Nowadays, everyone wants to be a "trap star" or claims how much coke they move or how fly they are. BAPES, Ice Cream, etc...that was the uniform for the flyest of the fly. Where did it all originiate? Right here. Before Young Jeezy, before Lil Wayne transformed from a Hot Boy to a block boy, before Gucci Mane, before any half assed dude who claimed to move kilos started spitting about it on wax, there was, and still remains, CLIPSE.
Their second album (but officially released debut) "Lord Willin'" heated up the streets and MTV back in 2002. Pusha and Malice took the game by storm with hits like "Grindin" and "Got Damn!". It was unlike anything anyone had heard or seen in awhile: two brothers spitting graphic, witty and REAL stories of selling cocaine and just bein' the shit. Lace every one of their verses with a hot ass Neptune beat and how could you fail? The album went gold and Clipse were the hottest thing going.
They began working on "Hell Hath No Fury" in 2003, but label politics threw their careers into turmoil and caused massive delays. In their absence, some pretenders to the throne ascended copying the blueprint they laid out, most notably Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne and even to an extent Cam'ron and Juelz Santana--and this is coming from a diehard Cam fan. Forced to the sidelines, Clipse linked up with their homies Ab-Liva and Sandman and released the critically acclaimed "We Got it 4 Cheap" mixtape series, putting them back to the forefront of the coke-rap genre. The second installment of "We Got it 4 Cheap" was ranked #130 out of 200 of the best albums of the 2000's. With the momentum returned, Clipse finally dropped "Hell Hath No Fury" in November of '06.
It was a stark contrast to their debut album. A much darker, ominous tone covered the album. Neighborhood P and Malice vented all their frustrations, from label politics, to copycat rappers and life's ills. Songs like "Mama I'm So Sorry", "Hello New World" and "Ki's Open Doors" documented the highs and terrible lows of the life of a hustler. When you hear some rappers talk about the dope dealer life, it sounds like they are reading a script. To hear Pusha and Malice, you hear the pain, glory, regret and wisdom in every single bar.
The album also had commercial appeal as well, displayed by bangers like "Mr. Me Too", "Trill", and "Wamp Wamp". The Neptunes handled all the production again, and it was easily their finest and most cohesive work. It was a shame this album was delayed so long, as it did not receive the sales it deserved. It was hailed as a masterpiece by virtually all critics, even receiving a rare "XXL" from XXL Magazine. It was considered one of the best albums of the year, and is widely regarded as underrated and an all-time classic. Pusha T and Malice, in the coke rap genre, are the best to do it, and probably the best to ever do it. That will never change, regardless of platinum plaques or MTV love. With their upcoming release "Till The Casket Drops", its clear they are ready for a three-peat. If you don't own this album...SHAME ON YOU.
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