Run the Jewels member El-P had a big update for fans on Wednesday night (June 3): They helped raise a huge amount of money in the first day of the surprise early release of the hip-hop duo’s new album, RTJ4.
The free 11-track album, which was originally slated to drop on Friday (June 5), came two days early and with one simple request from the group: If you can, donate to the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Fund, which provides legal support for political activists, protesters and movements for social change.
After announcing that fans had given more than $10,000 in the first 45 minutes of RTJ4‘s release and keeping them updated throughout the afternoon, El-P provided a update later in the evening, revealing that “we are almost at $100k” donated to the organization by the end of the first day.
The National Lawyers Guild was in awe, responding to the rapper’s tweet with “Whaaaaat?!” and a shocked-face emoji.
Check out the tweets below.
RTJ4 is available on all streaming services now, and can be downloaded from the Run the Jewel‘s website.
When announcing the surprise early release, El-P and Killer Mike explained their reasoning for making the anticipated record available sooner than had been planned. “F–k it, why wait? The world is invested with bullsh-t, so here’s something raw to listen to while you deal with it all,” the duo said in a statement. “We hope it brings you some joy. Stay safe and hopeful out there and thank you for giving 2 friends the chance to be heard and do what they love.”