Ty Watches "Holy Calamavote"

I watched the Run the Jewels show that they did on Adult Swim this weekend, "Holy Calamavote", this afternoon, and it was amazing.

This was the first, and only time, they will perform this album live this year. They had a planned tour, supporting Rage Against the Machine, but the pandemic put a total halt to that. I read things where RTJ was trying to do something like this, a live performance, but didn't have a platform, or felt comfortable enough to do it. Then Adult Swim and Ben and Jerry's got involved, and they had their chance. They got tested, quarantined for the allotted time, and were able to pull off this show. They also wanted it to be important, to take a stance and help people, and they used the platform to urge people to go out and vote. This show was put together to promote voting. They mentioned time and again how important it is, especially this year, to go out and vote. Our vote is our weapon, and that is the only way we can make things change. They put that front and center.

As for the performance, I mean come on, these guys are at the top of the game right now. They are the best rap group, and best overall group, making music right now. Not only is the music good, it is well made, important, personal and an absolute reflection of the world we live in right now. I have sung the praises of this most recent RTJ record to the high hills. This is the record of the year by a mile, and this performance only further proved that. They were awesome. The visuals were amazing. The guest list was top notch. And seeing Killer Mike and El-P perform this record live, it was so god damn amazing and impressive. They did each song, in order, from the new record. Eric Andre hosted the show, and they would cut to him from time to time, but this was all about RTJ and their music. All the songs were great, and hearing them live just adds so much more to the listening experience. DJ Nice was on stage with them during "Ooh LA LA". That was pretty cool. A famous Atlanta DJ came out and scratched during a song. Gangsta Boo came out during "Walking in the Snow", and that was a transcendent performance. I mean, the song started with that heavy guitar, and El did his verse, and then it was Killer Mike's turn. He smashed the first part, and when he got to the "I can't breath" part, the whole stage and group went silent, and then Killer Mike ended that verse acapella. It was powerful and moving and made me listen more than I ever had before to what he is saying in what I consider to be the song of the year, and possibly the generation. It was an astonishing performance. They did "JU$T" after that, and Pharrell and Zack de la Rocha did their spots. Josh Homme and Mavis Staples appeared on screen for the song they are featured on as well. Staples' voice was beautiful and haunting. They ended the show with "A Few Words for the Firing Squad", and to see the two of them bear their souls was so, so great. It was such a moving and cool and fierce and awesome and perfect way to present that song. When they were nearing the end, when the song is all horns, both members expressed the importance of voting and using our voices this election. Then El-P formed a fist and Killer Mike formed a gun to make the RTJ symbol, and the lights were on their hands only. It was so god damn cool. They proceeded to leave the stage with the secret ending that shows up at the end of "Firing Squad", and El grabbed his stuff, and both he and Killer Mike put on a mask and drove off in Killer Mike's car. They came back on to again express the importance of voting. It was truly wonderful. The show was cool, the visuals added so much, El-P and Killer Mike are damn fine performers, their music is important , the people filming were masked and kept their distance, all the while getting amazing shots, it was simply perfect.

I loved this so very much. It gave me so much of what I have missed this year. I got to see my favorite band perform live. I was moved to vote more so than I already am. I have even more respect for Michael Render and Jamie Melina, which I didn't know was possible. I got to vibe out to the best record of the year. And they did it all for a great cause. I highly recommend this special for everyone. It is available to watch everywhere, it is as live as we will get this year and it is the best music you will hear all year. Please watch and make a plan to vote. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: The Final Verdict

Wrapping up my week long deep dive into "RTJ 4", I want to talk about how important, influential and historic this record is.

This is one of the best records to come out in years. I have deep dived into each song, wrote a piece on the "ooh la la" video and have listened to it dozens of times to this point. It is a solid record with hit after hit. This is one album where you don't skip any songs. Each song has something cool and unique and different. The 11 tracks on here offer something to every listener. I feel like this is a record that can get non hip hop people, people who say they don't like rap, to listen and find something they enjoy. It spans genres and has something for everyone. It is a perfect record. It has made that seemingly impossible goal.

