the following year with the self-titled Run the Jewels, released as a free download in 2013 to critical acclaim. The group followed it with Run the Jewels 2 in 2014, Run the Jewels 3 in 2016, and RTJ4 in 2020. Each album was released for free and received critical acclaim.

In 2014, the duo also turned Run the Jewels 2 into Meow the Jewels, a remix project built around cat sounds. The release grew from a Kickstarter campaign whose proceeds went to charity, and it was made available for free as well as pressed on vinyl. The project’s alternate name, Meow The Jewels, remains part of the duo’s catalog alongside RTJ.