3. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2
This album is so energetic and intense from start to finish. El-P and Killer Mike, aka Run the Jewels, are arguably one of the best hip hop duos ever. RTJ2 is the group’s second release and it does not fail to deliver on great beats and incredible sharp lyrics. This was the best hip hop album of 2014 without a doubt, nothing came close. The thing that makes this album so great isn’t just the production or the lyrics, its how much fun the duo seems to be having throughout. El-P and Killer Mike are a couple of guys who like to have fun but take their music very seriously and that comes through on this album. As fun as it is, there are some darker and more serious songs on the album, like “Early,” where Killer Mike raps about police brutality and imagines himself in the victim’s shoes. “Blockbuster Night Part 1” might be my favorite track, the raw energy and beat is so infectious but the thing that gets me is the back and forth between these two, it seems so natural. Features including Travis Barker and Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha just add to the album’s legendary status.
