According to El-P on Saturday night, check there are five things that connect all of us: We lie, sale cheat, purchase steal, kill, and win. Thus the gospel was spoken on at The Sinclair, and we received the word as the apostles of Run the Jewels. The Killer Mike/El-P team-up has enjoyed a meteoric rise since dropping their eponymous debut in 2013. Through a sound that doesn’t eschew depth for their signature grit, they’ve become one of the more prominent hip-hop acts in a field that seems to be growing exponentially through internet exposure.
They’ve wielded that dynamic well; not only are both of their albums available for free on their website, they successfully crowdfunded a remix of their second album with all of the vocals replaced with cat sounds. While the existence of Meow the Jewels could normally come across as shameless, buzzy self-promotion, it instead serves to underscore just how much fun and enthusiasm that they bring to the table.
After a pedestrian DJ set that only had the assembling crowd engaged when Kendrick Lamar’s voice was booming through the speakers, Run the Jewels took to the stage as “We Are the Champions” played, prompting a singalong from the audience. If the duo was tired at all following their performance at Boston Calling earlier in the day, they certainly didn’t show it. Both emcees were very mobile on the stage, and Killer Mike didn’t appear to be slowed at all by his arm in a sling. The rapid-fire flows of “Run the Jewels” kicked off the show, and Despite becoming a big player in the festival circuit, after the first song, El-P gave a shoutout to the venue setting, saying “These places are where we started.”
The set featured a pretty even split of songs from their first and second albums, though it became clear pretty quickly that the audience was more familiar with the songs from last year’s incendiary Run the Jewels 2. “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” and “Blockbuster Night Part 1” had a swelling verbal accompaniment, though later performances of “Banana Clipper” and “Sea Legs” elicited a similar reaction.
Before lurching into “Early,” a song that addresses police brutality as Killer Mike tells the tale of an arrest in front of his wife and son, El-P told the crowd, “This is dedicated to everyone getting murdered by these insane police officers.” It was a poignant moment, and one that was pretty reflective of Run the Jewels’ focus on social commentary that runs through their blistering bombast. Tossing aside an encore, the duo ended the night with a fiery rendition of “Angel Duster” and let the pounding beat run as they exited the stage. It was a stark gesture, and a perfect compliment to the aggressive nature of the set.
