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Rawkus Records’ Rise & Fall Is Detailed In A New Video

It was 15 years ago this fall that Rawkus Records stopped releasing albums. The "Rawkus 50" campaign allowed a new generation of MCs and producers to digitally release product with the same label that introduced many Hip-Hop Heads to names like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Company Flow, High & Mighty,... Read more

August 28, 2022 Video

Rapper Trouble Killed In Atlanta Domestic Dispute

UPDATE: FOX 5 Atlanta reports that Jamichael Jones has turned himself into Rockdale, Georgia authorities. The 33-year-old has surrendered, following a two-day manhunt after the killing of Mariel Semonte Orr, who rapped under the name Trouble. Jones reportedly agreed to cooperate after police interrogated the suspect's mother. Reportedly while at... Read more

June 7, 2022 News

Here Are Our 20 Best Rap Albums Of 2020

We can all agree that 2020 has been something else. But we can also agree music has been a godsend—especially Hip-Hop music. It has been a pivotal year for Ambrosia For Heads, after a decade of dedication to the culture. However—as we like to do about this time, AFH offers our annual list of... Read more

December 15, 2020 Best Rap Albums Of 2020

Rage Against The Machine & Run The Jewels Announce Tour Dates

One of the hottest tickets in music for 2020 has been announced. The recently-reunited Rage Against The Machine has announced more than 35 dates, worldwide. They are touring with Run The Jewels, who have previously worked with Zack de la Rocha. Previously, Zack recorded extensively with El-P following the departure... Read more

February 10, 2020 Fresh

Here Are Ambrosia For Heads’ Top 25 Rap Albums Of The Decade

In the final hours of a decade, Ambrosia For Heads presents our Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums. The 2010s were a wild ride, with an onslaught of important new voices, and incredible maturation from veteran MCs. It was a 10-year span where artists and songs were discovered new places (including the... Read more

December 30, 2019 Best Rap Album 2010s

Talib Kweli & El-P Recall Rawkus Records Taking A Chance On Underground Hip-Hop

Run The Jewels and Company Flow co-founder El-P is the latest guest on Talib Kweli's The People's Party Podcast, with co-host Jasmin Leigh. The two natives of Brooklyn, New York have plenty of history together, including Hip Hop For Respect. They were label-mates at Rawkus Records during an inflection point... Read more

November 12, 2019 Video

Bun B & Run The Jewels Get Really Personal With Some Help From Big K.R.I.T. (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to go back... Read more

September 2, 2018 Audio

Prince Paul And Dan The Automator’s Handsome Boy Modeling School Lessons Still Apply (Video)

In the late 1990s, Hip-Hop was taking itself a bit too seriously—at least in the eyes of two highly-accomplished producers. An era remembered for its high-profile beefs, Champagne-poppin', and colorful and shiny videos was rich fodder for some veterans who wanted to jerk the steering wheel with creativity in mind.... Read more

August 16, 2018 Do Remember

Finding The GOAT Group: Run The Jewels vs. Boogie Down Productions. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’ annual competition series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry (which has been determined), including the possibility... Read more

July 4, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

Finding The GOAT Group: Slaughterhouse vs. Run The Jewels. Who Is Better?

“Finding the GOAT Group,” the fourth installment of Ambrosia For Heads’s annual battle series features Hip-Hop’s greatest collectives vying for the #1 spot. Sixty-two groups have been pre-selected by a panel of experts, and one slot will be reserved for a wild-card entry, including the possibility for write-in candidates, to... Read more

April 23, 2018 Best Hip-Hop Group, Finding the GOAT

El-P Has Killer Mike’s Back Even Though They Disagree On Gun Control

Over the last decade, one of Hip-Hop's more unlikely and yet, most enduring super-groups is Run The Jewels. The union began when El-P produced Killer Mike's 2012 album, R.A.P. Music. The release marked a new sound for the Adamsville, Georgia MC, and a different kind of collaborator for the Brooklyn,... Read more

March 26, 2018 Lifestyle, News, Video

Run The Jewels Bring On The Apocalypse In Their Latest RTJ3 Video

As 2017 lists (including Ambrosia For Heads' year-end list announcement) are pouring in, Run The Jewels is still set on adding to the album they released in the closing days of '16. RTJ3 and the tour that followed seemingly put Killer Mike and El-P's mid-2010s creation on a higher plane.... Read more

December 15, 2017 Video

Run The Jewels Show Off As They Body Slam A Statik Selektah Beat (Audio)

Run The Jewels is an undeniable force in Hip-Hop. The tag-team duo of Brooklyn producer/MC El-P and the honorable ATLien Killer Mike seem to surge with hype whenever they connect on track. The pair often provides thoughtful, hilarious and electrifying bars for the world to hear, over manic, forward-thinking production by... Read more

