Lyrical tag team Run The Jewels brought out the hip-hop heads on Sunday night (June 14) as they closed out the last day of the Brooklyn Northside Festival. RTJ—comprised of Killer Mike and El-P—packed out BK’s McCarren Park in Williamsburg, causing a wet mosh pit while still delivering a hefty set despite the rainy weather.
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To set the party off, opening act and Def Jam signee, Vince Staples, lit up the stage with a brief yet satisfying set with a few of his standout tracks “Blue Suede,” “65 Hunnid,” “Hands Up” and his recently released “Senorita.”The Long Beach, Calif. native zipped through a few unheard tracks from his upcoming debut Summertime ’06, slated to drop June 30. While the eager concertgoers mouthed lyrics along with the Cutthroat Boyz member, they were eager to take in RTJ’s headlining show.
As the clock crept pass 9pm and the light drizzle turned into a steady downpour, Killer Mike, nursing an injured right arm held in place by a brace, and El-P, rocking jeans and a black T shirt, graced the stage to ear-splitting applause as attendees held up RTJ signs of a pistol pointed at a set of jewels. Once the beat dropped to “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry,” the duo marched to the front of the stage to kick off their rowdy set .
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Mike and El riled up the crowd when the beat dropped to “36″ Chain,”a song off their Run The Jewels LP. The crowd started throwing ‘bows as Killer showed off his thug dances accompanied with a vicious ice grill, setting the #IDGAF mood of the night. One ecstatic Stan yelled, “They’re actually about to perform some diligent rap lyrics” as RTJ brought back memories of 2013 with performances of “DDFH” and “Sea Legs.”
The show didn’t come without surprises. After spitting their respective verse to their oral sex anthem, “Love Again,” rapper Gangsta Boo stormed the stage to rep for the ladies while giving the male fans some eye candy. RTJ turned it up a notch with their highly energetic “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck),” “Lie, Cheat, Steal” and the politically charged “Early.” The Mass Appeal MVPs also announced that they’re working on Run The Jewels 3 before bringing out their CEO, Nas. God’s Son then blessed ears with a live rendition of his gritty street anthem “Made You Look.” There was no chill to be found.
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Run The Jewels attempted to close out the night with their somber “A Christmas Fucking Miracle.” but Jay Z’s native borough wasn’t having that. They wanted more. After Mike and P left the stage, fans erupted into a chant of “RTJ, RTJ, RTJ, RTJ, RTJ, RTJ.” The two reappeared, saying, “Yo, we only have two minutes” before gifting a few bars each from their track “Angel Duster.” As the drizzle turned into a storm, Run The Jewels still brought the thunder.