Clipse

Clipse, for those who don't know, are brothers Pusha T and Malice, two Virginian ex-crack dealers who hooked up with the Neptunes in 2001 and have cranked out a pretty impressive body of work since. Fully utilizing Pharell's clout in the record business, the group has made two modern classics in hip hop- 2002's Lord Willin' and 2006's Hell Hath No Fury. Both have the two MC's waxing existential about the drug pushing lifestyle- the good and the bad. The dark subject matter of their lyrics are matched by the production which is really top notch. It's easy to forget just how good the Neptunes can be when they have quality stuff to work with, but Hell Hath No Fury is as convincing an argument as they've made. The beats bump but are sparse and have an almost industrial feel, that match the cold reality of the lyrics. That said, this shit is danceable and is meant to be cranked on a good system.

As much as haters will point to their subject matter being repetitive and glorifying of the lifestyle, the duo really are more about the pusher lifestyle as background and context to the situations their put in, much like Biggie did. Their lyrics are often riddled with guilt, pathos and a feeling of being trapped like on "We Got It For Cheap":

"The walls removed and now I see,

My leg was pulled the jokes on me,

So heartbreakin' like lovin' a whore

Might hurt you once but never no more

Like tryin' to fly but they clippin your wings

and that's exactly why the caged bird sings"

They're readying a new album, due later this year that has Def Jam founder Rick Rubin at the helm. The first single, "All Eyes On Me" is dope and hopefully is an indication of how good the rest of the album is going to be.

MP3- All Eyes On Me (Left Click to download)

MP3- Trill (Left Click to Download)

MP3- Wamp Wamp

MP3- Keys Open Doors