Run the Jewels Announce New Album, ‘RTJ3,’ and 2017 World Tour
Today, Run the Jewels, the hip-hop duo formed by El-P and Killer Mike, revealed that their third album, RTJ3, will be available on Jan. 13, 2017. The news arrived with the release of its third single, “Legend Has It,” which can be streamed above.
“Holy s—,” they said in a press release. “We can't believe we get to finally write this to you...RTJ3 IS READY!!!! After a straight year of work the next chapter in this madness is done. We'll spare you too much talk but we will say this: thank you so much for making Run the Jewels the most amazing experience either of us have had in our careers. We hope you feel the love and time we put in to this record and can't wait to share it with you and see you out on the road. Whether you buy it, download it for free, steal it from your annoying cousin or hear it at a show, just know that we are eternally grateful for the love you've shown us. Thank you thank you thank you thank you.”
The album’s cover is a new take on the same logo that has graced their previous two efforts. It’s a sculpture of a gold-plated version of the “pistol and fist,” and the group provided an explanation of the symbolism. “For us, the RTJ1 hands were about ‘taking what’s yours’ - your world, your life, your attitude,” they wrote. “The RTJ2 hands were wrapped in bandages, signifying injury and healing, which for us represented the growth in ideas and tone of that album. For RTJ3 the bandages are off, the chain is gone and the hands have been transformed into gold. For us this represents the idea that there is nothing to take that exists outside of yourself. You are the jewel.”
You can see the track listing below, and visit their website to pre-order RTJ3, which can be purchased in various formats and with different merchandise bundles. Run the Jewels also announced a tour (dates listed below) that will begin in Philadelphia on Jan. 11 and end in New York on Feb. 26, with a few European festivals set for the spring.
Run the Jewels, ‘RTJ3’ Track Listing
1. “Down” (feat. Joi Gilliam)
2. “Talk to Me”
3. “Legend Has It”
4. “Call Ticketron”
5. “Hey Kids (Bumaye)” (feat. Danny Brown)
6. “Stay Gold”
7. “Don't Get Captured”
8. “Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost)” (feat. Tunde Adebimpe)
9. “2100” (feat. BOOTS)
10. “Panther Like a Panther (Miracle Mix)” (feat. Trina)
11. “Everybody Stay Calm”
12. “Oh Mama”
13. “Thursday in the Danger Room” (feat. Kamasi Washington)
14. “Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters”
Run the Jewels 2017 Tour Dates
1/11 — Philadelphia, Pa.
1/12 — Washington, D.C.
1/13 — Pittsburgh, Pa.
1/14 — Cleveland, Ohio
1/16 — Columbus, Ohio
1/17 — Nashville, Tenn.
1/18 — Norfolk, Va.
1/20 — Raleigh, N.C.
1/21 — Atlanta, Ga.
1/23 — Orlando, Fla.
1/24 — St. Petersburg, Fla
1/25 — Miami, Fla.
1/29 — Tempe, Ariz.
1/30 — San Diego, Calif.
2/1 — Los Angeles, Calif.
2/2 — San Jose, Calif.
2/3 — Oakland, Calif.
2/5 — Arcata, Calif.
2/6 — Portland, Ore.
2/7 — Seattle, Wash.
2/8 — Vancouver, B.C.
2/10 — Salt Lake City, Utah
2/11 — Denver, Colo.
2/13 — Kansas City, Mo.
2/14 — St. Paul, Minn.
2/15 — Madison, Wisc.
2/17 — Chicago, Ill.
2/18 — Royal Oak, Mich.
2/19 — Toronto, Ontario
2/21 — Montreal, Quebec
2/22 — Portland, Maine
2/24 — Boston, Mass.
2/25 — New York, N.Y.
2/26 — New York, N.Y.
4/4 - 8 — Mayrhofen, Austria
5/31 - 6/4 — Barcelona, Spain
6/9 — Aarhus, Denmark
Photos of Run the Jewels + More at the Panorama Festival 2016