Run The Jewels to open for Jack White at MSG
Run The Jewels to open for Jack White at MSG
By: Caroline Murray
Sometimes, it is good to break out of your comfort zone.
Perhaps, that was Jack White’s thought process behind selecting hip-hop duo Run the Jewels to open for his Jan. 30 concert at Madison Square Garden.
The announcement came early January via Twitter, when White’s record label, Third Man Records, tweeted rappers EI-P and Killer Mike would be his special guests for this magical evening in New York. In response to this public display of affection, EI-P responded with probably the most honest words that man has ever uttered on a social media site:
“When you get asked to open for jack white at MSG. you say yes. its in the bible.,” EI-P tweeted out, shocking everyone in his fan-base plus the loyalists of Mr. White.
That is how I found myself ears-deep in their Run the Jewels 2 album (you can download for free by visiting their webpage) which was released last year. And, like Jack, I feel completely out of my comfort zone. I think.
Let’s talk about a song called “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” featuring Zach De La Rocha.
According to Spotify, this is their most popular hit off the album and I can see why. Remember the song “Swing” by Savage? Well, Close Your Eyes instrumentals sounds oddly like Savage’s party song. However, Close Your Eyes far surpasses it for one obvious reason: Run The Jewels produces real hip-hop music.
These two rappers have an authentic and classic hip-hop sound I think can be respected. I can see why White wanted EI-P and Killer Mike to grace the stage at MSG and shock the audience.
Maybe he invited the duo just for shock value alone, but also White might have felt inspired by their tunes? Some even say his latest solo-album Lazeratto has strands of hip-hop beats woven into it.
Run the Jewels came together in 2012, after EI-P produced Killer Mike’s rap album “R.A.P. Music.”
If you’re looking to hear more from the rappers, don’t expect to catch them in New York this January. The MSG concert is sold out, of course. But, the duo will be touring separately from White over the next few months.
To learn more about them and this song visit their webpage at:
