Another breath of fresh air in the rap genre this year came from a duo that has been forced out of the game for a few years. You may remember their last album “Lord Willin’” which included the single “Grindin’”. A record label merger caused the most recent album to be shelved for over 2 years. It was finally released upon the world and what we got was an amazing, lyric driven gangster rap record. Combine that with the entire album being produced by the Neptunes and you have a winner. The signature minimalist yet catchy Neptunes beats are there along with the raw lyrics of the Clipse. They don’t rely on any gimmicks with their music. It’s nice to listen to some rap that doesn’t try to tell you what to do, such as “Lean Back” and “Snap Yo Fingers”. They also chose not to have any filler such as skits or unnecessary guests on every track. The only guests were Pharrell and a few of their close friends. The Clipse are made up of brothers Malice and Pusha T, who don’t shy away from rapping about their time spent selling drugs. The album documents the ups and downs that can accompany being a coke dealer. The entire album is dark, gritty and unapologetic in regards to their association with drug dealing. I read somewhere that the duo has skipped the anti-hero stage and gone straight from being rappers to being villains. I think that’s a fair assessment.
Highlights:
Ride Around Shining
Momma I'm So Sorry
Keys Open Doors
Favorite Lyrics:
"it's like trying to fly but they clippin' your wings
and that's exactly why the caged bird sings"
"I philosophize about glocks and ki's
niggas call me young black Socrates"
"Brain like Teri, face like Eva
I aint forgettin them other Housewives neither"
# posted by Steve @ 7:53 PM
