Finally... some more Clipse.

Like far too many hip-hop acts, Malice and Pusha T - aka Clipse - vanished into obscurity after a spectacular debut. Judging by the dedicated following they earned with their ground-breaking Lord Willin', you'd think that their sophomore effort would be rushed to the shelves, but a series of industry miscues left the future uncertain. A messy merge with J Records led Arista to shuffle the duo to Jive/Zomba, an imprint historically unable to market gritty hip-hop (see Mobb Deep, Petey Pablo). For a hot second, it looked like the Brothers Thornton would sit idly while the supposedly-forthcoming LP Hell Hath No Fury marinated and lost relevance. These natives of Virginia Beach weren't about to let that happen. In an attempt to force Jive’s hand and get their contract voided, they grinded in the studio and cooked up a potent mixtape series - We Got It 4 Cheap. With the addition of two rumbling partners from Philly, Ab-Liva and Sandman, Clipse have evolved and flaunt a transcendent flow with the newly formed Re-Up Gang. Above all else, these deft lyricists are hustlers, and they’ll make their own breaks by whatever means necessary. As they say on “Run This Shit”, "Nigga, fuck Zomba/ I sell nose candy.../(you can call me) Willy Wonka".

Speaking of drugs… Pusha T and Malice will brag without apology that they have cornered the market, both on the Chesapeake cocaine trade and the rap game. On Lord Willin', Clipse established that they were premier drug-dealing soliloquists, using dexterous rhymes that turn hustler into hero. On We Got It 4 Cheap, Vol. 2, their description of the production, purchase, and sale is unsurpassed… and the ingenuity of their punchlines is undeniably smooth. Reveling in moving weight might be indefensible, and some will be offended, but damn if it isn't fun to listen to. Pusha, whose luminous word selection and precise phraseology can be startling, takes Lil’ Kim’s nearly forgotten “Drugs” beat and gives us his double-edge sword reality on "The Ultimate Flow". His verse provides a rare glimpse into his vulnerability: “All these jewels, one should be humored and amused, but more often than not I find myself confused/ cruisin’ in that drop, but still I feel/ as if I’m nothin’ more than a hamster in the wheel.”

Some prankster on Amazon set the release date of “Hell Hath No Fury” for January 1, 2020. Jive/Zomba, take notice. More than just the Clipse diehards from VA are impatiently waiting for round two from this duo.

Clipse - I Got it 4 Cheap Vol. 2