Run The Jewels

Released: February 11, 2021

Songwriter: El-P Killer Mike

Producer: El-P

[Verse 1: El-P]
Uh, uh, Eighty-one miles to the hour down road
Never looked back, never ever went slow
Never look back, heard 'em say that before
Never look back, never stare at a ghost
BK air in the summertime choke
Ain't shit fly but the drones, oh no
Low on the smokes, grab another pack, go
Pops smoked too when playing piano
Pops, I'm you, it's funny how that go
Mom, you too, I never could drink slow
Never look back, heard her say that before
Sound like the type of advice I'd ignore
Funny how time feel off tick tock
You thinking death's beat, it drop a clock shot
Never smoke sad, I heard that's a thought
Got forty-four bucks on the smoke, whatchu got Mike?

[Verse 2: Killer Mike]
Got my mind on a mission on the road to perdition
The crime and the grind, I'll admit it, I'm wit' it
Must've suckle up crime from my mama right titty
'Cause if dollar made cents, no question she was with it
She was queenpen-ing, independent when I was a kiddy
Uncle Luke, "Don't stop, get it, get it," Magic City
Mommy told me never give a nigga my plug
Then she told me never give these bitches my love
Still 'til this day, bruh, I'm missing my girl
Still 'til this day, I'm perfectin' my thug
Daddy told me never give a honey my money
Had to ask Daddy, "Did that include Mommy?"
Made dollar, made cents, made money, money, money
Got a wife built like a Playboy bunny
Fucked up, but I kept her 'cause I keep it one hunnid
Made a mil, that's for real, ain't a damn thing funny

[Chorus: Run The Jewels]
Ne-never look back (hey, hey, hey, that's why we)
Never look back (if you wanna, if you wanna, you gotta)
Never look back (that's right, that's right, keep your eyes on the light, that's right and)
Never look back (Mr. Motherfuckin Exquire)

[Interlude: Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire]
So here's the play
You can't go forward, and you can't go backward
The past, the present, the future, all irrelevant
The only thing that matters is gratitude
Gratitude is everything, time is nothing

[Verse 3: El-P]
'81 when I moved to the county where the kings is
Walk past St. James place where the king lived
Think quick, never saw class, a delinquent
Now I get cash for the beats and the sync chips
Smart-ass kid with a mean lip
Mom said, "J, gonna speak? Better mean it" (Deepness)
Now I'm on fleek as a preset
I don't wear a leash in the least but I'm beasting

[Verse 4: Killer Mike]
Never look back, you will only get bitter
If you get bitter, you will never get better
Never get better, then you never get bigger
Never get bigger, then you never make cheddar
Tell the truth, fella, you were never really special
You were just a lame guy with a hit record
Your time came and it changed like the weather
Run The Jewels, muthafucka, we still forever

[Chorus: Run The Jewels]
Never look back
Never look back
Never look back
Never look back

No track is safe with the combination of Killer Mike’s aggressive flow straight from the ATL and the lyrical backflips and dense production by Brooklyn son and underground legend El-P.

The duo were first acquainted on Mike’s fully El produced and critically-acclaimed 2012 LP, R.A.P. Music. The two came together in 2013 to release an outstanding self-titled album that was widely considered one of the best Hip-Hop albums of the year. The name of the group is from the intro to LL Cool J’s “Cheesy Rat Blues”:

Just throw your hands in the air

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