Now some of you may have heard of Killer Mike as he worked closely with Big Boi of Outkast, and has also worked with Jay Z.He is known for an in your face, super lyrical, harsh style that leaves the audience no questions as to what he is saying. If Killer Mike were more popular, he could easily take down the career of many hugely popular artists, because of his style. The game is lucky that he hasn't hit mainstream America, because that could spell disaster for all the weak ass commercial rappers.
El is more recently known for his critically acclaimed album, Cancer 4 Cure. There is not a single person who has hear that album and disliked it. He is a leader is the experimental production movement, and makes some of the best beats I've ever heard. Seriously, we need more El on the airwaves this guys production is stupid good. As far as his rapping, he is the type of guy you need to listen closely to every word seven times over, and then check Rap Genius to see exactly how dope that line was.
I could go on all day about the two, but instead I'll review the album, because that's kinda what I do.
1. Run The Jewels
Fucking listen to this shit. Your life sucks if you don't. Mike and El come in both with a quick flow, and are both simply filling the song with as many lyrics as possible. This is the type of shit you have to look up to fully appreciate just how dope it is. The beat is very quick paced, drum heavy, and has a lot of cymbals. As the beat rides out it hits you with this really cool electronic sound which is awesome. You won't want to skip to the next song after the rhyming is done like you do on most projects, because this shit is fucking dope.
2. Banana Clippers (ft. Big Boi)
Remember how I lost my shit during the last rack at how good it was? Multiply that shit by four and we have Banana Clippers. Mike comes in with an impeccable flow, and each mc goes only a few bars at a time as they switch rapidly. The beat is a textbook experimental beat, and is incredible. Yeezus could have used El production, because he knows how to do it. The beat is layered with hard drums, multiple electric sounds that makes it sound incredible. Lyrically Mike is out of his mind. starting with the African elephant line (Mike is fat as fuck) I just can't get enough of this track. Big Boi closes the song out with a great verse, but comes out as the weakest player on the track. You hear that, a member of Outkast is the weak link on the track.
3. 36" CHain
The video for this track is hilarious. Some guys kidnap Killums, who seems to be a stuffed animal sheep. The outstanding sound in the beat gives the song a techno vibe that is really cool, so the production continues to be some of the best I've heard in years. This song is lyrically just the two mcs flexing and bragging about how great they are and bad everyone else is, which at this point is completely true. The song is dope, but I can't get over the video. At the end it turned out Killums had not been kidnapped,but staging a surprise party for the two. Unfortunately, they had already brutally murdered all the guests while looking for Killums. But in the end all is well as they laugh it off.
4. DDFH
Do Dope Fuck Hoes is a much more lyrical song than the title would entail. The beat has some banging drums, complemented by an electric guitar sound which sounds dope. Mike delivers an incredible verse that has nothing to do with the hook, in a good way. The line that ends with,"and now you're understanding the definition of Brooklyn," which I find really cool. El is also on point lyrically as well with a couple of really dope lines. However, I can't see a mainstream audience falling in love with El, because the general population is not intelligent enough to keep up with the lyrics. That is a compliment to El's ability in case you were wondering.
5. Sea legs
The beat does a great job of building this song up as deeper lyrically than the previous tracks, which is exactly the case. El leads off the track with his best verse on the album. This is the first track in my opinion that the lyrics out shined the instrumental completely. Which speaks more towards how good the rhyming is, because the instrumental is still great. El does nothing less than dazzle me lyrically. I feel like every time I hear this track I understand another line. One line that sticks out from the song is courtesy of El when he says, " Try to pet my fucking head again and imma put a tooth through the flesh of the palm that you jack with." If you don't get it, look is up. The lines that Mike has about rifling down idols, rappers in Paris, and having no respect for thrones, leads to me that Jay and Kanye have not impressed him as of late. Dope track, and somehow this album continues to top itself.
6. Job Well Done (ft. Until the Ribbon Breaks)
Wow this track fucking bangs. The drums are so intense, but the beat still maintains the originality that got El his fan base. Killer Mike bites your head off with his verse and kills it. The lines about Mike Tyson are incredibly clever and intense at the same time. As a rapper no one should ever fuck with Killer Mike, he is lyrically better than most rappers out, and definitely has more energy and intensity. El really looks weak on the track compared to Mike, as he just doesn't have the same intensity, although it is obvious he tried to. The guy on the hook is awesome, and truly makes this song incredible, but might want to consider a name change, as I don't see his current one catching on.
7. No Come Down
This is a great fucking beat. It is such a perfect mixture between a regular hip-hop beat, and the experimental style of El-P. The beat is really the highlight of the track, as both rappers are just average. When I say average, average for them is still really fucking sick, but they have set the standards so high on other tracks, that this stands out as average.
8. Get It
I hate to sound like I'm repeating myself, but here we have another great beat, that manages to sound different from the rest of the beats. This beat is a bit more electronic sounding than most of the others. The two rappers go back and forth with perfect timing, and switch offs. The new Avengers line by Mike is really cool, and the instrumental is probably my favorite on the entire album. The verses are both stellar, but not necessarily standouts among the others on the album.
9. Twin Hype (ft. Prince Paul)
All Prince Paul does is talk if you were wondering. The beat on this track has a lot going on. The noises somehow all match up perfectly, which I hardly am able to understand. What El has is a gift, and he deserves more recognition. Rhyme wise both are incredible, with Mike coming off as the better rapper in my opinion. The Prince Paul skits throughout the song are creepy, but I guess they add something to the track.
10. Christmas Fucking Miracle
Fuck everything. Fuck music. Fuck anything that has ever been not this song. Holy shit this track is incredible. And manages to top the album, yet again. The beat is a lot less intricate than some of the others, because the obvious focus is the amazing lyrical abilities of both rappers. El has such an uplifting verse, and is honestly one of the most inspiring things I have ever heard on a song. Lyrically his verse is one of the best things I have heard. Killer Mike has the last verse on the album, and it very well might be the best on the album. The lyrics are so deep and meaningful that anyone who has a problem with the subject matter in rap really needs to hear this song. The line about spelling America with the "triple K" is an awesome reference to Ice Cube. I honestly have a hard time not listening to this track multiple times every time a put it on. I feel like if I don't then I miss something, and just have to keep listening. I listen to this track every day, and will continue to for a long time.
Rating: 4.5/5
Call me crazy, but this is at least the rating I gave it, and much closer to a 5 than it is a 4. One of the most fantastic things about this album is that you can throw it on and listen to the whole thing in a single sitting, without feeling like any time has passed. It is short, but every track manages to pact such a punch that it satisfies a listener. Another great thing about this album is that it starts at a high point and continues going upward. There is not a boring beginning, midway slump, or filler ending. Every track is fantastic and unskippable. El has got to be one of the best, if not the best producer working right now, as his original sound is something fresh that hip-hop needs. It is like Death Grips, but with two traditional rappers, so that it appeals to all hip-hop heads. I cannot imagine anyone not loving this project, and it is by far my favorite of the year. It is a free digital lp, so you not getting it is just a slap in the face to the entire genre. Please support real hop-hop and download this, you won't regret it.