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Run The Jewels’ newest video places rappers El-P and Killer Mike squarely in the crosshairs of a police state and its standard perceptions that black people and/or rap musicians are criminals.
In the video for “Legend Has It” from RTJ3, the duo mysteriously multiplies as they’re placed in a police lineup. As the song progresses, a little girl, a guy in a full body cast and a nun are later replaced by police officers in the lineup, until just El-P and Killer Mike become the main suspects in an unnamed crime.
Meanwhile, officers discuss who may be guilty, judging by people’s physical description.
“Go with your gut. Which of these gives you a bad feeling?” goes one quote behind the glass. The “woman of God” the body cast guy and the girl are of course let go, until only El-P and Killer Mike are left.
The video also features the view from a dark prison floor, showing the number of incarcerated rising as the decades pass– 1.9 million in 2000 to 2.3 million in 2017. Besides “Legend Has It” being one of the best raps from RTJ3, this is another video where Run The Jewels push boundaries of normalcy as they try to make their point — the U.S. prison system is severely flawed.
There’s quite a lot in the video, but it could have packed even more of a punch if it focused more on those prison numbers.
Watch the video below.