Watch Run The Jewels’ Stoic, Intense Colbert Performance

Watch Run The Jewels’ Stoic, Intense Colbert Performance

It’s been a little more than two years since Run The Jewels released RTJ4, their most recent album, but it’s not like the great rap duo has lost any relevance in that time. Right now, Run The Jewels are serving as openers and occasional collaborators on Rage Against The Machine’s long-awaited reunion tour. They’ve also made recent appearances on tracks from DJ Premier and the team of Black Thought and Danger Mouse, and Killer Mike just came out with the Young Thug collab “Run,” his first solo single in a decade. Last night, RTJ were the musical guests on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, and as always, they left an impression.

Run The Jewels live shows are sweaty, cathartic, fun experiences, but that wasn’t the energy that Killer Mike and El-P brought to Colbert last night. Instead, the duo were stoic and intense. They performed “A Few Words For The Firing Squad (Retaliation),” the last song from RTJ4. The track has the air of a final statement, and RTJ gave it that gravity on Colbert, performing with DJ Trackstar and Dap-Kings saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum backing them up. Watch the performance below.

RTJ4 is out now on BMG.

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