Timothy Gabriele: A good hook is all a track needs sometimes. I think most would be content to hear Killer Mike and El-P rap the phone book at this point, but I for one am glad to hear a non-cat related RTJ project come out this year. There’s plenty of fantastic music for the era that the Rubble Kings documentary covers, so it’s unusual that they’d commission new music for its score, but one couldn’t imagine a more badass or appropriate tune for an opener than this. Killer Mike glides so smoothly in and around the beats that he makes it seem effortless, and El-P gets a bonus point and smiley face sticker for his use of alliteration. [8/10]
Dustin Ragucos: The very first crash that starts this song had me hooked and, although it’s a cliché line for me to spout, the song feels like a slow walk away from a very caustic factory explosion. El-P and Killer Mike don’t have to wipe the dust off their shoulders because they’ve made the rubble something of their own. [7/10]
John Garratt: First, what I like: the meter. A sped up waltz time hasn’t been very common in any form popular music lately, let alone hip-hop. Now for what I don’t like: SoundCloud comments. Seriously, get rid of them. As for the factor of militant urban decay, I am neutral. Lecturing and finger-wagging gets you lots of resentment but little understanding. [7/10]
Kevin Korber: And here I was ready to write off Run the Jewels as spent after that stupid cat sounds remix album. Killer Mike is spitting hot fire here, spinning years of social frustration into a heated screed against the fucked-up world in which we live. Not even El-P stumbling through his verse like a wino on a sidewalk can ruin this. [7/10]