November 2, 2017 Audio

Run The Jewels Discuss Homophobia In Hip-Hop With Stretch & Bobbito (Audio)

During Hip-Hop's formative years through the 1990s, homosexuality was a taboo topic that held little to no real estate in the culture. For years, highly regarded MCs used facets of gay lifestyle as emasculating punchlines. But, during the past two decades, popular artists like Kanye West, Murs, Macklemore and Lil... Read more

September 6, 2017 Audio, Lifestyle

Run The Jewels Show America As The Little Shop Of Horrors It’s Becoming (Video)

Never ones to back down from melding political opinion with music, Killer Mike and El-P have made Run The Jewels arguably one of the most outspoken acts in Hip-Hop today. Whether addressing the flawed criminal-justice system in a music video or speaking out against Trumpian policies during live performances, the critically... Read more

July 6, 2017 Video

Aesop Rock Mourns A Fallen MC & Spits Personal Bars Of Pain (Video)

Nine years ago today (May 25, 2008), MC/producer Camu Tao (aka Tero Smith) died after a battle with lung cancer. At a time when his solo career was gaining strong traction, the Columbus, Ohio native was a linchpin to The Weathermen, MHz, S.A. Smash, Nighthawks groups and El-P's Definitive Jux... Read more

May 25, 2017 Video

Big Boi, Run The Jewels & Danger Mouse Dare Competition To Keep Up (Audio)

Since 2013's "Banana Clipper," Run The Jewels' Killer Mike has cemented the fact that even with his latest brand of music, mentor Big Boi fits into the fold nicely. On single, "Kill Jill," Daddy Fat Sax welcomes Mike Bigga to his lates party-starter. The Dungeon Family vibe is alive and well,... Read more

May 18, 2017 Audio

Killer Mike Casts A Different Perspective On Kanye’s Meeting With Trump (Video)

Killer Mike and Kanye West are two early 2000s Hip-Hop contemporaries. While Mike came up under Outkast and the famed Dungeon Family in Atlanta, 'Ye was attached to Jay Z and the Roc-A-Fella Records boom. Both artists were introduced as different kinds of Rap stars as they transitioned from memorable... Read more

April 3, 2017 Lifestyle, Video

Run The Jewels Bear Down On A Legal System That’s Stacked Against Us (Video)

Run The Jewels and powerful visuals have become synonymous. Since taking the Hip-Hop world by storm with their eponymous 2014 debut, El-P and Killer Mike have established the RTJ brand as one that is politically minded, unafraid to push boundaries, explosive on stage, and artfully innovative in video form. Fans... Read more

March 22, 2017 Video

El-P Explains How Def Jux Turned Into A Bubble That Didn’t Represent Him (Video)

In an exhaustive interview with Hot97's Ebro and Peter Rosenberg, Run The Jewels shared a ton of details about their career as a unit, while El-P and Killer Mike each also spent time sharing their unique, individual experiences as veterans in Hip Hop. For more than an hour, the interview... Read more

February 28, 2017 Video

Run the Jewels & Zack de la Rocha Bring Explosive Anti-Trump Energy on Stage (Video)

In the nation's capital last night (January 19), Run the Jewels put on a particularly significant show. The politically minded duo of El-P and Killer Mike turned it up a notch on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, inviting Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha to join... Read more

January 20, 2017 Video

Skillz’s 2016 Rap Up Reminds Us Of The Year’s Highs, Lows & Reasons To Stay Woke (Audio)

2016 is coming to a close. Years from now, how will we, the people, remember such an expansive year in Hip-Hop music, news, and culture? This year, some of the biggest MCs in the genre released new albums. Several of these efforts came in short notice, challenging new distribution platforms... Read more

December 30, 2016 Food for Thought

Can You Spot DOOM In This Graffiti-Inspired Company Flow Video?

El-P joined forces with Killer Mike to produce his album R.A.P. Music in 2012, officially forming their group Run The Jewels the following year. They have since released three studio albums, rocked a few late night talk shows, made some bold political statements, toured extensively, inspired some amazing graffiti, landed... Read more

December 29, 2016 Do Remember

Run The Jewels Surprise Release Their New RTJ3 Album As A Free Christmas Gift (Audio)

Since their inception, Run The Jewels have always put their fans first. They released both their first and second eponymous albums for free, in addition to selling them for digital download, and promised to do the same for their third installment. Earlier this month, the duo of Killer Mike and... Read more

December 25, 2016 Audio

Run The Jewels 3 Is Coming In January. Here’s The Artwork, Tracklist & A New Single (Audio)

In October, Run The Jewels, the duo of Killer Mike and El-P, confirmed that their third eponymous albums was in the works, and kicked it off with the blistering single, "Talk To Me." At the time, no other details about the album or its release were revealed, but "Talk To... Read more

