On the night before the inauguration of Donald Trump, emotions in DC were running high. But Run the Jewels, the rap duo of Killer Mike and El-P who recently released the critically-acclaimed Run The Jewels 3, wanted to make a big political statement of their own. And not only did Run the Jewels beat expectations on such an important night, they absolutely destroyed them, giving the crowd a much-needed emotional release along with a special surprise guest at a sold-out Echostage.

Of course, this perfect timing would not have occurred if it weren’t for a water main break the previous Thursday, causing a last-minute cancellation. According to El-P, the two choices for rescheduling were either on El-P’s birthday, or the day before the inauguration. In his words, “History wants RTJ here right fucking now.” It was obvious that they had a lot on their minds.