Best of 2020: Top Five Albums

This week kicks off my best of 2020. Again, I am not going cliché and claiming nothing good came out of 2020. A lot of good stuff has come out as far as entertainment, but I will say, this may have been the hardest for me because I didn't search out a lot of new stuff. I revisited, and was shown things that came out years ago that I now love.

For example, today I am going to do my top five albums of the year. If I just did what I listened to, this list would be pretty much all Talking Heads. I have fallen deeply, deeply in love with that band. I have also gone back and listened to more Bowie, I have revisited Bob Marley a lot more recently, The Beatles and Rolling Stones have been in heavy rotation as well. I could have done that, but I didn't. I was able to find five records that came out this year that I enjoyed for various reasons. So, while I may want to put "Stop Making Sense" as my personal top album of 2020, that isn't going to happen.

Coming in at number five I have Childish Gambino's new record, "3.15.20". Now, this record is not anywhere near as good as "Awaken. My Love". But not many records are. And when he dropped "This is America", he went to a whole other level. I have said it a lot, and I'll say it again, Donald Glover is immune to criticism. When he does something, it works, and "3.15.20" falls in line. This album is so good because it was unexpected. The rumors were that he was done with music after "Awaken, My Love". And even with "This is America", that could have just been a one off because of how amazing it was. But "3.15.20" came out when a lot of people were looking for something new and different. Here in Saint Louis we locked down on March 16th, and this album came out about a week later. And it is good. It reminds me of "Because the Internet". It is different and has some cool beats and lyrics and Glover does some interesting things on the record. It felt like an experience for him. It is a project, but a good project. It was needed and it helped me, and I assume many others, get through the early part of quarantine. I listened a ton to it when riding my bike early on, and revisited it the other day, and it holds up. It didn't get the press it deserved, but it is definitely worth a listen.

Number four I have Man Man's "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between". This record feels like it was made for dancing. I have to credit Har Mar, Sean Tillman, for bringing this album to my attention after seeing him tweet about it. I have always liked Man Man, but this album made me fall in love. It is fun, my kids love it, we have dance parties and it is great for a drive, which we do a lot now. The songs all flow really well, the band sounds amazing and this record has been on repeat for a good long time since I first listened in the late summer. I adore this album.

At number three I have Bright Eyes new album, "Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was". I did not know that Bright Eyes had been working on a new album until my buddy told me about it. When we were able to run together, wearing masks of course, he let me know all about it, he is a fan, and I was getting stoked. Then I kind of forgot about it until he texted me the day it came out. I listened immediately and loved it right away. It took me back 15 years ago when I first listened to Bright Eyes, but both myself and the band have grown up. The album is a bit more upbeat. It is still filled with sad lyrics, deals with heartbreak and addiction like their other stuff, but with an eye of optimism. Conor Oberst has grown up, been through some shit, dealt with it and has come to a place where he has accepted it all. That comes through full force on the album. The songs are good, the band is good and it is nice to have this band that I listened to at my personal lowest sound grown up and upbeat, just like I have since I got married and had kids. This record is a breath of fresh air.

At number two I have Heart Bones record "Hot Dish". Heart Bones is a two piece pop band made up of Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis. But, they are so much more than straight up pop music. They both sound excellent on the record. They sing great songs about interesting topics. They just both happen to have voices that sound poppy. But they are not your typical pop band. When my wife listens with me she deems them to be more alternative rock, and I can definitely hear that in them. I was supposed to see them on tour, but COVID happened. That was a bummer, but at least we all got this record. This is a good dancing record, a la the Man Man album, only better. I really dig this record, I listen to it a lot, and their version of "Hungry Eyes" is one of the raddest things I have ever heard.

Finally, at number one, I think it comes as no surprise that "RTJ4", by Run the Jewels, is the record of the year. This album is the best for so many different reasons. They released it early and for free. It is the soundtrack to the younger generation, and the people sick and tired of being pushed around. It is the soundtrack to the revolution I feel like is brewing. The songs are some of the hardest, yet moving tracks I have ever heard. Killer Mike and El-P are at the absolute top of their game, and the whole music game for that matter. This record is on constant repeat. I listen to it when I run almost all the time. I have let my kids listen because I feel they need to hear it. I have broken down lyrics from songs for my dad to think about because this record is this important. I have sung the praises on the podcast and the website. This album is a no brainer for album of the year. They capped it off by doing the "Holy Calamavote" concert on Adult Swim. That was one of the coolest, and much needed, things I have watched and listened to all year. Run the Jewels is the best. They have gotten better with each album and "RTJ4" is an absolute, 500 foot homerun. This album rules and it is, far and away, the best album of the year.

