Run the Jewels 2

Run the Jewels 2 is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of Killer Mike and El-P. The album was released early for free on October 24, 2014, and the following day on iTunes. It was made available on CD and LP by Mass Appeal Records and RBC Records on October 28, 2014.

Run the Jewels 2
Studio album by Run the Jewels
Released	October 24, 2014
Studio	ALC Laboratories Cosmic Zoo (Los Angeles) Night Hunter The Post Rare Book Room The Space Pit (Brooklyn) Sneaky (Garrison)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	38:56
Label	Mass Appeal RBC
Producer	El-P
Run the Jewels chronology
Run the Jewels (2013) Run the Jewels 2 (2014) Meow the Jewels (2015)
Singles from Run the Jewels 2
"Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1" Released: September 2, 2014 "Oh My Darling Don't Cry" Released: September 30, 2014 "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)" Released: October 13, 2014

Run the Jewels 2 received widespread acclaim from critics for its darker and more layered production, Killer Mike and El-P's lyricism and chemistry and its guest contributions. Several publications also ranked it as the best album of 2014, including Pitchfork, Complex and Stereogum. The album debuted at number 50 on the US Billboard 200, selling 12,000 copies in the first week.

A parody remix album, Meow the Jewels, was released for free featuring beats created entirely from cat sounds. In addition to Meow the Jewels, a standard remix album was scheduled to be released by Fool's Gold Records in 2015 as well.

Singles

On September 2, 2014, Run the Jewels released a song titled "Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1", as the album's first single.[1] On September 15, 2014, Run the Jewels released "Oh My Darling Don't Cry", the second offering from the album.[2] "Oh My Darling Don't Cry" was later released on September 30, 2014, via digital distribution, as the album's second single.[3] The album's third single, "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)" featuring Zack de la Rocha, was released on October 13, 2014.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.4/10[5]
Metacritic	89/100[6]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
The A.V. Club	A−[8]
The Guardian	[9]
The Irish Times	[10]
Los Angeles Times	[11]
NME	9/10[12]
Pitchfork	9.0/10[13]
Q	[14]
Rolling Stone	[15]
Slant Magazine	[16]

Run the Jewels 2 was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 89, based on 35 reviews.[6] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[5]

David Jeffries of AllMusic stated, "If the first album was the supernova, RTJ2 is the RTJ universe forming, proving that Mike and El-P's one-off can be a going, and ever growing, concern."[7] Brian Josephs of The A.V. Club stated, "The sequel takes the simplistic thrills of the debut and expands the duo's natural chemistry. With Killer Mike grounded at the album's emotional core, El-P is free to indulge in his intrepid production tendencies."[8] In The Irish Times, Jim Carroll dubbed the album "a case of upping the ante all round and then some" highlighting "both principals at the top of their game".[10] Pat Levy of Consequence of Sound said, "An album like RTJ2 is rare. Decades from now, this album may just be revered as one of the best hip-hop records of our era, the total synchronicity of two talented artists reaching the apex of their prime."[17]

Paul Maclnnes of The Guardian stated, "While the duo deliver hard-nosed disses at a rate of knots. Early, meanwhile, matches distorted synth with an old-school storytelling piece about pursuit and arrest by the police. It's an unrelenting style, which may sound like overkill to some, but there's no disputing its power and sophisticated composition."[9] Kellan Miller of HipHopDX stated, "Throughout RTJ2 [El-P] holds his own rhyming alongside a superior wordsmith."[18] James Rainis of Slant Magazine stated, "RTJ2 is the rare sequel that bests the beloved original in almost every facet."[16] Dan Rys of XXL said, "For people looking for soulful, melodic hip-hop, this is not the album to pick up. Neither is it one for the kids who just want to repeat two words over and over again and call it a hook while jumping up and down and punching the air repeatedly. When listening to RTJ2, those feelings are translated into punches aimed at faces instead of spaces, and they always connect. The beats are grimy—typical of an El-P-produced project—and add even more grit to an album that doesn’t ooze confidence so much as shoves you in the chest with it."[19]

Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times stated, "Run the Jewels is the team of two indie titans, El-P and Killer Mike, who have upended convention by remaining idealistically true, artistically adventurous and creatively emboldened well into their second decade as rapper-producers. The pair's second album, released as a free download last week, proves it 11 times over."[11] Al Horner of NME said, "Cranking the urgency and confrontation of last year's self-titled debut to neck-breaking levels of intensity, RTJ2 is an urgent, paranoid album for a violent, panicked time. It's a bleak future Run The Jewels envision for America, but as long as Mike and El-P are collaborating, at least the future of hip-hop is in safe hands."[12] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork stated, "Sounding like nothing else and answering to nobody but its creators, Run the Jewels 2 is in a class by itself."[13] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone stated, "On their second album as Run the Jewels, noise-loving Brooklyn rapper-producer El-P and Atlanta's Killer Mike make the most explosive hip-hop you'll hear all year."[15]

Accolades

Year-end lists

Publication	Rank	Ref.
The A.V. Club	2	[20]
Billboard	2	[21]
Complex	1	[22]
Consequence of Sound	2	[23]
Pitchfork	1	[24]
Rolling Stone	1	[25]
Spin	1	[26]
Stereogum	1	[27]
Vibe	2	[28]
The Wire	8	[29]

Commercial performance

Run the Jewels 2 debuted at number 50 on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 12,000 copies in the United States.[30]

Track listing

Run the Jewels 2 track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Jeopardy"	Jaime Meline Michael Render	El-P Little Shalimar^[a]	3:21
2.	"Oh My Darling Don't Cry"	Meline Render	El-P Little Shalimar^[a] Wilder Zoby^[b]	3:24
3.	"Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1"	Meline Render	El-P	2:32
4.	"Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)" (featuring Zack de la Rocha)	Meline Render Zack de la Rocha	El-P	3:54
5.	"All My Life"	Meline Render	El-P Little Shalimar^[a]	3:07
6.	"Lie, Cheat, Steal"	Meline Render	El-P Little Shalimar^[a] Boots^[b]	3:28
7.	"Early" (featuring Boots)	Meline Render Jordan Cruz	El-P Little Shalimar^[b]	3:44
8.	"All Due Respect" (featuring Travis Barker)	Meline Render Travis Barker	El-P Little Shalimar^[a] Wilder Zoby^[a]	2:47
9.	"Love Again (Akinyele Back)" (featuring Gangsta Boo)	Meline Render Lola Mitchell	El-P	3:45
10.	"Crown" (featuring Diane Coffee)	Meline Render Shaun Fleming	El-P Little Shalimar	3:45
11.	"Angel Duster"	Meline Render	El-P Little Shalimar^[b]	5:09
Total length:				38:56

Japanese and iTunes bonus track[31]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
12.	"Blockbuster Night, Pt. 2" (featuring Despot and Wiki)	Meline Render Alec Reinstein Patrick Morales	El-P	2:39
Total length:				41:35

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer
• Early vinyl pressings exclude vocals from Gangsta Boo on "Love Again (Akinyele Back)".[32]

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[33]

Boots – featured artist, production, additional vocals (track 5) Despot – featured artist Diane Coffee – additional piano and vocals (track 10) El-P – primary artist, producer Gangsta Boo – featured artist Joey Raia – mixing Isaiah "Ikey" Owens – piano (track 11) James McNew – additional bass (track 7) Kareem Bunton – additional vocals (track 11) Kenya Hawkins – additional vocals (track 11) Killer Mike – primary artist Little Shalimar – production

Margot – strings (track 11) Matt Sweeney – additional guitar (track 5) Michael Winslow – robot voice (track 2) Shay Bigga – additional vocals (track 9) Smoota – additional trombone (track 1) Trackstar the DJ – scratches (tracks 3 and 4) Travis Barker – additional drums (track 8) Wiki – featured artist Wilder Zoby – production, additional organ (track 1), additional keys (track 11) Zack de la Rocha – featured artist