As for its importance, I mean, there are about a million different reasons why this is an important record. We live in dark, dark times. There is a pandemic, there is police brutality and murder, there is a "president" that is clearly a white supremacist. We live in the darkest timeline. We live in a "Black Mirror" episode right now. So the importance of "RTJ 4" is front and center. They talk about all of it, and then some. They cover all kinds of ground. "walking in the snow" has Killer Mike saying the words, "I can't breath" in a whisper, and he wrote that over two years ago. It is even more prominent now. This is the protest record that we all need right now. This is the record filled with anthems that will be played at rallies and protests and any other gathering of individuals that want change, that need change. We need things to be different. We need equal rights for all. Black Lives Matter. The police have too much money and power. The "government" is a sham and a farce. It is all covered on this album perfectly. Every time I listen I get the slightest sense of relief. I think that things are going to be okay. I have this hope that the future is in good hands. And a lot of it is due to the searing lyrics on "RTJ 4". A lot is also due to Killer Mike and El-P. And I know during the week it feels like I haven't spoken about El-P enough. I want to say that he is tremendous, a great rapper, an excellent producer and beat maker and the best partner Killer Mike could have ever asked for. El-P is awesome. Killer Mike just does something otherworldly on this album. They both have gotten better, Killer Mike is just in a whole other echelon right now. He grew leaps and bounds on this album. He is the voice of the new generation. I know he may not want that position, but dammit, he is too important to all of us right now. Listen to the album, and then go watch him speak on the myriad of shows he has appeared on for the past month. He is speaking the truth.

As for the album’s influence, I am sure, almost 100 percent, that there are kids out there, teenagers, kids in their early 20's, who want to make important political music, and their gateway, their textbook, will be "RTJ 4". There is going to be a big group of people that come up in the next decade, and some that will hit it big, I would bet any money that they reference "RTJ 4" as the reason why they decided to push on. Just like 70's rockers thank old blues musicians, or Daft Punk talks about French synth music, or The Beatles talking about Little Richard, that will be "RTJ 4" in the future. I have no doubts.

And as for its history, hell it is all above. This record is going to go down as one of the greats. Years from now, it will be on best of the early 2020's lists. This is going to be a record that all publications and websites as the revolutionary record of the 2020 pandemic. People will talk about it as an election year record. It is going to be talked about for years and years to come, and that is such a great thing. There is a movement happening. People are fed up, we are angry, we don't like the police or the "government" and enough is enough. "RTJ 4" is the soundtrack to this revolution that is going to happen sooner rather than later. It is one of the best records that have ever been put into existence, and it will be remembered for all time.

I thank Run the Jewels, and I am so very impressed by what they did. I am going to go listen to the record the 100th time now. I suggest you do too. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: Day 3

Today I am going to talk about the last three tracks on "RTJ 4", leaving tomorrow open for me to talk about why this record is so revolutionary and so important. Let's get to these tracks first.

"The Ground Below" comes in hot, with distorted instrumentation, and man does it bang. Killer Mike comes in and destroys right away, saying he is "Godzilla and we are all Tokyo". That is perfect. It says it all in 6 words. He then talks about supporting sex workers unionizing. Gosh, he is the man. Then El-P does the chorus, and he then gets a verse. He goes hard on this track. His rap style is so perfect for the music that plays over this song. It just works so perfectly. I also love when he says, "this isn't a conspiracy, but you all are against me". The song then drops off for a minute, slowing down, and then fast drums and Killer Mike comes back in, speaking so many truths, as he does this whole record. I also love how he tells us, the listeners, that they have given us all so much for free. It is true and I love him for that. This song starts fast, slows down for about 15 seconds, then finishes with a deafening boom. There is so much heat packed into a less than three minute song. RTJ have become masters of doing that.

The next track, "Pulling the Pin" features Josh Homme, from Queens of the Stone Age, on drums, and Mavis Staples on backing vocals. Those 2 are a get, especially Staples. To get Mavis Staples on a track, that shows importance, fame, influence and attention they've garnered over 4 records now. That is an achievement. The song happens to rule as well. Homme's drumming adds a very cool layer to the music. I also really like the ominous beat that is attached. It is slowed down for a purpose, and El-P comes on first, almost speaking directly to us rather than rapping. It is awesome. The stuff he says is very profound too. This is his Killer Mike, his Jordan moment. He shines on this first verse. I find myself going back to this song a lot more lately just to listen to the lyrics. To study them a bit. And after his verse is when Staples comes in, and just hearing her voice is a treat. Then Killer Mike comes in and does that super fast lyricism, but it is understandable and the words hold weight. He then slows it down and really shines through. He is so good on this record, and I feel like he is cementing himself as one of the best emcees of all time. In fact, both him and El-P are climbing up the rankings as best rappers in the game right now, and forever. Staples then finishes the song off, and it is great. She is one of the all time greats, one of the classic singers of all time.

