El-P and Killer Mike are arguably the most iconic rap duo of the moment. Their work together as Run The Jewels has resulted in some of the most acclaimed hip-hop releases of the past decade, including their latest critically acclaimed album Run The Jewels 4. After dropping a deluxe version with remixes and instrumentals last year, it seems that the jewel runners are revitalizing this album once more, this time with the help of a host of Latin artists to mesh cultures together.
RTJ Cuatro will feature a variety of rappers, singers, and producers from various corners of Latin America. Some examples include Venezuelan rapper Akapellah, the Mexican Institute of Sound, and Colombian supergroup Bomba Estéreo. You might recognize the latter from Bad Bunny's latest album Un Verano Sin Ti on the track "Ojitos Lindos." There are many, many more artists involved in this project, which El-P spoke excitedly about.
“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,” he said. “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/with 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," continued the New York underground legend. "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.” It's not the first time they've taken another whack at RTJ4 either, as they tapped Lil Wayne for the deluxe. The remix album will follow their 2022 track on Black Thought and Danger Mouse's album (Cheat Codes) titled "Strangers," also featuring A$AP Rocky.
RTJ Cuatro will release on November 11th, but fans don't have to wait another second for a taste. In fact, they've already gotten two. The remixes for "ooh la la" by the Mexican Institute of Sound and for "JU$T" by Toy Selectah were previously released on streaming services, so go check those out ASAP to hear some really creative re-imaginings.
As part of this album announcement, they've released the track "caminando en la nieve," a remix of "walking in the snow" including the aforementioned Akapellah, fellow Venezuelan rapper Apache, Brazilian rapper Pawmps, New York producer Nick Hook, and Venezuelan producer Orestes Gomez. The remix not only features some new Spanish rap verses, but some extra percussion and bass thrown in there to make the track more explosive.
If you're a Latine rap fan, wave your flag high and proud when RTJ Cuatro drops on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the teaser "caminando en la nieve" below or on your preferred streaming service.