By Peter Thomas Ricci<\/p>\n
In his acclaimed book Democracy Matters<\/i>, professor and activist Cornel West offered a passionate defense of the democratic importance of hip hop, and how the art form was, from its beginning, a check on the political system.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts originating impulse was a fierce disgust with the hypocrisies of adult culture \u2013 disgust with the selfishness, capitalist callousness, and xenophobia of the culture of adults,\u201d West wrote. \u201cThe political giants of hip hop all expressed and continue to express \u2026 righteous indignation at the dogmas and nihilism of imperial America.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his analysis, West cited artists from hip hop\u2019s Golden Age \u2013 KRS-ONE, Public Enemy, and most recently, Outkast \u2013 but the fundamentals he wrote about in 2005 were on urgent display Friday night at the Aragon, where Run the Jewels delivered a barn-burning concert that captured the very essence of hip hop.<\/p>\n
Those qualities were apparent from the show\u2019s opening seconds. Entering the stage unpretentiously and wearing modest black garb, the hip hop duo (composed of producer\/rapper El-P and MC extraordinaire Killer Mike), immediately launched into \u201cTalk to Me,\u201d the first single off their new album \u2018RTJ3.\u2019 Rhyming with remarkable dexterity and fluidity, Mike rapped, \u201cOn the radio, heard a plane hijack \/ Government did that like they cooked crack \/ I move in a world of conspiracies \/ Obey no rules, I\u2019m doing me,\u201d to which El-P responded in his verse, \u201cBrave men didn\u2019t die face down in the Vietnam muck so I could not style on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that only served as the appetizer. For the ensuing 70 minutes, Run the Jewels tore through its material with an intensity and focus that bordered on frightening, their rhymes complemented by airtight beats (which, thankfully, were mixed low enough so as not to overwhelm the voices) and some truly spectacular lighting \u2013 although lighting displays are expected at concerts, Run the Jewels took things a step further, using lighting as a subtle metaphor during their songs; for instance, amidst the lyrical assault of \u201cDon\u2019t Get Captured,\u201d in which El-P rhymes \u201cIs that blunt? \/ Oh well, hell, so\u2019s this boot \/ We Live to hear you say \u2018please don\u2019t shoot\u2019 \/ A pure delight, c\u2019mon make my night \/ When I file reports what\u2019s right\u2019s what I write,\u201d the lights behind the artists shined in the sharp blue and red of a police car, a metaphor that captured the \u201crighteous indignation\u201d of West\u2019s writing as purely as anything I\u2019ve ever seen at a hip hop show.<\/p>\n
As performers, Killer Mike and El-P are beyond reproach. Committed to their craft and remarkably respectful of their fanbase \u2013 multiple times, they thanked the more than 5,000 people in the audience for their attendance, and even urged the men to give female fans adequate space \u2013 it\u2019s a unique pleasure watching the two performers maneuver the stage, trade rhymes, and follow each other\u2019s cues. The very best live performances are the ones that offer freedom within form, and in this tour to support their third album, Run the Jewels have perfected that dynamic.<\/p>\n
I was also impressed, to a considerable degree, by El-P\u2019s rhyming and stage presence. Although I have long respected his producing chops (from \u201cCold Vein\u201d to \u201cRTJ3,\u201d his sound is immediately recognizable), I always felt that on record, El-P\u2019s MCing suffered by comparison to Killer Mike, who is as virtuosic as any rapper to ever pick up a microphone; in concert, though, El-P was every bit Mike\u2019s equal, effortlessly holding the rhythms down and driving the music forward.<\/p>\n
Finally, there was a moment during Run the Jewels\u2019 encore that encapsulated everything that makes the group so special. In an emotionally charged address to the audience, Killer Mike appealed to the audience to look around, acknowledge the differences and stories of the people around them, and unite behind a common cause. Growing up, Mike said, he had a decidedly different perspective, but it was the guidance of his mentor\/teacher Alice Mary Johnson who gave him a new view of the world. \u201cThat is why,\u201d he said, choking back tears, \u201cI am up here on this stage with my best friend, El-P.\u201d And that was something the whole audience could get behind.<\/p>\n
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For more info on Run the Jewels, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n