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Run the Jewels’ Surprise Album Drop Gets a Portlandia Origin Story

When Run the Jewels’ RTJ3 dropped on Christmas Eve, it was as though some angels from on high plopped a little slice of heaven right into your lap. But that erasure of effort is just part of Run the Jewels’ genius, because we now have video evidence that the development of the duo’s marketing strategy was not so easy-breezy. In the footage, courtesy of Portlandia, we see Killer Mike and El-P having a difficult, if productive, brainstorming session with a couple of A&R suits (Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein). Some of the suggestions brought to the table include re-staging Baby Jessica’s fall down a well, bringing about Armageddon, and — as if we haven’t been through quite enough this year — faking El-P’s death. Armageddon gets shot down for logistical reasons, since it seems RTJ is just slightly ahead of schedule. And that, dear fans, is how the sausage is made.

Run the Jewels, Portlandia Duo Mull Album Drop