December 1, 2016 Audio

Run The Jewels Will Not Concede. Their New Song Says It All (Audio)

Less than 24 hours after the 2016 US Presidential Election was called, Run The Jewels appears to punctuate the air of a partly astonished nation. "2100" featuring close affiliate Boots has a message of frustration with the same System that Killer Mike and El-P have rebelled against (as a unit)... Read more

November 9, 2016 Audio

Run The Jewels Release The First Single From RTJ3 & It’s Another All-Out Assault (Audio)

It has been two years to the month since Killer Mike and El-P released RTJ2. The pay-if-you-wish encore set from the Atlanta-to-Brooklyn super-duo came at a time where both MCs' careers benefited from each other, and making some of the biggest music of their lengthy tenures. RTJ3 now appears upon... Read more

October 24, 2016 Audio

Zack De La Rocha Is Back & Still Raging On An El-P Produced Outcry (Audio)

More than 18 years ago, the first Lyricists Lounge compilation released. Featuring De La Soul, Common, Mos Def (n/k/a Yasiin Bey), and Q-Tip, the Rawkus Records double album delivered the Underground Hip-Hop community to the mainstream (reaching the Top 200), with a plethora of important independent voices, and more than... Read more

September 8, 2016 Audio

Run The Jewels & DJ Shadow Give New Meaning To Political Warfare (Video)

Run The Jewels has a standing reputation for incredible music videos. As independent artists, Killer Mike and El-P have been able to make bold statements that match their cutting lyrics and pounding beats. Teaming with DJ Shadow for The Mountain Will Fall single "Nobody Speak," the rep is all the... Read more

August 24, 2016 Video

Run The Jewels Want Their Rhymes Over DJ Shadow’s Beat To Leave You Speechless (Video)

Run the Jewels are beloved for many things - not the least of which are the thoughtful, inspirational, and often comedic lyrics contained within their songs. As Heads learned back in April, the same goes for the duo's work with DJ Shadow, the highly celebrated DJ who is releasing his... Read more

June 14, 2016 Video

Run the Jewels Deliver An Ominous Warning In Virtual Reality (Videos)

Don't let the first several seconds of darkness fool you - Run the Jewels' new video is immersive, conceptual, and dope. The black-and-white 360-degree virtual reality ready visual for "Crown" is deceptively simple at its outset, with some thunder and lightning serving as understated effects as Killer Mike drops the track's... Read more

May 4, 2016 Video

Run The Jewels Celebrate The Birds & The Bees In Their Video For “Love Again”

Run The Jewels is known for their hard raps and nostalgic Hip-Hop aesthetics. Killer Mike and El-P channel the likes of 2 Live Crew, Eazy-E, and even Lil' Kim when they team with Gangsta Boo for "Love Again (Akinyele Back)." Even in its title, the late 2014 Run The Jewels... Read more

April 17, 2016 Video

Big Boi & Killer Mike Conjure Up Some Of That Dungeon Family Magic On “Born To Shine” (Video)

Late last year, Big Grams (Big Boi + Phantogram) released their self-titled debut EP. The major label hybrid featured two guests: Skrillex and Run The Jewels. One half of R.T.J. is Killer Mike, who 15 years ago, burst on the scene as one of the strongest branches of the Dungeon... Read more

March 28, 2016 Video

Q-Tip Opens Up His Archive Of Live A Tribe Called Quest Recordings To Celebrate Phife Dawg (Audio)

While Q-Tip did not appear on last night's edition of his Abstract Radio show on Beats 1, he dedicated the entire episode to his fallen A Tribe Called Quest brother, Phife Dawg, and celebrated him with a 2-hour mix of live and rare Tribe recordings, from Tip's personal archives. During... Read more

March 26, 2016 Audio

This 360° Run The Jewels Concert Is As Close As It Gets To Being On Stage With Them (Video)

Over the years, Run The Jewels, the duo of Killer Mike and El-P, have shown themselves to be among the most energetic performers in Hip-Hop. Mike and El pour as much passion into their onstage delivery as they do their fiery lyrics. To capture the energy and show what it... Read more

February 24, 2016 Video

Finding The GOAT Album: Jay Z’s The Black Album vs. Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

February 3, 2016 Finding the GOAT

Madvillain’s Madvillainy vs. Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein. Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

January 6, 2016 Finding the GOAT

Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter II vs. Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music Which Is Better?

