Run the Jewels Break Down ‘Meow the Jewels’ Donation Recipients
Run the Jewels have updated their Meow the Jewels Kickstarter page with a full breakdown of how they donated their funds in the fundraising effort as well as which organization will receive all future profits from the cat-sampling Run the Jewels 2 remix album. “We’ve been trying to figure out where the rest of the profits left over and going forward (from vinyl sales, merch, etc.) will go and we have finally locked it in,” Killer Mike and El-P wrote.
“The remaining profit left over from the Kickstarter pledges along with all future profits from the project (including all vinyl and merchandise sales), will be donated to the National Lawyers Guild’s Mass Defense Committee,” the rap duo added. “This is a network of lawyers, legal workers, and law students providing legal support for political activists, protesters and movements for social change.”
When Killer Mike and El-P initially agreed to the Meow the Jewels project, they promised that proceeds would go to the families of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. The rap duo gave $20,000 apiece to both the Garner Way Foundation and funds set up by Brown’s family. “As you probably know, we have split up the original pledge of $40k and given it equally to the families of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, Jr.,” they wrote.
Run the Jewels also offered an itemized breakdown of the Kickstarter’s funds to give fans full transparency. The Meow the Jewels Kickstarter started off with an initial goal of $40,000; it quickly bypassed that mark on its way to raising $65,000. Nearly $19,000 of that went to manufacturing and shipping the rewards (shirts, posters, stickers, etc.) promised to those who pledged money as well as Kickstarter and legal fees. After the $40,000 went to Brown and Garner’s charities, that left roughly $6,000 in additional profits, which went to National Lawyers Guild’s Mass Defense Committee.
“Thank you, thank you and thank you for grasping onto the fur of stupidity and riding it out into the great catnip fields of compassion,” Killer Mike and El-P wrote to fans in conclusion.