Concert preview: From social activism to satire, Run The Jewels is holding the crown

While many people who never listen to hip-hop nevertheless don't hesitate to stereotype the entire artform as nothing more than empty-headed glorification of violence, sex and drugs, Brooklyn's Jaime Meline and Atlanta's Mike Render — better known by their professional monikers El-P and Killer Mike, respectively, and collectively as the rap supergroup Run The Jewels — know that's a gross oversimplification.

At its best, "rap essentially is a social movement," Killer Mike said in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune.

"Rap … is the genre that's gonna [expletive] say something when it needs to be said," El-P added in the same phone conversation. "… I just find it strange that it's also the only genre that's ever expected to."

Run The Jewels will bring their hard-hitting mixture of activism, intentionally inflated braggadocio, and humor that is both over-the-top and lowbrow to The Complex in Salt Lake City on Friday.

In their case, any "expectations" of carrying the torch for the predominant social issue of the day are well-deserved. Lyrics from their new album, "Run The Jewels 3," touch upon civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore that followed accusations of police brutality. Killer Mike came to further national prominence as an ardent supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.

So naturally, Run The Jewels of course have plenty to say about the current political and social furor sweeping the nation in response to the controversial edicts of President Donald Trump.

"Hey man, he just gave hip-hop another 30 years of relevance!" Killer Mike said. "My kids, they didn't give a damn about a revolution a year ago. Now my daughter's damn near a freedom fighter. I'm not thankful for him, but I'm thankful that people are invigorated beyond rap."

He went on to suggest that those who feel compelled to do something can best effect meaningful change by stepping out of their comfort zones.

"I always try to tell people, 'If you are already active, get active with other groups that are active that may not be your specific agenda.' Perfect example: If you are pro-women, pro-women's rights, if you are pro-gay and lesbian rights, if you are pro-black lives and black rights, then you people should … be working a coalition together, because you're fighting the same oppression," he said. "If you're not active, you should get active. And you should get active with people who don't look like you, who aren't from your class or background, and you should see how you can best be an ally. … I believe that the next four years don't have to be a nightmare, they don't have to be horrible — what they do have to be is a fight every day. … That's really what I think will push this country forward. That's what I think makes us work again."

El-P, meanwhile, implored people to recognize that while Trump may be the specific catalyst behind their newfound activism, many of the issues he has brought to their attention did not begin with and will not end with his presidency.

And, therefore, neither should people's awareness or actions.

"Trump is not inventing turmoil, Trump is not inventing dread, Trump is not inventing authoritarianism, Trump is not inventing classism. He's just exemplifying them. … I think it's time that people stop reacting only to the things that seem to directly affect their daily lives or that fall within the spectrum of their intellectual understanding. … Oppression has been a fact for a long time," El-P said. "I hope that this energy that is happening now … from what I feel is the righteous side of things, carries over, not just to the victory of maintaining the status quo, where everybody felt comfortable in their homogenous bubble, but that it carries over to a bigger idea, that your heart needs to be crying out for injustice, no matter what. It needs to be crying out because you are incensed that there are humans that are on this planet that are not being treated as humans. It needs to maintain that. I don't think we need a horrible boogeyman in the form of one person for people to actually use empathy and to extend themselves beyond their little bubbles. And I just hope that that's the result. I have no doubt in my mind that the goodness of people's hearts is the stronger force in this world."

Of course, while Run The Jewels are perhaps best-known for touching upon serious issues, they want listeners to embrace the other components of their personalities that also inform their lyrics.

They throw in songs of can-you-top-this bragging, such as "Legend Has It" and "Blockbuster Night Part 1." There's also plenty of straight-up silliness, such as the line "kidnap your mom from Jazzercise" from "Stay Gold." An El-P joke about remixing their second album with nothing but cat sounds if they raised $40,000 via a Kickstarter campaign led to $65,000 in charitable donations and, true to his word, a "Meow The Jewels" album.

There is, in fact, some glorification of violence, sex and drugs from Run The Jewels — it just happens to emanate from a tongue-in-cheek perspective rather than an empty-headed one.

"The foundation of Run The Jewels is not a serious thing. The foundation of Run The Jewels is two best friends getting high as [expletive] and trying to make each other laugh," El-P said. "… When me and Mike do say something from the heart, you're getting it from the perspective of a fully formed person. You're getting it from the perspective of someone who likes to [have sex], who likes to smoke weed, who likes to make money, who likes to make jokes, who don't take themselves too seriously, and who are enjoying a friendship together."

That friendship is ultimately what has made Run The Jewels such a successful pairing.

Many rap collaborations are born of nothing more than the opportunism of capitalizing on who's hot at the moment. Killer Mike and El-P's partnership, though, comes across as authentic and genuine.

Because it is, both maintain.

"I always wished for a Bomb Squad to my Ice Cube, a Dre to my Snoop, Organized Noize to my Goodie Mob. [A] mutual friend put us in a room together, and pretty much within hours I knew we were supposed to be making music together," Killer Mike said. "… Our friendship has genuinely led us here. We are not marketing masters, we're not [expletive] musical overlords. … We love making music. That seems to translate to our audience."

"There's no master plan here and there never was. I just think that we fell in love with each other as people, with a strong foundation of really just being fans of each other," El-P agreed. "… We're liking the music that we're coming up with because it's pushing us. So there is something powerful, I think, for people in the simplicity of seeing two people together legitimately enjoying each other, and legitimately collaborating. I mean, look — Killer Mike and El-P, on paper, wasn't like it was some sort of supergroup from the beginning. No one even thought it was gonna happen."

ewalden@sltrib.com

Twitter: @esotericwalden

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Run The Jewels

With The Gaslamp Killer, Gangsta Boo, Nick Hook and Cuz

When • Friday, Feb. 10, doors at 7 p.m.

Where • The Complex (Rockwell), 536 W. 100 South, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $26 advance, $30 day of; Smith's Tix