Christmas 2016 was a pretty great day for hip-hop. Why? Run The Jewels dropped a project to rock out to, with the release of Run The Jewels 3. Killer Mike and EL-P have yet to disappoint when they come together and not-so-randomly put out their 4th quarter gems.

The third “RTJ” installment is no different as they cover all the real issues in life, and the people it affects most with their release of Run The Jewels 3. Unlike the previous installments, RTJ3 has a smoother groove to it. It’s not as hard and in-your-face as the others, but it still gives you that feeling. This feels more musical with an added revolutionary edge.

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Album Highlights:

“Down” kicks off the album and gives you a smooth groove and a song that is going to shut it down at every upcoming festival in 2017

“Call Ticketron” –  A very dope RTJ song. El and Mike get busy on this one.

“Hey Kids” –  I always love hearing Danny Brown on a track. This is a great mesh of styles on a beat that fits everyone perfectly.

“Oh Mama” – A clever and catchy ode to the worried mothers whose sons venture out into this world to become men and f**k up in the process.

“2100” – It’s a lot of our true feelings about war, the election, and what we need to do next. BOOTS is on the hook. You’re going to repeat this one.

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“A Report to Shareholders/Kill Your Masters” – My favorite part of the whole project is when the beat switches up. “Kill Your Masters” is super dope and Zack De La Rocha gets busy with the bars on this one!

On the surface you may think that Trina doesn’t belong anywhere near an RTJ project. But, let’s never forget that Killer Mike and Trina can create dope music moments. “Panther Like A Panther” is one of those moments.

Does RTJ put out great records? Yes! This is hip-hop at it’s core. Dope beats, dope rhymes, nice flows, and songs you can’t wait to see performed live. Definitely a great album to close out the year that was 2016. The generation that has inherited the United States of “AmeriKKKa” now has a soundtrack. Run The Jewels is just that.

And now, it’s time for the RTJ Cult to tell you this is hands down album of the year; Have a safe and Happy New Year! See y’all 2017!