Okay, those are my personal top five albums of 2020. Come back tomorrow for my top five movies.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Holy Calamavote"

I watched the Run the Jewels show that they did on Adult Swim this weekend, "Holy Calamavote", this afternoon, and it was amazing.

This was the first, and only time, they will perform this album live this year. They had a planned tour, supporting Rage Against the Machine, but the pandemic put a total halt to that. I read things where RTJ was trying to do something like this, a live performance, but didn't have a platform, or felt comfortable enough to do it. Then Adult Swim and Ben and Jerry's got involved, and they had their chance. They got tested, quarantined for the allotted time, and were able to pull off this show. They also wanted it to be important, to take a stance and help people, and they used the platform to urge people to go out and vote. This show was put together to promote voting. They mentioned time and again how important it is, especially this year, to go out and vote. Our vote is our weapon, and that is the only way we can make things change. They put that front and center.

As for the performance, I mean come on, these guys are at the top of the game right now. They are the best rap group, and best overall group, making music right now. Not only is the music good, it is well made, important, personal and an absolute reflection of the world we live in right now. I have sung the praises of this most recent RTJ record to the high hills. This is the record of the year by a mile, and this performance only further proved that. They were awesome. The visuals were amazing. The guest list was top notch. And seeing Killer Mike and El-P perform this record live, it was so god damn amazing and impressive. They did each song, in order, from the new record. Eric Andre hosted the show, and they would cut to him from time to time, but this was all about RTJ and their music. All the songs were great, and hearing them live just adds so much more to the listening experience. DJ Nice was on stage with them during "Ooh LA LA". That was pretty cool. A famous Atlanta DJ came out and scratched during a song. Gangsta Boo came out during "Walking in the Snow", and that was a transcendent performance. I mean, the song started with that heavy guitar, and El did his verse, and then it was Killer Mike's turn. He smashed the first part, and when he got to the "I can't breath" part, the whole stage and group went silent, and then Killer Mike ended that verse acapella. It was powerful and moving and made me listen more than I ever had before to what he is saying in what I consider to be the song of the year, and possibly the generation. It was an astonishing performance. They did "JU$T" after that, and Pharrell and Zack de la Rocha did their spots. Josh Homme and Mavis Staples appeared on screen for the song they are featured on as well. Staples' voice was beautiful and haunting. They ended the show with "A Few Words for the Firing Squad", and to see the two of them bear their souls was so, so great. It was such a moving and cool and fierce and awesome and perfect way to present that song. When they were nearing the end, when the song is all horns, both members expressed the importance of voting and using our voices this election. Then El-P formed a fist and Killer Mike formed a gun to make the RTJ symbol, and the lights were on their hands only. It was so god damn cool. They proceeded to leave the stage with the secret ending that shows up at the end of "Firing Squad", and El grabbed his stuff, and both he and Killer Mike put on a mask and drove off in Killer Mike's car. They came back on to again express the importance of voting. It was truly wonderful. The show was cool, the visuals added so much, El-P and Killer Mike are damn fine performers, their music is important , the people filming were masked and kept their distance, all the while getting amazing shots, it was simply perfect.

I loved this so very much. It gave me so much of what I have missed this year. I got to see my favorite band perform live. I was moved to vote more so than I already am. I have even more respect for Michael Render and Jamie Melina, which I didn't know was possible. I got to vibe out to the best record of the year. And they did it all for a great cause. I highly recommend this special for everyone. It is available to watch everywhere, it is as live as we will get this year and it is the best music you will hear all year. Please watch and make a plan to vote. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: The Final Verdict

Wrapping up my week long deep dive into "RTJ 4", I want to talk about how important, influential and historic this record is.