The final song, "A Few Words for the Firing Squad(Radiation)", reminds me a lot of "A Message to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters", off of "RTJ 3". It starts off with a repetitive guitar that gets louder throughout. Then El-P starts off the song, and much like the track before, he is so smooth with this slower beat. When the saxophone comes in, that just adds a whole other layer to their music. It shows growth, and a want to try new things from RTJ. I love it. Then Killer Mike comes in with a very personal story about his mom's passing. It is painful and sad and, for anyone that has experienced loss, it is relatable. He then talks about how people want him to become a voice for change, but how his wife wants a husband and not another martyr. I love when artists get personal as I said yesterday. Then El-P does his thing again, and Killer Mike does as well with the second verse. They both come at you hard in what is their final verse of the album. Both personal, both telling it like it is and both crushing. The song then drops for a minute, and we get strings, with that guitar, except really slow. Then sound explodes, and the saxophone is put on full display. It is very cool, and they let the listener sit in this for about a minute. The album then totally drops, you may think it is over, but then a narrator of sorts comes on and gives a very cool speech about the two of them over a dope beat. The song has a little chorus of "yankee and the brave", and the album is over. It is perfect.

I love, love, love this record and all the songs. I will get fully into detail tomorrow, but it still needs to be said today. "RTJ 4" is a god damn work of art, and we really, really need it right now.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: Day 2

Okay, so the next 3 songs I'm going to talk about off "RTJ 4" run the gamut of greatness, importance, revolutionary and may be the best three song sequence I have ever heard on a record in my lifetime. These songs are going to go down in history. Especially the first one I'm going to speak on, "Walking in the Snow".

“Walking in the Snow” is the anthem for the current mode of society. This song speaks so many truths it is insane. The fact that this was written well before what is currently going on in the country involving the police is foreboding. It has some "Simpsons" type vibe to it as in predicting the future. The song starts off with a very cool, very distorted guitar. Then it shifts right into verse one, and El-P crushes. He is so good at talking about how bad the world is. How people are treated unfairly because of their place in the world. He says so many things that I agree and can relate with. Throw in the fact that Gangsta Boo is doing the chorus, it makes this song great. What makes this song legendary, historic and profound is Killer Mike's verse. The way he breaks down school scores in world wide testing is perfect. When he then shifts to this is how they predict what prisons will be like in the future, I swear to goodness he is an oracle. He then hits us with the verse where he talks about a police officer choking him out until he says, "I can' breathe", it took my breath away in the best, and most prolific way I have ever been through when listening to music. To then follow it up saying the best it will get out of people is a Twitter rant and people talking for a week, then just forgetting about it, I don't know if a truer statement has been made in music. Both come back with minor verses to close out the song, and I love what Gangsta Boo does at the end. But, "Walking in the Snow" is going to become the anthem for the time. It will be our new "Fuck tha Police", our new "Fight the Power", our new protest anthem for decades to come. This song was a vision of the future when they wrote it around two years ago, and to hear it now, it brings a shiver down my spine by how accurate it is. It is, without a doubt, the most important song on the record, and might be, scratch that, is the most important song of the year, and possibly decade.

They follow that up with "JU$T", which features Zack de la Rocha and Pharrell Williams. This song is a perfect encapsulation of people trying to make money off their image, but being controlled by the government and the powers that be. Killer Mike mentions all this in the first verse. He also does it later in the song when he talks about telling us to "Kill Your Masters", which is also a great, important song. Pharrel Williams is fantastic on the chorus. The things he says are so true, and the way it is put out there is perfect. El-P then comes in and reiterates what Killer Mike says, but puts his wonderful spin on current affairs. He is a great, great writer. Add that to his production, the guy is a genius. His comedy line at the end of his verse is dope as hell too. Then de la Rocha comes in and spits straight fire like he has always done. His verse is brutal, he rips everyone and the verse apart. I love the distortion he uses on the mic too, that is kind of his signature. When he teams up with RTJ, it is going to work no matter what. When the three of them are together on a track, that is what gives me my most visceral moments when I listen. I yell out in my car, or on my runs whenever I hear the three of them trade verses. It is true beauty.

"Never Look Back" is RTJ at their bleakest on this record, but they do that better than anyone. This song is all about not dealing with the BS, at least for me. They both had rough childhoods it sounds, but they are pushing ahead and trying to right their wrongs. This song is kind of like them growing up on the mic. It is really cool to hear them talk about personal experiences, and how they have grown from them. I like when artists bare themselves on tracks like this. They also slow this one down a bit in the middle, but come back with a vengeance, and of course it works. When El-P comes back in after the little slow down, and he and Killer Mike trade words and verses, it is such a great way to close out this near perfect track.

These three songs are some of the best songs, in any genre of music, that I have heard in quite some time. This is the point in some records where it might drag. But "RTJ 4" is different. They take this time to really push their message out there. They let it all out on these three songs, and like I said at the top, these songs are going to go down in history as three of the most important songs in music history. I do want to single out "Walking in the Snow" one more time. That song will be talked about forever. I feel like my son will be talking about it when he is my age. It has that kind of staying power. This run of songs only solidifies how perfect "RTJ 4" truly is.

