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RTJ4
by
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
RTJ4 Image
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 325 Ratings

  • Summary: Released a few days early (for free on their website), the fourth full-length studio album for the rap duo features guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Zack de la Rocha, DJ Premier, Josh Homme, Greg Nice, Mavis Staples, and Pharrell Williams.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. The Observer (UK)
    Jun 8, 2020
    100
    RTJ4 supersizes their outsider aesthetic without squandering any hard-won authenticity. Icy disquisitions on the missing soul of modern America jostle with good-natured boasts from the golden age of hip-hop, yielding a remarkable hit rate.
  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Jun 5, 2020
    100
    RTJ4 is Killer Mike & El-P’s masterstroke. This is musical evolution for moral, social and political revolution, the group now creating anthems in the pursuit of tolerance, respect and unity.
  3. Variety
    Jun 3, 2020
    95
    Above all, “RTJ4” is a triumph of all sorts of unexpected syntheses, seamlessly uniting disparate moods, styles and eras. ... If Killer Mike and El-P haven’t yet fully ascended to that most rarefied plane of telepathically attuned hip-hop partnerships — Q-Tip and Phife, Prodigy and Havoc, Erick and Parrish — they’ve come extraordinarily close.
  4. Paste Magazine
    Jun 8, 2020
    87
    They treat hip-hop as a universal and political language that transcends identity, relying on the mechanics of the genre as a vehicle to tell meaningful stories, even if it means driving that vehicle directly into the building. RTJ4 is the perfect soundtrack to the revolution, especially the one not televised.
  5. Q Magazine
    Jun 30, 2020
    80
    This is the sound of RTJ staking their claim as one of the all-time great hip-hop duos. [Aug 2020, p.112]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Jun 9, 2020
    80
    The result is hardly dry or academic: The palpable anger coursing through tracks like “Yankee and the Brave” and “JU$T” — the latter featuring Pharrell Williams and Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha — feels as cleansing as an acid bath. And fury isn’t the only sensation the group articulates on its most emotionally complex album so far.
  7. The Wire
    Jul 10, 2020
    70
    It’s a strange brew, some distance from the monumental party music that has tended to characterise the duo’s three previous albums. [Jul 2020, p.50]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 61
  3. Negative: 4 out of 61
  1. holden-3030
    Jun 3, 2020
    10
    "And everyday on evening news they feed you fear for free
    And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me
    And 'til my voice goes    "And everyday on evening news they feed you fear for free
    And you so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me
    And 'til my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, 'I can't breathe'"    … Expand
  2. Tgod
    Jun 4, 2020
    10
    El-ps production has gotten god level and the way he weaves aggression in his beats is something only a veteran can do. lyrically there isn’tEl-ps production has gotten god level and the way he weaves aggression in his beats is something only a veteran can do. lyrically there isn’t a verse anywhere besides maybe 2 chains verse . Plus killer mike mentions jimmy savile and high level pedophiles in power just makes this feel like they’re holding no punches and going out on their ships… Expand
  4. Mykel0310
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    I didn't know about Run The Jewels until like 2017 which was the same year i found out about Gorillaz the animated band but ever since thenI didn't know about Run The Jewels until like 2017 which was the same year i found out about Gorillaz the animated band but ever since then I've been listening to Run The Jewels and when rtj4 came out i loved it from the gritty beats to the fantastic meaningful lyrics. It was one of my favorite albums of 2020 and still is in my Top 10 along with No pressure by Logic, After Hours by The Weeknd, Song Machine by Gorillaz and Savage Mode 2 by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.… Expand
  5. 22am
    Jun 4, 2020
    10
    Instant classic. Mike and EL-P as insane as always, I'd even call this their best to date.
  6. Cookie0329
    Dec 26, 2020
    9
    Instrumentals fully on point, both voices are insanely talented, spitting absolute fire.
  7. Joel_Freecheck
    Jun 4, 2020
    9
    Returning from a break with this level of quality music is astounding. Run The Jewels reminds the world that their finger on the pulse ofReturning from a break with this level of quality music is astounding. Run The Jewels reminds the world that their finger on the pulse of society is still unrivaled.… Expand
  8. IndianaParkWars
    Dec 10, 2020
    0
    9.6/12

    The opening track contains the same energy as "Yeezus" by Kayne West. RTJ is saying that they're angry and they have **** to say.    9.6/12

    The opening track contains the same energy as "Yeezus" by Kayne West. RTJ is saying that they're angry and they have **** to say. Their albums are typically vulgar and political and this one puts that in your face. And what a better time than 2020 with the civil rights movements and Killer Mike's speech on it.
    "Ooh La La" is such a hit. "Legend Has It" was a favorite of mine but this one is up there with my favorites. It's one of those songs that makes you feel badass and makes you want to move. The production is perfect, the lyrics are intelligent, and the refrain is catchy.
    "Pulling the Pin" is great and memorable with the legendary Mavis Staples and Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures). It's like a QOTSA song with Staples' vocals and RTJ's verses. It's tremendous.
    "Ju$t" is an incredible song as well. It is angry and makes a good point in our current racial climate. Systemic racism is embedded in our culture and racist people are honored. "Just like the slave masters on your dollars." We honor these people and put them on paper money or as logos on food or as statues or street names. Yet, they owned human beings and played a role in oppressing BIPOC. It may be "inconsequential", but we need a new slate and some changes.
    The biggest problem this album has is its forgettable tracks. After several listens, a lot of the tracks meld into one and don't stand out too well.

    ALBUM ARTWORK: Their album names and covers are quite simple. They're always the same thing. RTJ# and their symbol animated differently. But, that's what it is and it works for them. Like "Fetch the Bolt Cutters", the color scheme here is black, gold, and purple (or maybe more pink). It feels powerful and bold. This may be the color scheme of the year. It really works.
    Artwork rating: 9/12    … Expand

See all 61 User Reviews

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