Run the Jewels reveals details of all-cat remix album ‘Meow the Jewels’

The rapper and producer El-P, who is one-half of the duo Run the Jewels with Killer Mike, has announced the release date for “Meow the Jewels,� the remix of the team’s 2014 album “Run the Jewels II.� The recording features various producers reworking the tracks with a central limitation: All sounds except the raps must be made by cats.

In a series of tweets, the rapper wrote, “We will be announcing an exact date very soon but if all goes right it drops in September.� It will be available as a free download, on the major streaming services and as a deluxe-edition vinyl package.

Those who haven’t been following the “Meow the Jewels� saga might be baffled, so here’s the back story. In the 2014 release of “Run the Jewels II,� the group teased a fictional item for sale: “The Meow the Jewels Package,� with a selling price of $40,000. Described as a re-recording of the album “using nothing but cat sounds for music,� the project became real when a fan took the bait and started a Kickstarter campaign: “So you’re telling me that if I can raise $40,000 I’ll get to hear a hip-hop album made with all cat sounds? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.�

The goal eventually was met, and Run the Jewels accepted its own challenge with the stipulation that all proceeds from the project would go to charity.

Since then, El-P and Killer Mike have teased the remixes and recently unveiled the first track. Called “Meowrly,� it’s a remix of “Early.� On Thursday, El-P dropped this all-caps, cuss-laden bomb after getting a track from British producers Massive Attack: “ALERT: WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED THE MEOWMIXXX BY @MassiveAttackUK AND IT IS ... CRAZY!!!!!�

What followed were more tweets about the meows. Asked by one fan whether free felines were involved, El-P wrote, “Of course. each piece of vinyl has a flattened kitten inside it.�

Follow Randall Roberts on Twitter: @liledit