Concert Review: Run the Jewels-- Boston, MA-- November 28th, 2014

In  August 2013, I witnessed the Run the Jewels put on the best hip-hop show I've ever seen at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Just over a year later at the same venue, I saw them top themselves and set a new bar for live hip-hop performances.

The show opened with an upstart group named Black Heart Broadway. Their sound had a very low-rent feel to it, so it was to my surprise when they said they had collaborated with Killer Mike on their debut EP, which is set for release in early 2015. Black Heart Broadway was on stage for less than 15 minutes and while they weren't insultingly bad, they didn't really do much to convince me to check out their material further.

The main touring lineup kicked off shortly after as Queens-bred MC Despot hit the stage. Despot highly impressed me when he opened for Run the Jewels on their last headlining tour and this time out was no different. His lyrics are excellent and he has a rare flow that allows him to own both intense and melodic beats with ease. Aside from being a great MC, he's also a hilarious dude. Between the deadpan delivery of jokes in-between songs and his trademark mid-set aerobics routine that he makes the audience and his tourmates participate in, there's never a dull moment during a Despot show. I really hope he actually releases his long-delayed collab album with Ratatat in the near future because based on the material he played live, it sounds killer. Despot managed to top the previous time I saw him by a pretty wide margin and is without question in the upper-echelon of live rappers currently in the game.

Ratking hit the stage almost immediately after Despot wrapped up his set. Ratking is the latest in a seemingly endless wave of new hip-hop groups that hail from New York. Just like on record, Ratking's live performaces shows off serious potential but also leaves a lot to be desired. The production from in-house DJ Sporting Life is stellar and serve as the driving force of the group. Their beats range from beautifully abstract to noise-fueled, industrial bangers, which gives them a nice sense of diversity that you don't always find in hip-hop in the present day. Where Ratking struggles is in the inconsistency of the rapping. One part of the duo was absent (i don't know if it was Wiki or Hak), but the remaining one has a bizarre, almost reggae-esque cadence to his rapping that sounds great at times and falls completely flat at others. Ratking is a really young group and they certainly could amount to something noteworthy in the future, but they aren't anything above decent at this point in time.

After a 20 minute changeover, the time had finally come for Run the Jewels to hit the stage. The minute the beat to set opener "Run the Jewels" dropped the entire room exploded into a uncontrollable frenzy. The sold-out crowd was constantly thrashing around and screaming along with just about every song in their hour-long set. The wave of hype Run the Jewels has picked up in hip-hop circles over the past year seems to helped expand their fanbase rapidly. It's great to finally see these two unheralded hip-hop veterans pick up the respect they've wholeheartedly deserved for the last two decades. As for the performance itself, everything was pretty much flawless. Killer Mike and El-P have an incredible rapport together and put 110% into every single verse they spit. Their excellent setlist selections allowed the duo to consistently show off their skills on the mic while also making sure that the room's high-energy level never wavered. Just about every top cut from both of their albums was played, with the anthematic "Sea Legs", explosive banger "36" Chain"  and the powerful and incredibly timely anti-police brutality track "Early" standing out from the pack.  On top of being excellent rappers, Killer Mike and El-P are two of the most genuinely good dudes you'll find in the music industry  They were incredibly gracious to the crowd for giving all their energy and supporting their music and with their frequent wide-smiles and exchanges of daps and hugs, you can tell that they are having a ball on-stage every single night. About the only downside to the set was the choice to close with "A Christmas Fucking Miracle and "Angel Duster". "A Christmas Fucking Miracle" and "Angel Duster" are both good tracks, it's just that their melancholy nature kind of killed the momentum and ended their otherwise relentless set on an anti-climatic note.  Run the Jewels' performance was a masterclass in hip-hop showmanship and I can not fucking wait to see them again on their next tour.

Scores:
Black Heart Broadway 5/10
Despot 8.5/10
Ratking 7/10
Run the Jewels 9.5/10

Setlist:
Despot included:
Knock, Knock Who Cares
Home is Where the Hood is
Look Alive
House Made of Bricks

Ratking:
Puerto Rico Judo
Snow Beach
So Sick Stories
Cocoa '88
New Song
Protein
Remove Ya
So It Goes
Fall in Love (Phantogram cover)
Canal

Run the Jewels:
Run the Jewels
Oh My Darling Don't Cry
Blockbuster Night Part 1
Banana Clipper
36" Chain
DDFH
Sea Legs
Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
Tougher Colder Killer (w/Despot)
Lie, Cheat, Steal
Pew Pew Pew
Early
All Due Respect
Love Again (Akinyele Back)
Get It
A Christmas Fucking Miracle

Encore:
Angel Duster

Concert Review: Run the Jewels (Killer Mike+El-P)-- Boston, MA-- August 13th, 2013

Boy I am glad I decided to go this show at the last minute after the Death Grips show scheduled for last Tuesday was canceled.

