The music itself is far more down-tempo and noticeably less aggressive that its predecessor. Furthermore, the “call-and-response” tag-team format isn’t as obvious this time around as most of the songs have a more defined verse/chorus structure. Consequently, RTJ2 seems to lack the sense of urgency that pervaded the eponymous debut. There are exceptions to this of course, with much of the first half of the album consisting of high-energy bangers.
The guest spots, despite my reservations, were all rather impressive and fit like a glove. Zach de la Rocha initially seemed an odd choice to me, but on Close Your Eyes, his contributions worked surprisingly well.
The most interesting collaboration on RTJ2 manifests as a battle of the sexes on Love Again. Initially I was a little taken aback by the sexual braggadocio as it seemed a little out of character for El-P (and by extension, Run The Jewels), but once Ghetto Boo’s verse came in, the penny dropped and the tongue-in-cheek (or should that be tongue-in-clit? Perhaps dick-in-cheek?), virtually self-parodic nature of the objectification made it much more palatable.
*(Editor's note: Am I the only one who thinks Shaft-sampling would make a great porn title?)
As much as I love RTJ2, no album’s perfect. With that said, however, the only criticism I can muster is a petty one. The lyrical throwbacks on No Come Down (which referenced Stay Down’s “You know I get down, I’m a downer”, with the lyrics “You know I get loose I’m a screw-turn”), and Banana Clipper (with the line ”I move with the elegance of an African elephant” recalling Untitled’s “You are witnessing elegance in the form of a black elephant”), were a definite highlight of RTJ. Unfortunately, their second jewel run is decidedly bereft of Easter eggs such as these*.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say that this is the best thing I’ve heard all year.
* Blockbuster Night, Part 2 opens with a sample of an elephant’s trumpet and the line “The elephant’s in the room”, but it’s a bonus track, so it doesn’t count.
Troy Alexander
(again, you can download it for free legally here)