This is one of the best records to come out in years. I have deep dived into each song, wrote a piece on the "ooh la la" video and have listened to it dozens of times to this point. It is a solid record with hit after hit. This is one album where you don't skip any songs. Each song has something cool and unique and different. The 11 tracks on here offer something to every listener. I feel like this is a record that can get non hip hop people, people who say they don't like rap, to listen and find something they enjoy. It spans genres and has something for everyone. It is a perfect record. It has made that seemingly impossible goal.

As for its importance, I mean, there are about a million different reasons why this is an important record. We live in dark, dark times. There is a pandemic, there is police brutality and murder, there is a "president" that is clearly a white supremacist. We live in the darkest timeline. We live in a "Black Mirror" episode right now. So the importance of "RTJ 4" is front and center. They talk about all of it, and then some. They cover all kinds of ground. "walking in the snow" has Killer Mike saying the words, "I can't breath" in a whisper, and he wrote that over two years ago. It is even more prominent now. This is the protest record that we all need right now. This is the record filled with anthems that will be played at rallies and protests and any other gathering of individuals that want change, that need change. We need things to be different. We need equal rights for all. Black Lives Matter. The police have too much money and power. The "government" is a sham and a farce. It is all covered on this album perfectly. Every time I listen I get the slightest sense of relief. I think that things are going to be okay. I have this hope that the future is in good hands. And a lot of it is due to the searing lyrics on "RTJ 4". A lot is also due to Killer Mike and El-P. And I know during the week it feels like I haven't spoken about El-P enough. I want to say that he is tremendous, a great rapper, an excellent producer and beat maker and the best partner Killer Mike could have ever asked for. El-P is awesome. Killer Mike just does something otherworldly on this album. They both have gotten better, Killer Mike is just in a whole other echelon right now. He grew leaps and bounds on this album. He is the voice of the new generation. I know he may not want that position, but dammit, he is too important to all of us right now. Listen to the album, and then go watch him speak on the myriad of shows he has appeared on for the past month. He is speaking the truth.

As for the album’s influence, I am sure, almost 100 percent, that there are kids out there, teenagers, kids in their early 20's, who want to make important political music, and their gateway, their textbook, will be "RTJ 4". There is going to be a big group of people that come up in the next decade, and some that will hit it big, I would bet any money that they reference "RTJ 4" as the reason why they decided to push on. Just like 70's rockers thank old blues musicians, or Daft Punk talks about French synth music, or The Beatles talking about Little Richard, that will be "RTJ 4" in the future. I have no doubts.

And as for its history, hell it is all above. This record is going to go down as one of the greats. Years from now, it will be on best of the early 2020's lists. This is going to be a record that all publications and websites as the revolutionary record of the 2020 pandemic. People will talk about it as an election year record. It is going to be talked about for years and years to come, and that is such a great thing. There is a movement happening. People are fed up, we are angry, we don't like the police or the "government" and enough is enough. "RTJ 4" is the soundtrack to this revolution that is going to happen sooner rather than later. It is one of the best records that have ever been put into existence, and it will be remembered for all time.

I thank Run the Jewels, and I am so very impressed by what they did. I am going to go listen to the record the 100th time now. I suggest you do too. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: Day 3

Today I am going to talk about the last three tracks on "RTJ 4", leaving tomorrow open for me to talk about why this record is so revolutionary and so important. Let's get to these tracks first.

"The Ground Below" comes in hot, with distorted instrumentation, and man does it bang. Killer Mike comes in and destroys right away, saying he is "Godzilla and we are all Tokyo". That is perfect. It says it all in 6 words. He then talks about supporting sex workers unionizing. Gosh, he is the man. Then El-P does the chorus, and he then gets a verse. He goes hard on this track. His rap style is so perfect for the music that plays over this song. It just works so perfectly. I also love when he says, "this isn't a conspiracy, but you all are against me". The song then drops off for a minute, slowing down, and then fast drums and Killer Mike comes back in, speaking so many truths, as he does this whole record. I also love how he tells us, the listeners, that they have given us all so much for free. It is true and I love him for that. This song starts fast, slows down for about 15 seconds, then finishes with a deafening boom. There is so much heat packed into a less than three minute song. RTJ have become masters of doing that.

