Killer Mike and El-P's second full-length collaboration channels unfiltered aggression into gleefully abrasive beats and furious, whip-smart raps about serious topics: "Lie, Cheat, Steal" (power), "Crown" (cocaine), and "Close Your Eyes (And Count to F**k)" (prison). They have their share of fun, though, often in the act of rapping itself: Lurching, stuttering behemoth “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” is an absolute clinic in flow. But Mike and El are angry—at American politicians, organized religion, systemic injustice, and garden-variety jerks. “Early” is a harrowing portrayal of police brutality, trembling with rage.