The Jewels

The Jewels (initially The Impalas, later The Four Jewels) were a girl group from Washington, D.C..

The group began singing as The Impalas in 1961; its members had attended Roosevelt High School and sang in Trinity AME Zion Church. Early on the group began performing in Bo Diddley's basement, and Diddley recorded their debut single "I Need You So Much", which was released on Checker Records. The record never caught on, and in 1962 producer Bob Lee changed the group's name to The Four Jewels. The single "Loaded with Goodies" next appeared on Start Records, a local D.C. label, followed by Chess single "That's What They Put Erasers on Pencils For". They also sang backup vocals for member Grace Ruffin's cousin, Billy Stewart. Carrie Mingo left the group around 1963 and was replaced by Martha Harvin; at this time the group became simply The Jewels. The group went on to record for Dynamite, Federal, Tec, and King over the next few years.

In 1964 the group signed to Dimension Records and released the single "Opportunity". Late in 1964 the tune peaked at #64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but climbed all the way to #2 on KRLA 1110. This was followed by the single "But I Do" b/w "Smokey Joe", which missed the national charts and marked the end of their association with Dimension. Beginning in 1965, the group toured across the U.S. as backing vocalists with James Brown. They intended to record at Motown Records when the tour stopped in Detroit, but the studios were closed the day they were in town. Brown produced two more singles for the group, but they did not sell, and the group disbanded in 1968.

Run the Jewels

Run the Jewels is an American hip hop supergroup formed by New York City-based rapper-producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike in 2013. They released their eponymous debut studio album, Run the Jewels, as a free digital download in 2013. The highly acclaimed album was followed by Run the Jewels 2 in 2014, which was also praised by critics.

History

Killer Mike was first introduced to El-P by Cartoon Network executive Jason DeMarco, in 2011. The following year, El-P produced Killer Mike's album, R.A.P. Music, which was soon followed by Killer Mike's appearance on the track "Tougher Colder Killer" from El-P's Cancer 4 Cure. When R.A.P. Music and Cancer 4 Cure were released within weeks of each other, the two rappers decided to tour together. The success of the tour eventually led to the decision to form Run the Jewels.

On June 26, 2013, Run the Jewels released their self-titled debut, Run The Jewels, on Fool's Gold Records as a free digital download.

Their follow-up record, Run The Jewels 2, was released through Mass Appeal Records on October 24, 2014. A light-hearted remix album composed entirely of cat sounds titled Meow the Jewels was released on September 25, 2015. It features guest production from the likes of Prince Paul, The Alchemist, Just Blaze and others. Proceeds from the album will go entirely to charity. They also announced the release of a traditional remix album of Run the Jewels 2, which will be released via Fool's Gold Records in 2015.

Run the Jewels (album)

Run the Jewels is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of Killer Mike and El-P. The album was released on June 26, 2013, through Fool's Gold Records.

Background

On April 9, 2013, Killer Mike and El-P announced they would be releasing a collaborative album under the name Run the Jewels. On May 15, 2013, El-P announced on his Twitter account that they had finished the album. On June 12, 2013, it was announced that the album would be released on June 29, 2013. On June 25, 2013, Killer Mike announced on his Twitter account that the album would be released the following day, June 26, 2013.

Release and promotion

On April 29, 2013, the first song from the album, "Get It", was released. On May 31, 2013, the second song from the album, "Banana Clipper", featuring Big Boi, was released. On June 7, 2013, the third song from the album, "36" Chain", was released. On July 16, 2013, the music video was released for "36" Chain". The album was released in Europe on January 13, 2014, through Big Dada Recordings. On October 24, 2013, the music video was released for "Get It". On December 21, 2013, the music video was released for "A Christmas Fucking Miracle".

Run the Jewels 2

Run the Jewels 2 is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of Killer Mike and El-P. The album was released early for free on October 24, 2014 and the following day on iTunes. It was made available on CD and LP through Mass Appeal Records on October 28, 2014.

Upon its release, Run the Jewels 2 received widespread acclaim from critics for its darker and more layered production, Killer Mike and El-P's lyricism and chemistry and its guest contributions. Several publications also ranked it as the best album of 2014, including Pitchfork Media, Complex and Stereogum. The album debuted at number 50 on the US Billboard 200, selling 12,000 copies in the first week.

Singles

On September 2, 2014, Run the Jewels released a song titled "Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1", as the album's first single. On September 15, 2014, Run the Jewels released "Oh My Darling Don't Cry", the second offering from the album. "Oh My Darling Don't Cry", was later released on September 30, 2014, via digital distribution, as the album's second single.