See Run the Jewels as Claymation Rappers in Grim ‘Don’t Get Captured’ Video
El-P and Killer Mike of Run the Jewels are reborn as claymation characters in their new video for “Don’t Get Captured,” a grim meditation on abuses of power.
The two rappers are observers in the clip, rolling slowly through a dark, violent claymation landscape full of skeletons like in a haunted house. The skeleton world is ruled by a small cadre of self-satisfied politicians who wear top hats and smoke cigars. The video depicts gentrification, racial profiling by law enforcement and a biased court system that doles out lethal punishments. This gives extra force to Run the Jewels‘ frequently repeated warning: “Don’t get captured.”
The hip-hop duo’s latest video was directed by Chris Hopewell, also known for his work on Radiohead’s “Burn the Witch” clip, in conjunction with Jacknife Films.
“Don’t Get Captured” appeared digitally in December on the duo’s RTJ3 album. The album eventually reached Number One on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it the duo’s first chart-topper. The pair also worked with Danger Mouse and Big Boi on “Chase Me,” from the Baby Driver soundtrack, which hit the Number One spot on iTunes this week.
El-P and Killer Mike are on tour in the U.S. and Canada throughout October, stopping at major festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. At the end of October, the duo heads to Europe and the U.K.