This is one of the best runs of songs on an album of all time. This is like what The Beatles did on "Abbey Road". I'm not joking, and that is the highest of high compliments from someone like me. These songs are perfect. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: Day 1

Welcome to day two of my week long review of the modern masterpiece that is "RTJ 4". Today is when I start to talk about the songs individually. Like I told you yesterday I will pick three songs a day for the next few days and break them down, tell you why they are perfect songs, and what makes them perfect. Since I have already touched on the first two singles, "yankee and the brave" and "ooh la la", plus a piece on the video, I will not cover those. You can read my thoughts on those in three previous blogs.

I'm going to start with the third song on the record, ""Out of Sight". This was the lone song I had slight reservations about prior to the release because I saw the guest was 2 Chainz. Well, I have learned a lesson. I should never, ever doubt what RTJ is doing, and who they invite to guest on their songs. It is going to be a bomb ass song no matter what. This song has a beat that feels like it could be played on pop radio, and then they start to rap. The song is less about affluence and why that is important. It is more about why that stuff is not so important. They go on and on about certain rap cliches, and then skewer them. They are so good at doing that. And both Killer Mike and El-P trade bars liked two very well seasoned emcees. The way they go back and forth is dizzying and mesmerizing at the same time. The hook is cool too. It is just them saying "out of sight", with some lady singers singing other words. Killer Mike then comes in after the first chorus and just CRUSHES his verse. It is one of the best displays of rapping I have ever heard. I feel like this song was almost a contest between the two of them to see who could say words faster. And then 2 Chainz comes in, and I have to admit, he explodes with his verse. He is a good rapper and he proves that on this song. "out of sight" is dope and has that "radio single" feel off this record. It has that "ooh la la" feel to it.

The next song is called "Holy Calamafuck", and man oh man does this song hit. The beat is dope as hell. The record scratching is so cool. The beginning works so perfectly. Then Killer Mike comes in and, like he does this whole record, just absolutely owns the song. Don't get me wrong. El-P has his moments, he is awesome. I have just been a Killer Mike guy from before RTJ, and he goes to a whole other level on this song, and this record. When the song totally shifts, that is some Flying Lotus type stuff they do. In the middle of the song, actually after the first verse, it sounds like a brand new song. It isn't though. It is like the coolest, most unique bridge I have heard. El-P also destroys when they go to the change in tempo. They kind of slow it up, and do the whole "chop and screw" rap, but make it sound cool. It is such a unique, and new way to present a rap song. Of course only RTJ can do something like this, and make it work so well.

The final song for the day is "Goonies vs E.T.". I don't think the song has anything to do with either movie, but it sure as hell lets both guys do their thing. They are just so god damn good. With each song they get better and better. With each listen, I find something new that I like and missed. They also slow this song down during the chorus, and then go into super kill mode, trading verses back and forth. It's only three minutes long, but it is a jarring three minutes in the best possible way . And Killer Mike coming in at the end is absolutely wonderful.

This first part of the record, I feel like both guys are showing how good they are at rapping. Not only do they write great lyrics, important lyrics, but they put them out there in the best possible way. I adore this first part of the record. And, if you think I'm fan boying a bit too much today, just wait until tomorrow and Thursday. The back half of this record is perfection. I'm just saying. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to "RTJ4"

Last Wednesday I got an email, as well as millions of others I expect, that Run the Jewels had decided to release their fourth album two days early.

I was obviously ecstatic.

I have been anxiously awaiting this album. I have been talking about it on the pod, in my writing and to anyone that will listen about my excitement. I also teased on a podcast a few weeks back that when they released the album I would dedicate an entire week to it. I'd like to welcome you all to that week. That will be my singular focus for the next five days. I'm going to give a review today, something short and sweet. That is because the next four days I will be talking about three songs per day, and then telling you all why I think it is the single most important piece of music out there right now.

Which leads me to my review.

This album is amazing. It was more than worth the wait. You can hear how much they poured themselves into this album. You feel it with every song. I love all of their albums, and I do not think I am being a prisoner of the moment when I say I feel like this is their best work to date. That is also why they are the best group in the world. With each record they continue to grow, try new things out and get better and better. El-P said on Talib Kwali's podcast that they have worked their hardest yet on "RTJ4", and it clearly shows. From the beats to the lyrics, it is a phenomenal, seminal piece of musical art. This goes beyond genres. This isn't simply the greatest hip hop record of the year, it is, without a doubt, the record of the year. It goes past genres. It is too important to be pigeonholed that way. They do so much more than just rap on this album. I knew they were political before. They have stood up to injustices the world over. Killer Mike is one of the most profound and prolific speakers we have in our country. They take all of that to a whole other level on this album.

