Run The Jewels Compares Themselves To NBA Legends Clyde Drexler And Hakeem Olajuwon

Since the release of their sophomore album Run The Jewels 2, rap duo El-P and Killer Mike have generated a lot of praise. While positive feedback seems to be at an all time high, the two rappers assure fans the journey to their current state in hip-hop wasn't an easy one. In fact, both El-P and Killer Mike agree their individual work made a strong impression in hip-hop but as a collective they leave a great impact on music, according to a recent NPR interview.

"It's like when Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon hooked up in Houston," said Killer Mike. "Like, Clyde Drexler had been dope his whole career but he's playing in Portland, you know what I mean? And Hakeem kinda hit his boy like, 'Yo. Come to Houston.' That became, like, dynasty levels, you know what I mean? So that's what I look at it like. When people say, 'Y'all got better together,' I don't take it as — that's what friends in dope work relationships do. Things are supposed to make you better. So, if getting better — and I've already been pretty dope — is coming at this time, then I welcome it. And hopefully we'll just continue to do that."

El-P agreed as he told NPR about the creative sparks and juices that form when the two are in the studio together. El-P also revealed they push each other to become better and to do better.

"It's not a coincidence," said El-P. "I disagree with a lot of things written about us, but that's true. That's true. I mean, if we didn't feel that way, we wouldn't be working together. I think that we found something that sparked both of us. That's why we've churned out, essentially, together three albums in the last couple years. I've been around long enough to know that that type of creative spark is rare to hold on to. So yeah, no, I do think that that's true. For me, I feel it's true. And I think that we also push each other to, you know, to just be at our best. I really do think it's true."

Check out the full interview below.

[NPR]

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