Run the Jewels aren’t strangers to remix albums. In 2015, El-P and Killer Mike released Meow the Jewels, on which they replaced the instrumentals from Run the Jewels 2 with the sounds of cats. Next month, they’ll be releasing a remix of their latest album, 2020’s RTJ4, with a more straightforward (though no less interesting) approach.
Titled RTJ CU4TRO, the project features a lineup of all Latin artists reworking the original album’s 11 songs. Among them are long-time collaborator Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against The Machine) as well as Bomba Estéreo, rappers Santa Fe Klan (Mexico), Baco Exu do Blues (Brazil), and Akapellah and Apache (Venezuela). RTJ CU4TRO will be released on Nov. 11 through Jewel Runners/BMG and comes ahead of Run the Jewels’ appearance at Corona Capital in Mexico City on Nov. 18.
“We are honored and delighted to have had the opportunity to work with the amazing producers, vocalists, musicians, and artists who made this album happen,” El-P said in a statement. We set out to make a remix album, but we consider the end result of RTJ CU4TRO to be more than that. It’s a reimagining of RTJ4 through the lens of collaboration and a fusing of numerous musical cultures and influences … a rare chance for us to connect, create, and be inspired by people who we may never have had the chance to get down with if we weren’t lucky enough to be in a position to put it all together.”
“We thank them for all their generosity, energy, and creativity,” he continued. “This is a piece of music filled with love, respect, and craft and everyone truly gave it their all, genuinely humbling us in the process.”
The first taste of the project is “Caminando en la Nieve” (a take on “Walking in the Snow”) from Orestes Gomez and Nick Hook and featuring Apache, Akapellah and Pawmps. You can pre-order the album here.