I cannot wait to tell you all about some of the songs on this that will become anthems, that will stand the test of time and be talked about for the rest of my life. I am letting my children listen to this record because I want them to know what is going on, and how Run the Jewels, myself and millions upon millions of others feel about the state of the United States right now. It is more than just music for me. This is the start of a revolution that I will fall in line with 100 percent. I will follow Killer Mike and El-P to the ends of the world. I have listened to this record around a dozen times, easily I might add, already. And I will listen to it millions more before the month of June is over. Run the Jewels is becoming the mouthpiece of the new generation. They are my era's Public Enemy, and sorry to RD for writing this, only they are better, and more important. That's the honest truth, and I adore Public Enemy. But when El-P and Killer Mike got together to make this record, it must have been that Jordan feeling for them. They must have known that this was going to be extremely important, extremely loved and talked about as one of the greatest records of all time. I already know that it will top my best of 2020 music list. Hell, the video for "ooh la la" may even be on my best of movies list. I cannot stress enough how important, influential and game changing this record is.

I know that RTJ is supposed to go on tour with Rage Against the Machine next year as their opener, but I feel like RTJ may be more suited to being the headlining act. They are that good. I have always loved these guys, even before they formed RTJ. But the idea they had to pair up was lightning in a bottle, and they have only gotten stronger and stronger with each record and each tour.

Run the Jewels continues to amaze me, and I am glad that I live in a world where they release new music, for free I might add, and it is this god damn good. Please, do yourself a favor and go listen to this album right now. As I said, there will be much more in depth pieces this week. But for today I just want to point out that this is the best record of the year, it is the most important record of the year and it will go down as one of the greatest records of all time. So yeah, I love "RTJ 4".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches Run the Jewels "Ooh LA LA"

Awhile back Run the Jewels released two new tracks from their upcoming album, "Ooh LA LA" and "Yankee and the Brave". I wrote about how much I loved the songs, and how they both got me very excited for the new record.

Well, two days ago they released a video for "Ooh LA LA", and that just amped up my want for the new record about a thousand times more. The video is dope as hell. It is so cool, so timely and has things in it that only a group like RTJ can pull off. The video opens with some writing, which they proclaim to be an ancient proverb, then the line "I need a bottle of Moet....Garcon", attributed to Killer Mike. We go from this to a big intersection in a big city, I want to say LA, but I am not 100 percent sure. From there on out it gets harder and harder and cooler and cooler. EL-P starts the song off with the chorus, then rips into his verse. It is amazing to see visuals added to his verse. The song is, for me, about how greed is crushing us all right now. EL-P explains as much right off the bat. Killer Mike then comes at us extra hard with his verse about expensive food, cameras, everything. By the way, his jackets are rad in this video. I want his colorful Polo jacket. Maybe that is my way of being greedy, and I need to follow the moral of this song instead. Anyway, both have another verse that is dynamite, as I mentioned when I first wrote about the song. But, all the while they are spitting, there are a ton of people just dumping money into a big pile. Just what looks like millions and millions of dollars, and they are setting it all on fire while dancing. It is jarring at first, but when you actually listen to the lyrics, it is perfect.

RTJ has always fought the establishment with their music. They have talked about corporate greed and destruction. My favorite track of theirs, "Kill You Masters/A Message to the Shareholders" is all about that. I look at "Ooh LA LA" as a kind of sequel to that song. And the video only makes my conviction that much firmer. Also, the amount of people they got to do this video is pretty cool. It actually makes me miss hanging out with people that aren't my immediate family. To get all these people together to dump money into piles, burn it and do choreographed dances is pretty rad. Also, Zack de la Rocha is in the video. He doesn't have a verse on the song or anything, he is just there to hang out I guess. I know that they cool with each other, and have worked together in the past, and they were supposed to be touring with Rage Against the Machine right now. But still, the fact that de la Rocha is just in the video to be in it, for me, it proves how much pull RTJ has in the music industry. I also love how goofy and funny both EL-P and Killer Mike are in the video. EL-P is there with his funny grin, holding bottles of champange, and Killer Mike is doing a goofy smile and jumping rope at one point. They clearly had a great time making this video, and it shows. My favorite moment is when they talk about how they don't care what you ordered, they are what you get, and they embrace and smile right into camera. It is awesome. And the ending, with DJ Premiere just spinning, it is awesome. It is a perfect button. He is scratching records, doing the beat of the song, and while he is intently focused, he is throwing money that is blowing on him into the fire as well.