Charts

Weekly charts Chart performance for Run the Jewels 2 Chart (2015–2017) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 141 US Billboard 200[35] 50 US Independent Albums (Billboard)[36] 9 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[37] 9 US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[38] 6 US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[39] 7

Year-end charts 2015 year-end chart performance for Run the Jewels 2 Chart (2015) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[40] 60

Release history

Release dates and formats for Run the Jewels 2

Region	Date	Label(s)	Format(s)	Ref.
Various	October 24, 2014	Mass Appeal RBC	Digital download	[41]
	October 28, 2014		CD LP	[42]

References

1. "Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 – Single by Run The Jewels". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
2. Breihan, Tom (September 15, 2014). "Run The Jewels – "Oh My Darling Don't Cry"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
3. "Oh My Darling Don't Cry – Single by Run The Jewels". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
4. Breihan, Tom (October 13, 2014). "Run The Jewels – "Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)" (Feat. Zack De La Rocha)". Stereogum. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
5. "Run The Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
6. "Reviews for RTJ2 by Run the Jewels". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
7. Jeffries, David. "Run the Jewels 2 – Run the Jewels". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
8. Josephs, Brian (October 28, 2014). "Run The Jewels returns with fists balled tighter and trauma that runs deeper". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
9. MacInnes, Paul (November 6, 2014). "Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2 review – hard-nosed disses and old-school storytelling". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
10. Carroll, Jim (November 7, 2014). "Album Choice – Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
11. Roberts, Randall (October 27, 2014). "'Run the Jewels 2': Headphone rap that nails it". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
12. Horner, Al (November 4, 2014). "Run The Jewels – 'Run The Jewels 2'". NME. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
13. Cohen, Ian (October 29, 2014). "Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
14. "Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2". Q (342): 128. January 2015.
15. Dolan, Jon (November 5, 2014). "Run the Jewels 2". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
16. Rainis, James (October 31, 2014). "Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
17. Levy, Pat (October 29, 2014). "Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
18. Miller, Kellan (October 28, 2014). "Run The Jewels – Run the Jewels 2". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
19. Rys, Dan (October 30, 2014). "Killer Mike And El-P Are Relentless On New Album 'Run The Jewels 2'". XXL. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
20. "The 20 best albums of 2014". The A.V. Club. December 8, 2014. Archived from the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
21. "The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2014". Billboard. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
22. "Run the Jewels, *Run the Jewels 2* – The 50 Best Albums of 2014". Complex. December 18, 2014. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
23. "Top 50 Albums of 2014". Consequence of Sound. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
24. "The 50 Best Albums of 2014". Pitchfork. December 17, 2014. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
25. Weingarten, Christopher R. (December 23, 2014). "Run the Jewels, 'Run the Jewels 2' – 40 Best Rap Albums of 2014". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
26. "Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels 2 (Mass Appeal / Sony RED)". Spin. December 4, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
27. "The 40 Best Rap Albums Of 2014". Stereogum. December 16, 2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
28. "The BIG List: 46 Albums From 2014 That Are Actually Worth Your Money". Vibe. December 2, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
29. "2014 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–50". The Wire. No. 371. London. January 2015. p. 32 – via Exact Editions. (subscription required)
30. Tardio, Andres (November 5, 2014). "Hip Hop Album Sales: T.I., Chris Webby, Logic". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
31. "ラン・ザ・ジュエルズ 2 / ラン・ザ・ジュエルズ". CDJapan.
32. "Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2 (2xLP – 180 Gram Teal Vinyl)". Fat Beats. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
33. Run the Jewels 2 (Media notes). Run the Jewels. Mass Appeal Records. 2014.CS1 maint: others (link)
34. "Ultratop.be – Run the Jewels – 2" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
35. "Run the Jewels Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
36. "Run the Jewels Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
37. "Run the Jewels Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
38. "Run the Jewels Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
39. "Run the Jewels Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
40. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
41. Frydenlund, Zach (October 24, 2014). "Stream and Download Run The Jewels' "Run The Jewels 2" Album". Complex. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
42. Minsker, Evan (September 2, 2014). "Killer Mike and El-P Detail Run the Jewels' RTJ2 Album, Announce Tour". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.