Despite initial reactions of disbelief, this really isn’t a joke. Run The Jewels duo Killer Mike and El-P took notice of a fan’s request, via a Kickstarter campaign. “I really want my two favorite artists, Killer Mike and El-P, to remix Run The Jewels 2 with all cat sounds for the music.” With the coming release of Run The Jewels 2 in October, the fan proposes that the follow-up purr-fueled project be given the title worthy of an internet sensation: Meow The Jewels.
El-P has made his support known via a few tweets. “Me and @MeowTheJewels are in contact and working out the details of what [it] will be,” he wrote in one tweet. “If Meow the Jewels happens, I intend to donate the money somewhere that will directly benefit the families of Eric Garner and Mike Brown.” The Kickstarter fan (nameless, going by the future album’s title), also affirmed the proceeds would go to charity, mainly “the families of those who have lost their lives to police brutality this year – and a smaller portion will go to help neglected animals.” The Meow remix has 40 days left to reach its funding goal, but it’s already being approached by a flood of hip hop fans, charitable folks, and kitten enthusiasts.
The donation period began yesterday, September 16th. At this time today (September 17th), $5,321 has been raised of the needed $45,100. As with almost every Kickstarter project, various incentives are offered to those who donate. For the smallest pledge amount ($10), the giver will receive a digital copy of “Meow The Jewels” and a personalized tweet. At the $100 level (which seven donors have already claimed), the reward is a MTJ t-shirt, book of matches, poster, a pouch of catnip, six stickers, the digital copy, and a surprise (“Maybe a wristband, a bottle opener, donate to find out!”). At the $1000 mark, the organizer will come to your house, get a recording of your own cat’s noises, and prompt El-P to feature them on the album. If you have a kitten with a precious mini-rawr, this is her chance to shine.
El-P and Killer Mike formed a hip-hop team in 2013. The year before, El-P produced Killer Mike’s album, R.A.P. Music, months before Killer Mike appeared on El-P’s track “Tougher Colder Killer” from album Cancer 4 Cure. Their first album together, self-titled Run the Jewels, was originally released as a free digital download, and they began recording the sequel earlier this year.