“Walking in the Snow” by Run The Jewels

Sometimes there is this phenomena in which a work of art will seem as if it speaks to an event before it actually happened. Such is the case with Killer Mike’s verse in “Walking in the Snow”. In it he mentions the tale of a man who is murdered by the authorities. And it just so happens that this song was released while protests on behalf of George Floyd – who was murdered by police in May of 2020 – swept across the United States, if not the world. However, Run The Jewels have been quick to point out that they actually recorded this song back in late-2019. And what that passage actually refers to is the death of Eric Garner in 2014.

Song’s Overall Theme

Meanwhile the aforementioned tale is just part of the overall theme of the song. And that can be said to be the artists having an overall beef with the powers-that-be, whom they view as being oppressive. And while the Eric Garner incident may have been fueled by bias, El-P goes out of his way to point out that this isn’t about the color of a person’s skin.  Rather he puts forth that the system is designed in such a way in which the poor and powerless are inherently vulnerable and exploited.

Meaning of “Walking in the Snow”

Also the title of the track alludes to the idea of the environment in which Run The Jewels are relaying this rap – as well as their own personal dispositions – as being “cold”.  However, they do not mean “cold” in the literal sense. Rather they are pointing to the notion of people having cold hearts, so to speak. And just as the system may be emotionless in the way it deals with people, the rappers are likewise putting their counter-cultural message across without fear of consequence.

Facts about “Walking in the Snow”

This track features additional vocals from long-standing female rapper Gangsta Boo, who has worked with Run The Jewels in the past.

This song is featured on Run The Jewels’ album entitle “RTJ4”.

There are five artists credited with writing “Walking in the Snow”. They are:

• El-P
• Little Shalimar
• Gangsta Boo
• Wilder Zoby
• Killer Mike

June 3rd, 2020 was the day Run The Jewel officially released this song.