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Run the Jewels drop RTJ3 three weeks early as a Christmas surprise

And the best part? It's all for free!

Clarisse Loughrey
Sunday 25 December 2016 11:27 EST
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"IT'S A CHRISTMAS F***ING MIRACLE," Run the Jewels declared to fans on Twitter.

And it certainly was a kind of miracle, with the duo surprise-releasing their highly-anticipated third album RTJ3 three weeks ahead of schedule, late at night on Christmas Eve.

Killer Mike and El-P were previously pitched to release the album on 13 January, but dropped the album - like they did with RTJ2 - ahead of the publicised schedule.

The new album sees the pair joined by the likes of TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Danny Brown, Trina, Kamasi Washington, and BOOTS.

Run the Jewels had previously shared a couple of the tracks from the album; releasing title track 'Talk to Me', alongside '2100' - released after the election as a way to help soothe the many terrified souls.

Killer Mike has previously likened 'Talk to Me' to the apocalypse and World War 3: "This is a powerful one - we always knew that this would probably be the first one we were gonna drop. This one just felt right it opens it up. When people hear this, they’re gonna get a piece of the energy to come. We’re definitely not playing games."


​RTJ3 remains, as previously planned, free to download from their website or streamed on US Spotify, Apple Music, and "anywhere digital music is avail". The album will still get a physical release on 13 January in the US, and 20 January in other locations.

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