A Salute to the Supporting Cast of Run the Jewels 2
By Phillip Mlynar
Screenshot from "Run the Jewels" video. That guy in the back, with the RAP FAN hat? He used to be a St. Louis hip-hop mainstay.
By now, you've had a few weeks to play El-P and Killer Mike's magnificent Run the Jewels 2 on repeat. (If not, quietly chastise yourself and then head over here and download it now.) While the chemistry between Mike and El is an undeniable draw, the Run the Jewels movement has also bloomed into something of an ensemble project, with a coterie of behind-the-scenes cohorts also contributing to the album. Consider this a salute to the faithful jewel-running supporting cast.
See also: Meow the Jewels Reaches Kickstarter Goal, World Isn't So Bad After All
Little Shalimar
The unheralded behind-the-scenes star of the show, Little Shalimar snags co-production status on about half of the album's tracks, along with adding guitar and synth licks to "Blockbuster Night Part 1." Don't sleep on Lil' Sha's skills.
Wilder Zoby
Brooklyn-based Wilder Zoby contributes keys work on Run the Jewels 2's opening and closing cuts, along with a production assist on the razor-sharp "Oh My Darling Don't Cry." To dip into the man's own vault, check out 2013's lothario-esque "Contagious," itself co-produced by El-Producto.
Michael Winslow
Yep, the world's finest beat-boxing Police Academy graduate is the voice behind the robotic refrain on "Oh My Darling Don't Cry."
Diane Coffee
A former member of indie rocksters Foxygen, Shaun Fleming now records as Diane Coffee and released his own debut album last year. Titled My Friend Fish, it was spearheaded by the woozy and wistful single "Green." Fleming's vocals and piano work can also be heard on RTJ2's "Crown."
Smoota
Hip-hop's most important trombone riff of 2014 goes to Smoota, whose brass work forms part of the opening cut "Jeopardy." Check out the man's Fetishes album from last year for more of his often salacious ditties.
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