Review Summary: RTJ3, please have werewolf hands
Killer Mike and El-P have reared their devilish grins once again to give the people a very token Christmas gift in the middle of fall, with their sole intention being (as always) to turn the reverb and lean-drenched hip hop scene on it’s head. You open up that neatly little tied and very free gift on your computer, and you pause. Cats. Meows. Paws. Snuggly, little balls of fur. Have Run The Jewels truly gone insane, or are they simply catering to their (surprisingly large) middle-aged female demographic? In actuality, neither. If Meow the Jewels is commendable for anything, it is for presenting multiple talented producers with an unusual gimmick and allowing them to work their magic with it.
Now let’s get one clear thing out of the way; this is a remix album. Chances are pretty darn high that this won’t receive heavy rotation for anyone who listened to RTJ2 before this, but don’t let that idea turn you off to this project. The lyricism was the focus of the last album, and it, for the most part, is exactly the same as before, with some tracks containing more reverberation or effects added to the vocals. The beats are what truly make MTJ a whole 'nother beast. In case it wasn’t clear from the album title or description, all of the beats on this project are created via cat sounds. Purrs, meows, shrieks, etc. The original album made of bangers, hard-hitting anthems, and fist-pumping drum beats is now replaced by ambient and glitchy musical notes delivered by a chorus of cats and kittens. One thing that’s notable while listening to this remix more and more is the musical proficiency brought on by many producers. Tracks like “Close Your Eyes And Meow To Fluff” and “Meowrly” feature many well-thought out and executed musical ideas, with the former containing an a capella section for Zack De La Rocha’s final verse, adding a surprising new flavor of depth to the verse that was absent before. The latter has a new beat entirely, composed with a low rumbling purr and a catchy sub-melody of cat pitches, maintaining the eeriness of the original track while adding an interesting, glitchy theme to it.
As said before, RTJ2 was an album of bangers. “Blockbuster Night Part 1” and “Lie, Cheat, Steal” are still hard-hitting cuts to listen to, and the most notable element to the production is the percussion. It’s heavy, and it adds booming flavor. MTJ has, for lack of a better expression, none of that. Sure, “Oh My Darling Don’t Meow” still has the percussive elements to it along with some other tracks, but cat noises simply don’t hit as hard. Tracks like “Paw Due Respect” and the aforementioned “Oh My Darling Don’t Meow” contain entirely different vibes because of this, with the former being borderline beautiful with the chord progression, and the latter containing a moderately humorous horror story fitted into the song. Despite this, there still is the problem of a lack of cohesion between the lyrics and the actual tracks. Adding to the problem, certain tracks such as “Lie, Cheat, Meow” and “Creown” are just straight up garbage. Not all of the tracks are as bad as these, but many just don’t feel like they should with the lyrical content.
Enjoyment of MTJ will mostly be limited to these three questions. 1) Do you like glitch and ambient hip hop tracks? 2) Did you like RTJ2? 3) Do you love your little devil of fur, no matter how much they scratch your open and loving hands? If you answered yes to any of these, then MTJ will be worth checking out. If not for the actual music contained on it, then for the simple talent and creativity that is portrayed on this project. Try to write a review out of cat sounds, nonetheless create an entire remix project out of them.