One year ago, Ambrosia For Heads launched a debate among its readers seeking to answer one of Hip-Hop’s most hotly-contested questions: who is the greatest MC of all time? “Finding The GOAT MC” lasted between September 2014 and May 2015, engaging millions of readers and ultimately producing its winner, as... Read more

January 5, 2016 Finding the GOAT

Run The Jewels Fuel The Real Life “Warriors” In A New Animated Video For Rubble Kings

Although neither El-P nor Killer Mike comes from the 1970s Bronx, New York, Run The Jewels is the perfect vessel to capture the angst, the pride, and the power in the street gangs of more than 40 years ago. Film documentary Rubble Kings is Shan Nicholson's captivating look back. Mass Appeal... Read more

December 1, 2015 Video

Just Blaze Gives Away His Early 2000s Drum Sounds…For Free Download

Between 2000 and 2005, producer Just Blaze made iconic songs with the likes of Jay Z, Fabolous, The Game and Freeway. The Patterson, New Jersey native DJ/producer worked closely with Roc-A-Fella Records, in addition to launching his own production company, F.O.B. Entertainment. Although Just's breakthrough sound is often associated with... Read more

November 17, 2015 News

Run The Jewels Release a Fittingly Trippy Visual For Angel Duster (Video)

Run The Jewels are working their way through the self-titled sophomore album, which released one year ago today (October 24). El-P and Killer Mike are lacing fans with visuals to seemingly all of the Mass Appeal Records album's songs. But that's not all they're lacing... "Angel Duster" plays off of... Read more

October 24, 2015 Video

Run The Jewels Are Ruling The Stage. This New Tour Footage Visual Shows It (Video)

Often times, tour footage-driven videos can be mundane. Killer Mike and El-P's Run The Jewels outfit, however, has been rocking venues with palpable energy. So as the video to "Get It" shows the R.T.J. award tour, Heads who have not seen Mike, El, Trackstar the DJ, and others on the... Read more

October 13, 2015 Video

Celebrate Run The Jewels’ Tour With Music By Big Boi, Fashawn & TV On The Radio (Mixtape)

Run The Jewels are currently ruling the road. The duo of Killer Mike and El-P are taking the stage throughout October with their DJ, Trackstar The DJ, alongside proteges Boots and Cuz Lightyear, as well as Mass Appeal Records label-mates Fashawn. Appearing in Miami, Florida tonight (October 10), R.T.J. and... Read more

October 10, 2015 Mixes

Run the Jewels Perform on Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ & Bring Along a Big Name Backup Band (Video)

Now in his second week of his new tenure as host of the "Late Show," Stephen Colbert has already amassed an impressive list of musical guests including Toby Keith and Kendrick Lamar. Last night, El-P and Killer Mike graced the stage as Run the Jewels, performing "Angel Duster" off their... Read more

September 16, 2015 Video

15 Years Ago, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Common & More Used Hip-Hop for Justice. The Fight Continues.

Police officers (and law enforcement officials) murdering unarmed people of color has been a resounding issue, especially since the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin. However, while mainstream media has not always looked at the issue that extends back throughout the United States' history, other media has. One of those sources... Read more

September 7, 2015 Food for Thought

On the 1-Year Anniversary of Mike Brown’s Death, Run the Jewels Explain Why Riots Work.

One year ago today, Michael Brown, an 18-year old unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. The event, and the subsequent failure to indict Wilson for the shooting, set off widespread rioting in Ferguson and across the country, and also marked the commencement... Read more

August 9, 2015 Video

Run The Jewels Cat-Scratch The First “Meow The Jewels” Single (Audio)

The fan-funded Meow The Jewels remix project by Run The Jewels is on the horizon. Following January's snippet reel, "Meowrly" marks the first single. With Killer Mike, El-P, and Boots' vocals still in tact from "Early," this version incorporates those "cat sounds" in a way that strangely feels anything by... Read more

July 18, 2015 Audio

Public Enemy’s 13th Album Is Inspired By Kendrick Lamar & Run The Jewels

After 28 years of releasing albums, Public Enemy aims to make a dent in 2015. The Long Island, New York Hip-Hop group's 13th studio album, Man Plans, God Laughs will arrive in less than a month. On June 16 via Facebook, the band announced the news, sharing the artwork. Additionally,... Read more

June 20, 2015 News

Run The Jewels Turn The Back Of A Taxi Cab Into A Stage (Video)

Taxis are held up for robbery often. But for once, Run The Jewels in a cab is a great thing. Killer Mike, El-P, and Boots are the latest in Black Cab Sessions. In a crammed taxi cab, the three artists perform "Early." One of the most pointed (and topical) songs... Read more

June 11, 2015 Video

Run The Jewels Release a Powerful Animated Visual About Police (Video)

Over the last few years, Run The Jewels (the duo of Killer Mike and El-P), have released some of the most politically-charged music, in any genre. Songs like "Close Your Eyes (And Count to F**k)" and "Early," from Run The Jewels 2, explore their complex views on police, given a... Read more

May 15, 2015 Video