Run the Jewels Rock Shrine Expo Hall With New Album And Guest Appearances

Joseph Baura

Duos in hip-hop during the so-called Golden Era were somewhat of a common occurrence. From groups like Outkast to Eric B & Rakim, it seemed as if there was something special about two MCs sharing the spotlight and bouncing rhymes off of each other. Now, it seems like rap groups are a rare breed. However, Killer Mike and El-P, also known as the group Run the Jewels, is making sure that the art of maintaining hip-hop’s yin and yang continues to live on. Despite years of being solo artists, the two rappers never seemed to really hit the level of success that made them household names. In 2013 the stars seemed to align when Killer Mike and El-P decided to work together and create the self-titled album, “Run the Jewels”. Something clicked and three albums into their collaboration, Run The Jewels is one of the most touted and respected groups in hip-hop. Coming off the recent release of their album, “Run the Jewels 3”, Killer Mike and El-P are hitting the tour circuit in full stride with a 37 show schedule. Their most recent stop was L.A.’s Shrine Expo Hall, where they shook the venue off of its foundation.

With the lights dimmed to complete darkness, a spotlight hit the front of the DJ booth and the words Run The Jewels was illuminated in bright red text. From the beginning, fans showed their enthusiasm by chanting, “RTJ, RTJ, RTJ!” As the duo stepped onto the stage, their DJ played Queen’s, “We Are the Champions”, as Killer Mike and El-P crept to the center of the stage singing along with the tune. At the top of his lungs, Killer Mike exclaimed, “This night is gonna feel like the ’92 riots!”

The fans roared in approval, knowing that his promise wasn’t going to be a false one. Run The Jewels kicked off the show by performing consecutive songs off of their recent album, “Run the Jewels 3”. Their song “Call Ticketron” received the most of cheers from the excitable crowd. Killer Mike and El-P seamlessly moved about the stage, bouncing the flows off of each other throughout each song. They also made sure to meet at the center of the stage on several occasions to pose for their fans.

With fans creating mosh pits in the crowd, Killer Mike took a chance to let security know that their fans were responsible and respectful. “These people are from the same community. If one of them falls, they will pick each other up, so let them do what they need to do,” said Killer Mike. One of the more notable occurrences of the night was the appearance of Danny Brown to perform the track, “Hey Kids (Bumaye)”. However, what brought the fans to a level of insanity was the unexpected appearance of Blink 182’s Travis Barker to perform, “All Due Respect”. To close the show, RTJ decided to rev up the intense audience more by bringing out Rage Against the Machine’s Zack De La Rocha to perform “Kill Your Masters”. Run The Jewels brought a show to the Shrine that was not only exciting but exceeded all of their fan’s expectations.

Run the Jewels performed at the Shrine on Feb. 1