I love this song, and I love the video just as much. I am a big fan of music videos, and I miss seeing them on TV. But, I like that certain groups go out and still do this, and make it viable for fans to watch. I already had made my own opinion about what the song was trying to tell me, and after seeing the video, I am convinced that I was right. If you haven't listened to the song yet, do that first, and then treat yourself to this video. It rules. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Thank God for New Music from Run the Jewels

The past two days have brought us two new Run the Jewels songs. They are both great. They both hit like I would expect them to hit. They both go hard as I expect them to go hard. El-P and Killer Mike crush each verse they have as I expect them to. They, as the younger generation likes to say, both "slap".

The first one released, on Tuesday, is called "Yankee and the Brave Ep.4". I mean, this song is killer. It has a fantastic, bass thumping beat. It comes at you like a ton of bricks. When Killer Mike starts the opening verse, it makes me so happy because he crushes it, and it is the first signal that they do have a new record coming out, hopefully soon. Then EL-P comes in and does his thing. He is such a great rapper, and as RTJ has grown, so has he. I am, and always will be a Killer Mike guy, but EL-P is starting to get to his level as an emcee. That is up front on "Yankee and the Brave Ep. 4". My only critique, the song is only two and a half minutes long. I could have done with another two and a half minutes easily. I know that I have said I enjoy shorter songs, but when it comes to RTJ, I don't care how long the songs are because they are always so god damn good.

Then last night they released another new track, "Ooh LA LA". Again, this song rules. The beginning is wonderful, with the featured guests singing the chorus, and then the beat hits. Again, it is great. If RTJ is going to be remembered for only one thing, which they will definitely not because they are so awesome, it will be their beats. Every song seems to have the perfect beat attached, and these two new tracks are no different. After the beginning if "Ooh LA LA", both guys once again destroy their verses, and it is amazing, like it always is.

I have listened to these two songs at least a half a dozen times each already, and I will listen more the rest of the day, week, month, year, however long until they put out the full new album. Which brings me to my teeny tiny little gripe today.

I love, love, love these two new songs. I cannot stop playing them. I had my wife listen to them with me, since we are all at home right now, and even she likes them, and she isn't a huge fan. I have seen on Spotify that the songs are being played at a very high clip. I have texted friends and family members to check them out. So, my gripe you ask? I want the full album now. I know that EL-P has been going on social media and imploring the fans that they aren't finished yet, but they will be soon. And I get that. But, since we all should be in our homes, or if we are outside exercising or simply just stretching our legs, but also practicing social distancing, I would love it if the whole record came out soon. I know this is a very small problem in the grand scheme of things, especially now, but I think now would be a near perfect time to try and help keep people's minds off the waking nightmare, and give them something to vibe out to, and just forget for awhile. Donald Glove did that with "3.15.20". Sports stations are playing classic games which helps. Musicians are doing live shows in their homes and putting them on the internet. So, I would be so very thrilled if RTJ released the  full album ASAP. I understand that lots and lots of things go into an album release, and a ton of work and hours are put into it. I get that, and I want them to make it the very best that they can. I get all that, I just want the full album. Until then though, we have these two fantastic new songs to listen to whenever we want, and three other transcendent albums.

I love you Killer Mike and EL-P, and I will be so very pleased when RTJ 4 comes out. For now though, thank you for these 2 new tracks. I can't wait to hear the rest.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Run the Jewels is the Best Band in World Right Now

The older I get the more I enjoy hip hop. I do not know why, I just do. It is always good to dance, workout, run and play basketball to. When hip hop is buzzing in my ear, it just makes me want to move. I also enjoy listening to it in my car because I can vibe out when I go on long or short trips. Hip hop, at least good hip hop, is the best music out there.

The short preamble leads me to my point of my piece today. I was cleaning my home yesterday and listening to Run the Jewels on my Amazon Alexa. It made the cleaning go by so much faster. It seemed easier. I wasn't as stressed as normal. I was grooving to the music as I cleaned. And when I finished cleaning, I just let the music keep going. As I sat there and listened to more and more RTJ I came upon a realization that I thought was impossible. But, I can now say with a clear conscious that RTJ has supplanted The Black Keys as my favorite band. Now, this isn't to say that I don't like The Black Keys anymore. It is the opposite. I still love and adore their music. I will always listen to them. I will always be excited when new Black Keys music comes out. I'm hopeful that they will put out a new record this year. I like Auerbach's solo stuff, but he is so much better as one half of The Black Keys. So yes, I still love their music. They are just my second favorite band now. There are just so many special things about Run the Jewels.

