by Killer Mike
Released May 15, 2012 via Williams Street Records
Reviewed May 19, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
Reagan (76%), Big Beast (54%), R.A.P. Music (38%)
Some partnerships are set in stone from day one; souls align in more ways than one. Entirely produced by El Producto, R.A.P. Music promised something special. Guest appearances are kept to a minimum, giving Mike the space required to let off some steam, of which there seems to be an abundance. Killer Mike's reality raps performed over El-P's futuristic aesthetic gives R.A.P. Music its character. The weight of Killer Mike's verbiage is as heavy as ever, while El-P's production loosens it up a little in the process. It adds room for a playful juxtaposition. Packed with frustration's essence, R.A.P. Music demands attention from anything within its vicinity––listen in and you may learn a thing or two. The balls to the wall approach of Killer Mike plays out like a new leash on life. The East's backdrop meets the South's mouthpiece to deliver a sci-fi inflicted masterpiece. – Peter (9/10)
Hadley: 9.5/10 | Peter: 9/10 | Dominick: 8.8/10 | Pax: 8.7/10
DeVan: 8.5/10 | Jared: 8.5/10 | Cam: 7.3/10 | Alan: 7.2/10
Community Reviews:
Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music is a beast of an album. With El-P on majority of the production, I personally see this as an epilogue to the Run The Jewels series. It certainly has that aurora to it with its heavy synths, bombastic percussion, and consistently great performances from Killer Mike himself. Examples of this can be exhibited on tracks such as “Big Beast (ft. Bun B, T.I. & Trouble),” an explosive opener for the record, and “Reagan,” where Killer Mike exposes himself as the political activist he truly is. Overall, this album is underrated and is worth all the attention it can get. – @fort.izzo.mo (8/10)