The next track, "Pulling the Pin" features Josh Homme, from Queens of the Stone Age, on drums, and Mavis Staples on backing vocals. Those 2 are a get, especially Staples. To get Mavis Staples on a track, that shows importance, fame, influence and attention they've garnered over 4 records now. That is an achievement. The song happens to rule as well. Homme's drumming adds a very cool layer to the music. I also really like the ominous beat that is attached. It is slowed down for a purpose, and El-P comes on first, almost speaking directly to us rather than rapping. It is awesome. The stuff he says is very profound too. This is his Killer Mike, his Jordan moment. He shines on this first verse. I find myself going back to this song a lot more lately just to listen to the lyrics. To study them a bit. And after his verse is when Staples comes in, and just hearing her voice is a treat. Then Killer Mike comes in and does that super fast lyricism, but it is understandable and the words hold weight. He then slows it down and really shines through. He is so good on this record, and I feel like he is cementing himself as one of the best emcees of all time. In fact, both him and El-P are climbing up the rankings as best rappers in the game right now, and forever. Staples then finishes the song off, and it is great. She is one of the all time greats, one of the classic singers of all time.

The final song, "A Few Words for the Firing Squad(Radiation)", reminds me a lot of "A Message to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters", off of "RTJ 3". It starts off with a repetitive guitar that gets louder throughout. Then El-P starts off the song, and much like the track before, he is so smooth with this slower beat. When the saxophone comes in, that just adds a whole other layer to their music. It shows growth, and a want to try new things from RTJ. I love it. Then Killer Mike comes in with a very personal story about his mom's passing. It is painful and sad and, for anyone that has experienced loss, it is relatable. He then talks about how people want him to become a voice for change, but how his wife wants a husband and not another martyr. I love when artists get personal as I said yesterday. Then El-P does his thing again, and Killer Mike does as well with the second verse. They both come at you hard in what is their final verse of the album. Both personal, both telling it like it is and both crushing. The song then drops for a minute, and we get strings, with that guitar, except really slow. Then sound explodes, and the saxophone is put on full display. It is very cool, and they let the listener sit in this for about a minute. The album then totally drops, you may think it is over, but then a narrator of sorts comes on and gives a very cool speech about the two of them over a dope beat. The song has a little chorus of "yankee and the brave", and the album is over. It is perfect.

I love, love, love this record and all the songs. I will get fully into detail tomorrow, but it still needs to be said today. "RTJ 4" is a god damn work of art, and we really, really need it right now.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: Day 2

Okay, so the next 3 songs I'm going to talk about off "RTJ 4" run the gamut of greatness, importance, revolutionary and may be the best three song sequence I have ever heard on a record in my lifetime. These songs are going to go down in history. Especially the first one I'm going to speak on, "Walking in the Snow".

“Walking in the Snow” is the anthem for the current mode of society. This song speaks so many truths it is insane. The fact that this was written well before what is currently going on in the country involving the police is foreboding. It has some "Simpsons" type vibe to it as in predicting the future. The song starts off with a very cool, very distorted guitar. Then it shifts right into verse one, and El-P crushes. He is so good at talking about how bad the world is. How people are treated unfairly because of their place in the world. He says so many things that I agree and can relate with. Throw in the fact that Gangsta Boo is doing the chorus, it makes this song great. What makes this song legendary, historic and profound is Killer Mike's verse. The way he breaks down school scores in world wide testing is perfect. When he then shifts to this is how they predict what prisons will be like in the future, I swear to goodness he is an oracle. He then hits us with the verse where he talks about a police officer choking him out until he says, "I can' breathe", it took my breath away in the best, and most prolific way I have ever been through when listening to music. To then follow it up saying the best it will get out of people is a Twitter rant and people talking for a week, then just forgetting about it, I don't know if a truer statement has been made in music. Both come back with minor verses to close out the song, and I love what Gangsta Boo does at the end. But, "Walking in the Snow" is going to become the anthem for the time. It will be our new "Fuck tha Police", our new "Fight the Power", our new protest anthem for decades to come. This song was a vision of the future when they wrote it around two years ago, and to hear it now, it brings a shiver down my spine by how accurate it is. It is, without a doubt, the most important song on the record, and might be, scratch that, is the most important song of the year, and possibly decade.

