Since 2012, Run The Jewels has been hip-hop’s surprise powerhouse. Constantly exceeding expectations, Killer Mike and El-P have proven time and time again that they are indeed dope, and only getting better. With the release of their uncompromising spit-in-your face follow-up album Run The Jewels 2, they have solidified themselves as a force to be reckoned in the rap game.

Run The Jewels consists of two emcees. Company Flow alumni EL-P, who’s steady skills have earned him the titles of rapper, producer, and CEO throughout his solo career since the early 2000s. His partner, ATAlein Killer Mike  has been holding it down ever since his start with a free-styled feature on Outkast’s classic album Stankonia.

First collaborating in 2012 on Mike’s R.A.P Music record, the two wasted no time announcing the release of a joint-project together entitled Run The Jewels for free digital download. The release gained a lot more attention than either of them had initially thought, flinging them both into a whirl-wind of touring and press, leading to the creation of their follow-up release, Run The Jewels 2.

Darker and more confrontational than their previous release, this album expands on what’s expected of RTJ while giving us more jewels to explore. Tracks like “All Due Respect,” featuring Travis Barker, and “Blockbuster Night Part 1” still deliver the oh-so-fun, absurdist, braggadocio verses that keep the sensors reeling. Tracks “All My Life,” “Early,” featuring BOOTS, and “Crown,” featuring Diane Coffee explore topics of violence, regret, and frustration with the status quo–presenting a more intimate and urgent perspective than their previous release. Through their time together, Killer Mike and El-P have learned to embrace one another’s strengths while staying true to their own styles.

This chemistry is emboldened by El-P’s fantastic reactionary build-up/knock-down production. Provoking each emcee until the track mushrooms into a dangerous amount of sound. The best example of this is on the single “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry”. A trap-fruit salad that escapes from underneath the deep bass blanket just in time for Killer Mike’s second verse to smack it back into submission. EL-P’s choice to not only step up the intensity, but also the responsiveness within these tracks, keeps the album interesting, giving the rappers more freedom to switch up their styles within each track.

Mastering their voice as a group,  RTJ to choose the perfect features to compliment each track. The most surprising being “Close Your Eyes (And Count To F***)” features a hook and verse from Zack De La Rocha of Rage Against the Machine. Merciless and compulsive, this track leaves you incapable to believe that such a wonderful collaboration did not happen sooner.

With this successful release, the unlikely partnership of Killer Mike and El-P has continued to give the music world nothing but good things. With another tour started, the promise of a Run the Jewels 3, and the internet’s wet dream, Meow the Jewels, is actually happening next year. Run the Jewels 2 is just the beginning of what is sure to be the year of the Jewels.

RATING: 9/10

TOP TRACKS:

“OH MY DARLING DON’T CRY”

“LIE, CHEAT, STEAL”

The post Album Review: Run The Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Last Tuesday, KRUI caught up with Jocey Coffman: a Junior double-majoring in Theater and Communication studies who is also on track to receive a writing certificate. Jocey is one of the team captains for the improv group Paperback Rhino (PBR).

Paperback Rhino was founded in 2003 in the Iowa City area, and has been run by U of I students ever since. Performing a mix of short and long forms of improv, a PBR show always offers a great variety of comedy scenes.

While they may be the oldest improv group on campus, Jocey told KRUI that the group has really changed dramatically in the past four years: “The year I tried out (2012), they were only doing one style of long form improv, the Harold. Not that this was a bad thing, but I think we really have become more committed to becoming better improvisers”.

This new level of commitment has led the group into improv competitions. Just last year, PBR placed fifth nationally in the College Improv Tournament. Something that Coffman is proud of, but doesn’t really see as PBR’s top priority: “We all want to try new things and get better, but I think we really want to offer ourselves to the community”.

With the formation of two new improv groups (Janice and The Great White Narcs) in the past year, giving back seems to be getting easier. With the possibility of even more improv teams in the future, Coffman is excited to see what they can all accomplish: “PBR can’t be a team of sixty, so seeing the new groups form up last year, especially as someone who didn’t make the team my first year, is really exciting. Now anyone who wants to improvise can find an outlet. It allows us to be more specific in what our team means”.

