The hottest musical act of 2017 gets in on the hottest new technology.
I should start off by saying i’m a huge fan of Run The Jewels. Not only have they brought a sound to hip-hop unlike anything heard in recent memory, but the musical duo understand exactly how to market themselves in a way that keeps them constantly ahead of the curve. They were playable characters in last years Gears of War 4, they have a long-standing ‘bromance’ with the massively-popular Adult Swim TV Network that’s been mutually-beneficial for both brands, hell they even released a remixed version of their hit album Run The Jewels 2 where every instrumental is replaced with cat noises… Suffice to say the group is up for pretty much anything they think could catch the public’s eye.
Well now it seems they’re going after one of the hottest new technologies on the market, augmented reality, in an attempt to promote their latest album, RTJ3. They released their third self-titled album digitally without warning on Christmas Eve (it was originally scheduled for a January 13th launch), but an official physical release isn’t hitting the U.S. till January 20th. All art included with the CD and vinyl releases, including the duo’s digital images and merch such as t-shirts and posters, are interactible in AR. Users simply download the ALTJ app (currently available on the IOS App Store only) and point the smartphone’s camera at certain images to view exclusive Run The Jewels content.
It’s a neat little app that while not the best use of augmented reality i’ve ever seen, definitely makes me feel a little better about spending $60 for a t-shirt at the concert. I mean hey, at least I get some extra goodies with my crazy-expensive merchandise. You can check out a preview of the AR platform in action here. The app is free so if you’re planning on grabbing yourself a physical copy of the album (highly-recommended) or some merchandise you might as well give it a try.
You can stream RTJ3 here and purchase it for yourself on iTunes here.