They follow that up with "JU$T", which features Zack de la Rocha and Pharrell Williams. This song is a perfect encapsulation of people trying to make money off their image, but being controlled by the government and the powers that be. Killer Mike mentions all this in the first verse. He also does it later in the song when he talks about telling us to "Kill Your Masters", which is also a great, important song. Pharrel Williams is fantastic on the chorus. The things he says are so true, and the way it is put out there is perfect. El-P then comes in and reiterates what Killer Mike says, but puts his wonderful spin on current affairs. He is a great, great writer. Add that to his production, the guy is a genius. His comedy line at the end of his verse is dope as hell too. Then de la Rocha comes in and spits straight fire like he has always done. His verse is brutal, he rips everyone and the verse apart. I love the distortion he uses on the mic too, that is kind of his signature. When he teams up with RTJ, it is going to work no matter what. When the three of them are together on a track, that is what gives me my most visceral moments when I listen. I yell out in my car, or on my runs whenever I hear the three of them trade verses. It is true beauty.

"Never Look Back" is RTJ at their bleakest on this record, but they do that better than anyone. This song is all about not dealing with the BS, at least for me. They both had rough childhoods it sounds, but they are pushing ahead and trying to right their wrongs. This song is kind of like them growing up on the mic. It is really cool to hear them talk about personal experiences, and how they have grown from them. I like when artists bare themselves on tracks like this. They also slow this one down a bit in the middle, but come back with a vengeance, and of course it works. When El-P comes back in after the little slow down, and he and Killer Mike trade words and verses, it is such a great way to close out this near perfect track.

These three songs are some of the best songs, in any genre of music, that I have heard in quite some time. This is the point in some records where it might drag. But "RTJ 4" is different. They take this time to really push their message out there. They let it all out on these three songs, and like I said at the top, these songs are going to go down in history as three of the most important songs in music history. I do want to single out "Walking in the Snow" one more time. That song will be talked about forever. I feel like my son will be talking about it when he is my age. It has that kind of staying power. This run of songs only solidifies how perfect "RTJ 4" truly is.

This is one of the best runs of songs on an album of all time. This is like what The Beatles did on "Abbey Road". I'm not joking, and that is the highest of high compliments from someone like me. These songs are perfect. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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"RTJ4" Breakdown: Day 1

Welcome to day two of my week long review of the modern masterpiece that is "RTJ 4". Today is when I start to talk about the songs individually. Like I told you yesterday I will pick three songs a day for the next few days and break them down, tell you why they are perfect songs, and what makes them perfect. Since I have already touched on the first two singles, "yankee and the brave" and "ooh la la", plus a piece on the video, I will not cover those. You can read my thoughts on those in three previous blogs.

I'm going to start with the third song on the record, ""Out of Sight". This was the lone song I had slight reservations about prior to the release because I saw the guest was 2 Chainz. Well, I have learned a lesson. I should never, ever doubt what RTJ is doing, and who they invite to guest on their songs. It is going to be a bomb ass song no matter what. This song has a beat that feels like it could be played on pop radio, and then they start to rap. The song is less about affluence and why that is important. It is more about why that stuff is not so important. They go on and on about certain rap cliches, and then skewer them. They are so good at doing that. And both Killer Mike and El-P trade bars liked two very well seasoned emcees. The way they go back and forth is dizzying and mesmerizing at the same time. The hook is cool too. It is just them saying "out of sight", with some lady singers singing other words. Killer Mike then comes in after the first chorus and just CRUSHES his verse. It is one of the best displays of rapping I have ever heard. I feel like this song was almost a contest between the two of them to see who could say words faster. And then 2 Chainz comes in, and I have to admit, he explodes with his verse. He is a good rapper and he proves that on this song. "out of sight" is dope and has that "radio single" feel off this record. It has that "ooh la la" feel to it.

The next song is called "Holy Calamafuck", and man oh man does this song hit. The beat is dope as hell. The record scratching is so cool. The beginning works so perfectly. Then Killer Mike comes in and, like he does this whole record, just absolutely owns the song. Don't get me wrong. El-P has his moments, he is awesome. I have just been a Killer Mike guy from before RTJ, and he goes to a whole other level on this song, and this record. When the song totally shifts, that is some Flying Lotus type stuff they do. In the middle of the song, actually after the first verse, it sounds like a brand new song. It isn't though. It is like the coolest, most unique bridge I have heard. El-P also destroys when they go to the change in tempo. They kind of slow it up, and do the whole "chop and screw" rap, but make it sound cool. It is such a unique, and new way to present a rap song. Of course only RTJ can do something like this, and make it work so well.