“All of us are independent of the University” Coffman said, “So if more groups form, it kind of becomes this strength in numbers kind of thing”.Members from the three groups have formed the Iowa City Improv Collective Booking Club (ICICBC for short) with the hopes of involving more of the community than just active performers. Coffman believes that this could help bring more people to Iowa City for improv and other comedy shows: “Honestly my first year I just went to the shows because I wanted to be friends with the people” Coffman said, “It’s just a cool group”.

Students will get a chance to see all three Improv groups perform with their new members at the Old Brick this Thursday, October 9th, at 10 PM. “This show gives kids a chance to see improv that isn’t just Whose Line is it Anyway” Coffman said, “My goal is to create that same feeling that I felt when I first saw improv. To see what we do, and have it take their breathe away”.

Doors for this free CAB event open up at 9 PM, and show starts at 10 PM.

To stay updated on future PBR events, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

The post Comic Relief: Jocey Coffman of Paperback Rhino appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The highly anticipated collaborative project between Alternative-Rap Enigma MF DOOM and underground talk-about Bishop Nehru, NehruvianDOOM, is now being previewed on Pitchfork’s website until it’s release on October 6th.

Nehru, now 18, has been buzzed about in the Hip-Hop community since the release of his two mixtapes, Nehruvia and StrictlyFlowz, when he was only 15. The Rockland County resident gained even more acclaim when he was booked as an opening act for The Wu-Tang Klan on their 2013 European tour.

Nehru got on everyone’s radar when he announced in August 2013 that he would be collaborating with the infamous MF DOOM for his next project. From the get-go, fans doubted that this project would ever actually materialize, considering the spotty history of DOOM, and the fact that Nehru was so young. Lucky for us, it did.

With his first two mixtapes, fans were quick to compare young Nehru to the XXL freshman Joey Bada$$. Specifically the flow and production styles included on his debut mixtape: 1999. If you listen to the tapes back to back, you can clearly hear the similarities: the rappers have near-identical sounding vocals as well as a shared fondness for jazz instrumentals and popular tracks produced by MF DOOM and J Dilla. These similarities left some doubting Nehru’s skills as an MC.

Whether intentional or coincidental, the similarities between the two young rappers have dwindled since the release of their new material. Bada$$, having seven mixtapes and plenty of features under his belt, Joey has evolved his smoother delivery into a gruffer boom-bap grunt reminiscent of groups like Heltah Skelta and Black Moon for his upcoming debut album: B4.DA.$$. While Nehru has kept to his initial stylistic approach for NehruvainDOOM.

Eastern philosophies and the concept of meditation are the backdrop for this album. Kicking off with different people discussing the Om chant behind a colorful instrumental, the album retreats back to these ideas throughout. Making the album a focused cohesive piece.

For such a young voice, Nehru is incredibly grounded. His perspective often sounds like a seasoned veteran rather than a hungry come-up. Covering topics about his work ethic, the loneliness that comes with it, the dissatisfaction with his peers, and his hunger for greatness, Nehru uses the album to prove that he is an artist that should be taken seriously. His voice does sound flat in some places, but for the most part, DOOM’s production fills in the space where Nehru otherwise might sound dull.

DOOM’s production, sounding fuller and more polished compared to his earlier Metal Finger beats, work well with Bishop’s delivery. Unlike his last project collaborative project Keys to the Kuffs, Metal face makes himself scarce on the album. Only appearing on the hook for “Om” and throwing in great verses for the tracks “Caskets”, “Great Things”, and “Disastrous”. 

While not the all-time top rap album of the year, this release should reassure fans that Nehru is pure potential. His voice and delivery may fall flat at times, but the lyricism is sharp and focused. Considering that the young MC is only 18 and he’s already garnished the respect from the likes of DOOM, Kendrick Lamar, and The Wu Tang Klan, it’s hard not to get excited about what the future holds for this kid.

RATING = (7/10)

TOP TRACKS:

“CASKETS”

“DARKNESS (HBU)”

Watch the music video, directed by Nehru, here:

The post Album Review: NehruvianDOOM by Bishop Nehru appeared first on KRUI Radio.