Powerful new video for Run the Jewels “Close Your Eyes” feat. Zack de la Rocha.  Directed by AG Rojas, it tackles the culture of violence between police and civilians.  The director writes:

When Run The Jewels sent me this track, I knew we had the opportunity to create a film that means something. I felt a sense of responsibility to do just that. We had to exploit the lyrics and aggression and emotion of the track, and translate that into a film that would ignite a valuable and productive conversation about racially motivated violence in this country. It’s provocative, and we all knew this, so we were tasked with making something that expressed the intensity of senseless violence without eclipsing our humanity. For me, it was important to write a story that didn’t paint a simplistic portrait of the characters of the Cop and Kid. They’re not stereotypes. They’re people – complex, real people and, as such, the power had to shift between them at certain points throughout the story. The film begins and it feels like they have been fighting for days, they’re exhausted, not a single punch is thrown, their violence is communicated through clumsy, raw emotion. They’ve already fought their ways past their judgements and learned hatred toward one another. Our goal was to highlight the futility of the violence, not celebrate it.

I am really proud of where we ended up, and I am very thankful that our actors Shea Whigham and Keith Stanfield committed to these characters 100%. They breathed complex life into two people who are usually portrayed in simplistic ways – as archetypes. I can tell you it was an emotional shoot day. It is tough to re-create moments that are so fresh and prevalent in our world today. It affected all of us in deep ways. But I believe that it is important that the way we feel when we see these events in real life has an effect on us. That we resonate with what we know to be right and we don’t numb ourselves out so those feelings can simply be swept away, we must confront them and take some action, however small, or we’ll be stuck in the same cycle of violence and hate.

Our copies are still in transit, but you can listen to the new Run The Jewels 2 on Soundcloud…

When they released the pre-order for Run The Jewels 2 (out Oct 27th), they added some jokey bonus  items, one of which was a “Meow the Jewels” package which included RTJ re-recording the album with cat sounds.  Someone started a “Meow The Jewels” Kickstarter to cover the $40,000 price tag, and yeah, it was just funded.

In case you would still like to contribute to the Kickstarter, there are still 11 days left.

I don’t know why we doubted that they’d reach (and surpass) the $45,000 goal…motherf******s are still bored….

Check the new trailer:

And pick up Jabee’s new album, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, out today.

Here’s the link to pre-order the new El-P release, Cancer 4 Cure out May 22nd. (and Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music Packages out May 15th)   Guests: Paul Banks (Interpol), Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, Danny Brown, Killer Mike, Despot, and Nick Diamonds of Islands.

First single, “The Full Retard“.

01 Request Denied
02 The Full Retard
03 Works Every Time
04 Drones Over BKLYN
05 Oh Hail No [ft. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire and Danny Brown]
06 Tougher Colder Killer [ft. Killer Mike and Despot]
07 True Story
08 The Jig Is Up
09 Sign Here
10 For My Upstairs Neighbor (Mums the Word)
11 Stay Down [ft. Nick Diamonds]
12 $4 Vic/FTL (Me and You)

Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3  (click image for link to info).  The third installment coming out on Gold Dust in August.  Arte por Travis Millard.