Rap music is about two things, lyrics and beats. Take either away and you’ve got poetry slam or bass music, neither of which I’m very fond of. So it’s a testament to El-P’s production that last night’s show worked despite the sound problems. Killer Mike and El-P are both hip-hop powerhouses in their own right, but when they team up on a stage, they are the undisputed champions of the game. I’ve seen El-P quite a few times, including a show in which he and Killer Mike both performed solo sets before coming out for a joint Run The Jewels performance in support of their first album together, and while he’s never been disappointing, I didn’t know what was missing until he had Mike by his side. It’s my opinion that both R.A.P. Music and Cancer 4 Cure are better than either of the Run The Jewels albums, but when it comes to throwing it all down in a club, Killer Mike + El-P = something greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s how it was when they took the stage to Queen’s “We Are the Champions” at the Gothic Theatre last night.
“We’re going to burn this motherfucking club to the ground!”
Unfortunately, once the bass threatened to literally make good on Killer Mike’s threat, the emcees were barely comprehendible. The mix was a little better after their self-titled banger, but the vocals were buried under El-P’s enormous beats through the entire set. Sound problems weren’t enough to stop The Jewels though. Equal parts enthusiasm, humor and crowd participation made the lack of clear vocals irrelevant to the level of enjoyment shared by those on and off the stage. The set consisted of almost entirely RTJ’s material, with only a single solo track thrown in…which just happened to be “Tougher Colder Killer”, a track from Cancer 4 Cure in which Killer Mike guests. The audience knew every word to every song, so the collective voice more than made up for what was lacking on the mic. The energy in the room became so powerful that it sparked a pit and crowd surfing; something pretty rare at a hip-hop show.
Both El-P and Killer Mike present themselves as some hardcore motherfuckers on wax, but they almost become a parody of themselves when on the stage. At one point El-P described performing in Denver as “training for marathon that ends in marijuana and alcohol”. And when giving a lesson on how to be like them, Killer Mike said the first step was to “get a really big tan and eat a lot”. After my least favorite song, “Love Again”, El-P admitted the ridiculousness of the 2 Live Crew-like sex rap by saying “that’s right, we wrote that song, we don’t give a fuck”. It was awesome to see those guys up there, having a great time together, and not taking themselves too seriously.
The main set latest exactly one hour and ended with “A Christmas Fucking Miracle”. It covered most of the material from their two collaborative albums, but there was one crucial exception, “Angel Duster”. That track from RTJ2 came as an encore, ending things on a positive note as everyone sang along…
“A little toast to the no ones
With a nod to the masters
To the ones with the riches
From the ones who the rags fit
A little smoke for the gone boys
A little nod to the spirits
We’re still here runnin’ round screaming
They’re still here pointing and laughin’”
Run The Jewels dealt with their sound problems by pretending they weren’t happening. They just high-fived each other and ran around the stage like little boys who just realized that girls are attracted to those who are having the most fun. They didn’t have to sound perfect. They didn’t need to be pretty. They just needed to provide the beats, the energy and the space for everyone to pretend they were walking around 12” dicks and 36” chains.
Setlist:
Run the Jewels
Oh My Darling Don’t Cry
Blockbuster Night Part 1
Banana Clipper
36″ Chain
DDFH
Sea Legs
Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
Tougher Colder Killer
Lie, Cheat, Steal
Pew Pew Pew
Early
All Due Respect
Love Again (Akinyele Back)
Get It
A Christmas Fucking Miracle
Angel Duster
