Published: Wednesday - November 22, 2006
Words by Jorteh Senah
Clipse (Photo: Jive Records)
"I thought I told you characters I'm not a rapper," Hov made it a hot line, the Clipse took the sentiment and made hot songs. Like Jay -- who's always been about the bottom-line -- the Clipse are hustlers who just happen to be good rappers. However, unlike Jay -- whose Pyrex past is just a footnote in his illustrious career -- street-pharmacist culture is the driving force behind the Clipse's music. Unfortunately since the release of their often imitated but never duplicated debut, Lord Willin', brothers Pusha T and Malice have had their gripping narcotic-narratives relegated to mixtapes and would-be first singles from their yet to be released follow-up, Hell Hath No Fury.
Their sophomore album was slated for a 2004 release, but after their label Arista dissolved into Jive as part of a bigger merger between Sony and BMG, the VA natives found themselves stuck at Jive (due to contractual technicalities), while their mentor and Star Trak CEO Pharrell signed with Interscope. After perpetual negotiations, the Clipse finally reached an agreement with Jive and Hell Hath No Fury was aptly set for a release on Halloween. But has since been pushed back (you kind of sensed it was coming while hoping you were wrong) and frustrated fans are beginning to wonder if this is some conspiracy by the powers that be to keep diluted hip-hop at a high concentration.
With a release date of November 28, the question on people's mind is will the album hold up to the classic rating it received from XXL in October. Read on as the dynamic-rap-duo speaks on their label limbo, New York lineage and love for competition.
Ballerstatus.com: So is the label drama with Jive finally resolved, have you got a deal that you're satisfied with?
Malice: Between Star Trak and Jive, they had a lot of issues that they had to work out, but now we have our own label with Re-Up Gang Records. That is the silver lining behind all the madness. It worked out good for us because Hell Hath No Fury is coming out on Re-Up Gang Records.
Ballerstatus.com: Initially did you guys not want to do business with Jive because they didn't have much of a hardcore-rap roster?
Malice: You're exactly right.
Ballerstatus.com: On the other hand, I felt like you guys had a pretty good relationship with Jive being that Pharrell produced most of Justin Timberlake's Justified album and you guys were featured on his first single.
Malice: I mean, you would think so, but in this industry you make associates, not necessarily friends. You just work together and do what's good for business. It doesn't mean that your life long friends.
Ballerstatus.com: A lot of your fans, and obviously you guys as well, became frustrated with the label situation because it seemed like the momentum you had after dropping you first record, God Willin', was amazing. The album went gold in a month, MTV deemed your follow-up record one of the most anticipated for 2004, and it just seemed everything was in place for the Clipse to become full fledged stars.
Malice: Well, that's what this album is about. It's definitely for the fans. It's not about the industry and everything that we went through. I mean, we suffered, but the fans suffered to, so it's about making it up to them.
Ballerstatus.com: Were the fans another reason you went ahead and did business with Jive?
Malice: They were the main part of the reason.
Ballerstatus.com: Another thing that has to be frustrating is that while you've been away, other artists have stepped right into the void with the same "dope boy" style. Many of which aren't as lyrically talented as the Clipse.
Malice: Well, we just want to be able to participate now and be able to compete. It's not so much about other people running with our style, it's just that we had to sit out and couldn't be in the running -- that's what's frustrating.
Ballerstatus.com: Could you have imagined that the rap game would change so drastically just four years after dropping your first album, in terms of lyricism becoming a secondary priority?
Malice: I never though it would happen and definitely not in such a short period of time. I don't know what happened and I don't know what the reason for it is. Rap is very one-sided right now, we're definitely going to try and bring a balance with this album lyrically.
Ballerstatus.com: Staying on the subject of lyrics, I remember on the MTV special that I mentioned earlier, Jermaine Dupri spoke about the Hell Hath No Fury album. He basically said that -- lyrically -- you guys have stepped it up, but that was in 2004. Lyrically, what space are you guys in right now?
Malice: It's basically the same Clipse formula man. When you get a Clipse album, you know what you're going to get. It's been the same since the first album that got shelved, Exclusive Audio Footage, the same on Lord Willin', and it's going to be the same on Hell Hath No Fury. It's all about lyrically driven hip-hop right now and it's always going to be about that with the Clipse.
Ballerstatus.com: You guys were born in the Bronx, New York and moved to Virginia Beach at a young age. It seems that the brief time you spent in New York was enough to make a lasting impression on your music.
Malice: Yeah, New York is just known for being the birth place of hip-hop and for being the leader in the whole movement. New York is at the forefront of everything good in hip-hop. It's definitely has influenced us, and all the rappers that influenced us coming up are from New York.
Ballerstatus.com: In general, would you say that Virginia is influenced by New York, because beside the hip-hop angle, there's also the drug game angle to it? New York hustlers are known for doing a lot of business in Virginia.
Malice: Yeah, I think everyone is influenced by New York's music at one time or another. There is definitely a connection between the music and the drug game. You can see all those rappers that have come from the game in VA; I've seen B.I.G. and Jay in Virginia. There's definitely a correlation.
Ballerstatus.com: A lot of people actually think you guys are from New York, in terms of you growing up here your entire lives, because your music is so lyrical. Would you say that the love you receive in New York is rivaled only by Virginia?
Malice: New York love is great, it's always a surprise and a treat just to see so many people riding with you. They don't just support us with our albums but also with our mixtapes. New York has always been a great market for the Clipse.
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