First off, El-P is the best producer in hip hop, no ifs ands or buts about it. He makes the best beats. He is far and away better than anyone else doing it right now. I'm sure younger people will bash me with their favorites, and old hip hop heads will throw out people they think are better, but El-P is a genius. Hell, even Killer Mike says in a song of RTJ's that, "a producer gave me a beat, said it is the beat of the year, I said El-P didn't produce it, so get the fuck outta here". That is poetry, and the truth. He is a genius. Oh, and by the way, he happens to be an incredible rapper. He is amazing. He is smooth and his flow is stupendous. His lyrics are amazing. He is the perfect sidekick to Killer Mike.

And Killer Mike, my god is that dude a beast. He is fast climbing my list as favorite rappers. Biggie is still one, Jay Z two and Kendrick Lamar three, but Killer Mike is at fourth, right behind Lamar, and he may surpass him soon. He is so awesome. He is so fierce and fast and spits some of the best verses ever written in rap music. He is also a political leader. While not a politician, I believe and follow pretty much every word he says when it comes to politics. When he goes off on trolls on Twitter it is a thing of beauty. He is amazing.

Put these two geniuses together and it is bliss. Every single RTJ song is perfect hip hop. It is the right blend of both of their talents. They know how to bounce off one another perfectly. They compliment each other the exact right way. They have fun while performing their songs. They work together better than any other hip hop duo that I have ever listened to. It was clear how much they like each other, and like working with each other when I saw them live last year. It is amazing to see two guys in the music industry that legitimately enjoy one another's company. They are wonderful.

Then their records. RTJ 1, 2 and 3 are the best hip hop records that I have ever listened to. RTJ 1 was like a bolt of lighting. It comes hard and it comes fast. It is like they each took one big breath and just busted out 10 phenomenal rap songs. RTJ 2 was when they started to get more political and attack corrupt politicians and it was awesome. The song with Zack de la Rocha on that record is, maybe, the best hip hop song ever. Then, as RTJ would say, on Christmas morning at midnight, like a "Christmas fucking miracle", they released RTJ 3. I cannot stop listening to this record to this day. I will listen to it all the way through at least once a week. It is a great blend of their first 2 records. Lately I have been blasting "Message to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters" a ton. This is the perfect song, and RTJ 3 is the perfect protest record right now.

While I used to feel this same way about all Black Keys music, it just isn't the same anymore. As I said, I still love, and look forward to, new and old Black Keys stuff. But, I crave new RTJ music. It is an addiction for me now. Hell, even my daughter, who is 2, knows how much her father loves RTJ. She asked me the other day, "daddy, are we listening to RTJ?", and I couldn't have been happier. She has never said that about The Black Keys, and she has heard them just as much. My son is the same, although I try not to listen to them as much with him in the car because he is just about to turn 6 and I don't need him to get in trouble for quoting RTJ in school, even though that would be amazing. But, the rare times he does hear them he likes it. He told me he likes the beats. He also told me that, outside of the kids music we listen to, RTJ is his favorite. I still love The Black Keys, but Run the Jewels is now my favorite band.

It doesn't matter what genre, what people, what era, RTJ is the best of the best for me. Maybe this will change, when I was a teenager no one was better than Bob Marley until I heard The Black Keys, but I doubt it. I'm at an age now where when I put my hooks into something I stick with it. Run the Jewels is the best band making music and I will not hear otherwise. If you doubt this statement, go listen to them, preferably "Message to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters", and let your mind be blown away by their awesomeness. RTJ rules.

P.S., sorry for the curse words mom and dad.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When Ty was 10 years old, he made a detailed flow chart on how Puff Daddy passed up MC Hammer as the greatest rapper ever. The innocence of youth.

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The Greatest American Band Debate: Run The Jewels

SeedSing is filled with music lovers. We can not agree on who is the best band from the States. The Greatest American Band Debate will be a regular feature where we discuss and compare bands who started in the good old USA. If you have any suggestions of bands we should debate Contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

With the new year here and all of my best of lists done, I'm going to get back to my regular writing schedule. So that means, on Wednesdays, we will be getting back to our greatest American band debate here on SeedSing.

Today I have a newer group, but I feel like they are on their way to superstardom. It's another hip hop group, so get used to me writing about hip hop because it's one of my favorite styles of music and I've been listening to a ton of it lately. The band that I'm going to nominate today has only put out two albums, one in 2013 and the other in 2014, but they are currently working on their third record as we speak. This is a "super group", but it only consists of two rappers. The band I'm speaking of is Run The Jewels.

