Biography
What began as a solitary collaboration soon blossomed into a Grammy-nominated hip-hop super duo known as Run the Jewels, uniting Brooklyn rapper/producer El-P with Atlanta emcee Killer Mike. Over pounding rhythms and brooding production, the two deliver sharp, frequently sardonic verses that confront social concerns, mortality, and boastful bravado. After the widely praised underground success of their 2013 debut Run the Jewels, the 2014 follow-up Run the Jewels 2 propelled them into mainstream visibility and their initial Billboard 200 entry. Their 2016 release Run the Jewels 3 claimed the top spot on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop chart, elevating the pair to prominent live draws for rap and alternative rock audiences alike. RTJ4 reached the Top Ten in both the U.S. and the U.K. during 2020, while the 2022 remix project RTJ CU4TRO reworked the same material alongside numerous Latin American musicians.
The partnership originated when El-P handled production for Killer Mike’s 2012 album R.A.P. Music, leading to the Fool’s Gold-issued debut Run the Jewels that swiftly attracted widespread notice despite its underground roots. The 2014 album Run the Jewels 2 introduced guest contributions from Boots, Travis Barker, Gangsta Boo, and Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha, whose vocals powered the single “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck).” In 2015 a fan-funded remix edition titled Meow the Jewels substituted feline vocal samples throughout, incorporating appearances by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, Dan the Automator, and Internet cat sensation Lil Bub. Closing that year, the Adult Swim label issued the standalone track “Rubble Kings (Dynamite on the Street).”
Although RTJ3 had been slated for early 2017, the duo surprise-dropped the project as a free download on Christmas Eve 2016. The set included contributions from Joi, Trina, Boots, Danny Brown, Tunde Adebimpe, Kamasi Washington, and the returning Zack de la Rocha, entering the Billboard Top 20 while topping both the Rap and R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Extensive touring followed, encompassing major festival bills worldwide and support slots on pop star Lorde’s 2018 Melodrama World Tour. Additional recordings included the Grammy-nominated Best Rap Song “Chase Me,” a collaboration with Danger Mouse and Big Boi; the Venom soundtrack cut “Let’s Go (The Royal We)”; and guest vocals on DJ Shadow’s “Kings & Queens.”
A fresh chapter opened with Run the Jewels 4, released in June 2020 amid pandemic disruptions that delayed a planned world tour alongside Rage Against the Machine and amid nationwide protests against police brutality. That album featured Greg Nice, DJ Premier, 2 Chainz, Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, Josh Homme, and yet another de la Rocha appearance, securing the duo’s first Top Ten placements in the U.S., Canada, England, and Ireland. In 2022 the remix album RTJ CU4TRO arrived, spotlighting Latinx artists such as Bomba Estéreo, Toy Selectah, Lido Pimienta, and Lin-Manuel Miranda reinterpreting the RTJ4 tracks.
The partnership originated when El-P handled production for Killer Mike’s 2012 album R.A.P. Music, leading to the Fool’s Gold-issued debut Run the Jewels that swiftly attracted widespread notice despite its underground roots. The 2014 album Run the Jewels 2 introduced guest contributions from Boots, Travis Barker, Gangsta Boo, and Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha, whose vocals powered the single “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck).” In 2015 a fan-funded remix edition titled Meow the Jewels substituted feline vocal samples throughout, incorporating appearances by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, Dan the Automator, and Internet cat sensation Lil Bub. Closing that year, the Adult Swim label issued the standalone track “Rubble Kings (Dynamite on the Street).”
Although RTJ3 had been slated for early 2017, the duo surprise-dropped the project as a free download on Christmas Eve 2016. The set included contributions from Joi, Trina, Boots, Danny Brown, Tunde Adebimpe, Kamasi Washington, and the returning Zack de la Rocha, entering the Billboard Top 20 while topping both the Rap and R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Extensive touring followed, encompassing major festival bills worldwide and support slots on pop star Lorde’s 2018 Melodrama World Tour. Additional recordings included the Grammy-nominated Best Rap Song “Chase Me,” a collaboration with Danger Mouse and Big Boi; the Venom soundtrack cut “Let’s Go (The Royal We)”; and guest vocals on DJ Shadow’s “Kings & Queens.”
A fresh chapter opened with Run the Jewels 4, released in June 2020 amid pandemic disruptions that delayed a planned world tour alongside Rage Against the Machine and amid nationwide protests against police brutality. That album featured Greg Nice, DJ Premier, 2 Chainz, Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, Josh Homme, and yet another de la Rocha appearance, securing the duo’s first Top Ten placements in the U.S., Canada, England, and Ireland. In 2022 the remix album RTJ CU4TRO arrived, spotlighting Latinx artists such as Bomba Estéreo, Toy Selectah, Lido Pimienta, and Lin-Manuel Miranda reinterpreting the RTJ4 tracks.
Albums
Singles
caminando en la nieve (Orestes Gomez & Nick Hook’s Versión)
2022
Opening Theme (From "Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm")
2022
ooh la la (Remix)
2021
ooh la la (Mexican Institute Of Sound Versión)
2021
JU$T (What So Not Remix)
2021
the ground below (Royal Jewels Mix)
2020
No Save Point (From “Cyberpunk 2077”)
2020
yankee and the brave (ep. 4)
2020
Nobody Speak - Single
2016