The final song for the day is "Goonies vs E.T.". I don't think the song has anything to do with either movie, but it sure as hell lets both guys do their thing. They are just so god damn good. With each song they get better and better. With each listen, I find something new that I like and missed. They also slow this song down during the chorus, and then go into super kill mode, trading verses back and forth. It's only three minutes long, but it is a jarring three minutes in the best possible way . And Killer Mike coming in at the end is absolutely wonderful.

This first part of the record, I feel like both guys are showing how good they are at rapping. Not only do they write great lyrics, important lyrics, but they put them out there in the best possible way. I adore this first part of the record. And, if you think I'm fan boying a bit too much today, just wait until tomorrow and Thursday. The back half of this record is perfection. I'm just saying. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Listens to "RTJ4"

Last Wednesday I got an email, as well as millions of others I expect, that Run the Jewels had decided to release their fourth album two days early.

I was obviously ecstatic.

I have been anxiously awaiting this album. I have been talking about it on the pod, in my writing and to anyone that will listen about my excitement. I also teased on a podcast a few weeks back that when they released the album I would dedicate an entire week to it. I'd like to welcome you all to that week. That will be my singular focus for the next five days. I'm going to give a review today, something short and sweet. That is because the next four days I will be talking about three songs per day, and then telling you all why I think it is the single most important piece of music out there right now.

Which leads me to my review.

This album is amazing. It was more than worth the wait. You can hear how much they poured themselves into this album. You feel it with every song. I love all of their albums, and I do not think I am being a prisoner of the moment when I say I feel like this is their best work to date. That is also why they are the best group in the world. With each record they continue to grow, try new things out and get better and better. El-P said on Talib Kwali's podcast that they have worked their hardest yet on "RTJ4", and it clearly shows. From the beats to the lyrics, it is a phenomenal, seminal piece of musical art. This goes beyond genres. This isn't simply the greatest hip hop record of the year, it is, without a doubt, the record of the year. It goes past genres. It is too important to be pigeonholed that way. They do so much more than just rap on this album. I knew they were political before. They have stood up to injustices the world over. Killer Mike is one of the most profound and prolific speakers we have in our country. They take all of that to a whole other level on this album.

I cannot wait to tell you all about some of the songs on this that will become anthems, that will stand the test of time and be talked about for the rest of my life. I am letting my children listen to this record because I want them to know what is going on, and how Run the Jewels, myself and millions upon millions of others feel about the state of the United States right now. It is more than just music for me. This is the start of a revolution that I will fall in line with 100 percent. I will follow Killer Mike and El-P to the ends of the world. I have listened to this record around a dozen times, easily I might add, already. And I will listen to it millions more before the month of June is over. Run the Jewels is becoming the mouthpiece of the new generation. They are my era's Public Enemy, and sorry to RD for writing this, only they are better, and more important. That's the honest truth, and I adore Public Enemy. But when El-P and Killer Mike got together to make this record, it must have been that Jordan feeling for them. They must have known that this was going to be extremely important, extremely loved and talked about as one of the greatest records of all time. I already know that it will top my best of 2020 music list. Hell, the video for "ooh la la" may even be on my best of movies list. I cannot stress enough how important, influential and game changing this record is.

I know that RTJ is supposed to go on tour with Rage Against the Machine next year as their opener, but I feel like RTJ may be more suited to being the headlining act. They are that good. I have always loved these guys, even before they formed RTJ. But the idea they had to pair up was lightning in a bottle, and they have only gotten stronger and stronger with each record and each tour.

Run the Jewels continues to amaze me, and I am glad that I live in a world where they release new music, for free I might add, and it is this god damn good. Please, do yourself a favor and go listen to this album right now. As I said, there will be much more in depth pieces this week. But for today I just want to point out that this is the best record of the year, it is the most important record of the year and it will go down as one of the greatest records of all time. So yeah, I love "RTJ 4".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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