This group is rad. The members are Killer Mike and EL-P. Killer Mike is part of the dirty south rap movement. I first came to know him from his guest appearances on older Outkast records and the Dungeon Family stuff he did. I was always a fan of his style. He is gruff, disturbing and phenomenal. His rapping is so fast yet so clear, I'm amazed at what he can do with a mic. He is a wizard with words. He has become bigger over the years, stepping away from the Dungeon Family and the Outkast stuff, doing his own solo thing, and that has benefitted him very much. He found his own voice and had crushed on several solo albums, most notably "R.A.P. Music". Killer Mike is a beast. EL-P is a new discovery for me. I had heard his name as a producer when I was in my early twenties, but I had no idea he was a rapper too. The person that introduced me to him rapping was my brother Seth, who's made an appearance on our podcast. He is a great rapper as well. He has a slower delivery, but with his New York accent, it works like a charm. He has a smooth voice and since he's a producer and a beat maker, he has a great ear for making great rap songs. He is a legendary producer, but with Run The Jewels, he can become a legendary rapper. Basically, he's a better version of what Kanye West is doing, but since he isn't married to a reality star, he doesn't get the love he deserves. He gets it from the indie hip hop community, but he needs to be known nationally. EL-P is a great rapper.

The two of these guys got together a couple of years ago and immediately connected. They both like the same style of music and they both have unique styles that, when put together, makes some fantastic music. They couldn't be more different in their deliveries, but it works so well together. In 2013 they released "Run The Jewels". This record is a must have for hip hop fans. It's so good. They open with the title track, "Run The Jewels" and it's a beast of a song. EL-P has the first verse and he crushes. He has that smooth delivery going over a very hypnotic, yet oddly loud beat that works so well. Killer Mike comes in, and even when talking about shooting a poodle, I can't help but nod my head to his lyrics and the beat. This is a great entry way into the world of Run The Jewels. You get both rappers styles and the beats are top notch. The very next track has Killer Mike teaming up with Big Boi, from Outkast, on a song called "Banana Clipper". The great thing about his song, Big Boi only has one verse and it's at the very end. Usually, when you have a guest, they get about half the song. That's not the case on "Banana Clipper". Killer Mike has the first verse, he crushes, EL-P has the second, it's excellent and Big Boi closes the song out with one of his best verses since early Outkast. This is an awesome song. And props to Big Boi for letting EL-P and Killer Mike shine, most big time rappers would want the spotlight, but Big Boi takes a back seat. I like that. They actually close out "Run The Jewels" with a "Christmas" song called, "A Christmas F&^%*&g Miracle". Now, this is by no means "Jingle Bells" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and it's not meant to be. This is a jokey holiday song that is made awesome by these two kick ass rappers. They even made an ugly sweater that goes along with this song and the sweater is very ugly and very cool.

In 2014 they followed up "Run The Jewels" with "Run The Jewels Volume 2". This is another thing I like about these guys. No pomp and circumstance, no weird album titles with weird album art, just give me the title and the same art and I know exactly what I'm getting. I like that they get straight to the point. This album is just as good as their debut. On "Close Your Eyes(And Count to F&%k)", they are exceptional and it's made better by the reappearance of Zach de la Rocha. Everyone that reads my stuff knows that I'm a Rage Against the Machine fan and I love de la Rocha, he's a legend. He actually does the chorus which is also the beat by saying "run them jewels fast, run them jewels fast, run them, run them, run them f&%k the slow mo" and I was instantly on board when I heard this. This is a lot like "Banana Clipper", with EL-P and Killer Mike getting the first and second verses and de la Rocha closing it out, and it's equally as good, but better in my personal opinion. EL-P and Killer Mike do their thing and de la Rocha absolutely destroys the final verse. It is so good to hear his voice and hear that he is still one of the best rappers/singers/activists out there. He's a monster and I wish he did more music. "Close Your Eyes" is my favorite Run The Jewels song, and it's the one I always listen to first when I put their albums on my iPod. "Jeopardy" is another great tune on the album that lets both guys do what they do best. Killer Mike is there with his super fast, super awesome flow and EL-P produces an excellent beat and gives us that smooth style that we have grown accustomed to.

In my personal opinion, I think they are a better "super group" than Odd Future, and I love Odd Future. They are the best "super group" since the Wu Tang Clan. They only have two guys also, how crazy is that. I've heard that their live shows are phenomenal, and if they come to, or close to Saint Louis, you better believe I'm going to see them. I cannot wait to see what they do for this third album. I know it will be awesome, and hopefully even better than their first two. I know it's hard to put a band in this conversation that has only released two records, but damn it, those records are incredible and these guys belong in our conversation. The future is bright for Run The Jewels.

These guys can become legends.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He is currently try to form a supergroup of bad rapping rec center basketball stars. Join his team by following Ty on twitter @tykulik.