I got to the Paradise around 8, got in pretty quick and got a sick spot really close to the front of the stage. Around 8:30, Kool A.D. took the stage and got the ball rolling on the evening. I wasn't a big fan of Das Racist when they were around, but I must say I liked Kool A.D's solo stuff. It was pretty chill, jazzy material with some bizarre yet interesting wordplay. He was also a completely hilarious dude cracking jokes the whole set about everything from how he was the next Big Sean/Kendrick Lamar/Jay Electronica (obvious reference to the release of "Control", which has been burning up the internet over the past couple days.) to how his beats were made and what they went through to get out to the crowd. His music had a much different tone than the rest of the artists on the bill and he made for a nice change of pace from the more intense rappers that filled up the rest of the bill. Kool A.D. was a pleasant surprise and a solid opener for the show.

Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire was next. He got added to the show at the last minute and I'm very thankful that he did because he tore the place up. I had only a heard song or two by him prior to this show but his set last night guaranteed I'll be looking further into his stuff. His flow is very different and explosive and he had a lot of sick bass-heavy beats and catchy-ass hooks. Not to mention, he was running around like a crazy person for most of his set getting the crowd amped up (which was successful, he had almost as strong of as a reaction as Killer Mike and El-P.) Like Kool A.D., he was also hilarious when he addressed the crowd. He even stopped a song because people weren't clapping properly (I don't remember the exact quote, but it was priceless.) Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire is a hell of a performer and he at the top of my list of rappers to check out after this excellent and memorable performance.

Despot was up next. I knew next to nothing about him aside from his verse on "Tougher Colder Killer" by El-P. Safe to say after his set last night, he definitely made an impression on me. His style is really interesting with a lot of personal songs with abrasive beats and lyrical delivery. You can tell why El-P signed him because he has a similar swagger and intensity while still doing his own thing. Continuing with the theme of the evening, Despot was also incredibly funny delivering all his jokes with a deadpan delivery and impeccable timing. His set also had what was probably the funniest moment of the show, when he took a break halfway through the set to lead the crowd in an aerobics routine. El-P, Kool A.D., Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire and their respective DJ's came out to join him and it was just really entertaining to watch all these dudes do this ridiculous synchronized routine in the middle of a hip-hop show. Despot also said that his long in the works full-length album produced by Ratatat is actually near completion and should be out before too long (He said to prove that it was actually real: he had to play numerous songs from it, which he did.)  Despot can definitely spit and put on an entertaining set, I look forward to hearing his record whenever it comes out.

It was finally time for Killer Mike and El-P to hit the stage. It was cool because aside from performing as Run the Jewels, they each got 30 minute solo sets. Both had stunning moments (Killer Mike's a cappella performance of "Reagan", the keytar solo during "$4Vic/Nothing but You+Me) and shared an immense appreciation for their fans. I have to give El-P a lot of props for his use of a live band and Killer Mike for doing a lot of verses with no or a very subtle beat. While their solo sets were great, when they came together for Run the Jewels the performance became legendary. The whole room was on fire from the second the beat the dropped on "Run the Jewels" and didn't waver till the house lights came on to end the show. The charisma and report between Killer Mike and El-P is off the charts. Both have totally unique styles that compliment each other so well and create a whirlwind atmosphere on-stage. The friendly rap battle vibe of the album hits the next level in a live setting. Each verse is rattled off with unmatched ferocity as each man tries to one-up the one another while simultaneously showing each other mutual respect. Killer Mike and El-P have a unique bond that makes them like brothers and Run the Jewels is one of the strongest hip-hop collaborations of all-time. Just an outstanding, high-energy and hilarious show that shows just how strong underground hip-hop is today. RUN THE JEWELS!

Scores:
Kool A.D. 7.5/10
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire 8.5/10
Despot 8/10
Killer Mike 8.5/10
El-P 8.5/10
Run the Jewels 9.5/10

Setlists:
Kool A.D. included:
No
La Pinata
Manny Pacquiao

Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire included:
Huzzah Part 2
Elevators
I Was Drunk When I Wrote This
Orbz a.k.a. Some Wise Quote Drake Never Said
eXxx (closer)

Despot included:
Get Rich or Try Dying
Homesickness
Look Alive

Killer Mike:
Big Beast
Untitled
Reagan (a capella)
Don't Die
Go!
Southern Fried
Ric Flair
R.A.P. Music
God in the Building

El-P:
Drones Over BKLYN
The Full Retard
EMG
The Jig is Up
Sign Here
?
Stay Down
$4Vic/Nothing but You + Me

Run the Jewels:
Run the Jewels
Banana Clipper
36" Chain
DDFH
Sea Legs
Job Well Done
Tougher Colder Killer (w/Despot)
Get It
A Christmas Fucking Miracle