Run the Jewels — NPR Tiny Desk, 2017

Filmed at NPR’s Washington office and released in February 2017, this Tiny Desk Concert features Run the Jewels, the American hip-hop duo formed in 2013 by rapper-producer El-P (Jaime Meline) and rapper Killer Mike (Michael Render). With no DJ and no frills, in the tiny Tiny Desk space, the two MCs run through three tracks from their album “RTJ3” with disarming chemistry and raw energy. Heirs to New York’s independent rap tradition and Atlanta’s scene, El-P and Killer Mike have built a project where dense, abrasive production meets an openly political, activist message. The performance—no live instrumentation, but driven by a relentless flow and a well-honed stage rapport—illustrates the precision machinery of one of the flagship hip-hop acts of the 2010s. This multi-song live capture proves that Run the Jewels’ power depends on no decorum at all. An essential filmed live concert for understanding contemporary socially conscious rap and its enduring bite.