What does the revolution sound like to you? Rappers Killer Mike and El-P answer that question for themselves with their newest album, “Run the Jewels 3.”

With this album, Run the Jewels (RTJ) has released their most politically charged effort to date.
Killer Mike and El-P offer a well-timed album that presents the voice of dissidence in response to the current political state we live in.

The lyrics on this effort are pointed.

For example, when Killer Mike raps: “Went to war with the devil and Shaytan. He wore a bad toupee and a spray tan,” as heard in the song “Talk to Me.” It is hard not to recognize the target being alluded to on this track.

RTJ shares their opinions through both clever and confident rhymes. I believe their political aptitude is best shown off in their final track, “A Report to the Shareholders/Kill your Masters.”

This track channels political unrest into a simple chant, “Kill your master.” This phrase is said in order to provoke the listener to question those in control, rather than to inflict literal violence as suggested in the chorus. The simplicity of this chant allows for the passion of the duo to be the center of attention.

This track also features a poignant feature by Zach de la Rocha, past front man of the former politically active band Rage Against the Machine (RATM). This feature brings more than another strong verse to the track. By featuring Rocha, it also alludes to his history in political insurgence, which adds a sense of authority in terms of political influence. I see a connection between this track, and RATM’s 1991 track, “Know Your Enemy.” Both of the tracks utilize a political chant as the medium to question those in power.

Though the majority of the lyrics on this effort are compelling, there are a few lyrics that border on the cliché. Politics is a popular topic to create art about, meaning that it can be challenging to be original, though that isn’t to say cliché art lacks importance.

For example, in the song “2100,” Killer Mike raps: “How long before the hate that we hold lead us to another Holocaust?” This lyric offers nothing new conceptually. Though this line is not unique, it still offers a relevant critique of our current political climate.  

Despite the occasional uninventive lyric, RTJ never loses conviction. Every lyric carries the same intensity as the last. Every lyric comes from a sincere hope to motivate listeners to take action to better the world around us.

If there is one thing to take away from “Run the Jewels 3,” it’s that it’s better to be cliché than to be silent.