FRIENDS REACT - Run The Jewels "JU$T" [ft. Pharrell Williams & Zack de la Rocha] - REACTION / REVIEW 

I'm a metalhead and love RTJ, thanks for reacting to something different! I love it when hiphop and rap artists (or any artists) write fucking angry music. I guess it appeals to me in the same way metal does.

“Got a Vonnegut punch for your Atlas shrugs” -EL-P

Zach de la Rocha features on two other Run the Jewels songs that are among their best and most overtly political. You ought to react to them, or at least give them a listen. “Close Your Eyes and Count to Fuck” is hard and heavy and shows their metal influences, and EL-P’s production on “Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters” is a throwback to some of EL-P’s more spacey, proggy stuff.

The hardcore scene is where it's at lyrically for talking about current events. A ton of bands were supporting black lives matter. This song was dope too. I love hip hop and these guys are great. Been listening to them for a while. But yeah check out more hardcore if you want the real lyrics talking about issues. They're very vocal about their stances.

Because you guys asked, the production is actually by EL-P, the guy on the second verse, who is one half of Run the Jewels. Pharrell just wrote and sang the hook.

EL-P has always been one of my favorite artists. Going all the way back to the DefJux days and Company Flow. And his collaborations with NIN, The Mars Volta, Daryl Palumbo, and countless other metal artists.

it's possible hip-hop & rap tend to have a much heavier left leaning audience, where metal music is much more mixed. Rap artists will be much more vocal to write music about black issues, BLM, etc - so its assumed the audience that listens also agrees with those messages. Metal is much more mixed, and has a bigger variation on political beliefs when it comes to their audience, which in turn means those bands will get attacked when writing songs about right/left wing topics.

This was a pleasant surprise seeing the title of this video. One of my favorite albums and songs of 2020 for sure. Very relevant, very unapologetic and very raw. More of this would be awesome!! 🤘🤘

Love that you’re featuring rap on the channel (and RTJ slaps!!). I agree with you both about the call for more topical lyrics in metal. It feels like a missed opportunity that a generally subversive genre of music isn’t participating more in cultural discourse about important issues.

Thanks for reacting to this guys! This is one of my favorite albums from this year. It is so phenomenal. And yeah, I agree with you that metal could do a better job of that. Hardcore is the space to find those lyrics but metal should do it too.

Nina Simone said that it is an artist’s responsibility to make art that’s relevant to the times.

El-P did the production and the second verse. Pharrell just handled the chorus. Love hearing metal dudes react to RTJ

Listen to Blue Wall by Issues, and any song by Fire From the Gods.

Fever 333, Hacktivist. Also, please give a listen to Enter Shikari!

They are OGs. Put some respect on their names

Listen to Make America Hate Again by Thy Art is Murder, it’s super current and the whole album is current

Metalbands Talking about current events or stuff happening in the World? SOAD wants to know your Location...

Fire from the gods talks about current events a lot in their songs. "Right Now" is one I can think of off the top of my head that's pretty recent.

Vintersea - Fiery Tongue

Great video

EL-P and Killer Mike are 100% OGs. Mike is from the days of Outkast and Big Boi. EL-P is from Company Flow and is the founder and ceo of Definitive Jux records.

My metalhead self agrees that RTJ are fire!

Crystal lake dropped a new music video called the great beyond check it out!

And it’s exactly what happens to Silent Planet. People tell them to shut up all the time. Luckily, Garrett doesn’t care what they have to say.

They haven't been around super long together. But Mike and El have each been in the game since the 90s. They are about as OG as you get these days.

Check out Lorna Shore: obsession. It's has a symphonic sound to it, since you are such a big fan of shadow of intent. Relentless torment by lorna shore also has a bit but more towards the end. Chelsea grin: hostage has a good groove

Check out the band Trespasser from Sweden. They have political lyrics and are, in fact, anarchists. They sing about the Ukrainian "Black Army", an anarchist militia

Punk is the Hard fast loud music that talks about important topics. Probably Marilyn Manson too for sure. N not all Punk, cause there's like 30 genres of punk🤔✔💯🍻

Mmmm ...metal does talk about positions. Plenty of metal bands are Christian and very vocal about their beliefs (I.e. old underoath). You have bands such as stray from the path like you mentioned that are pretty left. You have bands like all that remains that are pretty right. Hardcore scene has always been pretty vocal about being straightedge or being vegan. I think it’s there in metal/hxc. I do think that most ppl gravitate to bands that are more left socially and there would probably be more backlash if a band was more conservative/right-wing which isn’t entirely fair. Also, to be fair, run the jewels (whom I have loved since before their first album) is fairly “conscious rap” like common or mos def, etc....there is so much rap/hip-hop that ain’t talking about current social issues. Maybe it’s more balanced than you think? Idk....be curious to see that comparison.

For some good instrumental metal check out Night Verses - Phoenix IV: Leviathon

Where you been at? Beneath the massacre and I declare war both have a album talking about serious stuff lol Also acrania too Definitely out there.

Wanna know what Zach is talking about? He’s talking about the government running drugs and money to and from South America. “Raw uncut in the hourglass. Watch it spill to the bottom half. You see the piece (gun) now run it fast.”

Okay, you Guys NEED to react to Crystal Lake - Into the great beyond! :D

Hey, this doesn’t really relate to the vid. But I Think u should know Gojira just dropped a new single, “Another World”. Edit: Just watched the vid, if u want stuff on current events try out the new Lamb of God. Maybe Disillusion in a Discordant System by Acrania.

Both have careers spanning 20 years but they aren't OG... interesting

Korn? He'd pe?

Gojira is fairly political.

Sadly, the lyrics for most of the album aren't about current events, so much as that the same evil, corrupt, leaders and law enforcement continually abuse their positions and oppress people day in, day out.

AWKWARD MUCH?

Picked the worst track to start off for RTJ. oof