Clipse: Hell Hath No Fury
Beautifully hideous. This strange juxtaposition of words is one way you could describe Malice and Pusha-T’s crack slinging opus “Hell Hath No Fury”. Despite being shelved by their label Jive records for so long, the album finally managed to come out. During the projects time in record label limbo, the word “classic” was repeatedly uttered from industry insiders who heard the album. Is this album a classic? I will say this much, “Hell Hath No Fury” is one of the most refreshing hip-hop albums I personally have heard for a long time from a major label. This short, twelve track album is pumped full of the classic stripped down
The album begins with the track “We Got it for cheap” an introduction to the cocaine capers of brothers Pusha T and Malice. In place of a traditional chorus, a dude with a heavy Cuban twang to his voice grimly speaks about the Clipse’s proficiency with both drugs and music (Think the old Pain in Da ass intros from the early Jay-Z albums). It was from here that I knew this would be a different kind of hip hop album. This introduction to all things Clipse, is followed up by “Mamma Im so Sorry” highlighted by haunting accordions and a thundering hi-hat. This record really displays the different personalities of the two brothers, with Pusha T the more charismatic of the two rhyming:
Youngin don't make my sales rise
I shoot you out ya Chuckers
Pusha hear the whispers of all you motherfuckers
Papa said stay free of them suckers
Minus the wicked jumper
Street balla like the Rucker
Skip To My Lou if you lookin for a couple
Roosters in the duffle
While Malice the older and more introspective of the two spits
Youngin, learn from me, let's not be at odds
Were more like than not, 2 peas of a pod
Same hustle, cept my hustle now flows
I once gave it away, at 30 grams a O
That accounts for all them days in the cold
Feels like kissing cake mix, can't wait to lick the bowl
But it's a bigger picture, homes trust I done seen it
From Frankford to
Like two sides of the same coin, the similar sounding voices of Pusha and Malice, in addition to their different styles create almost the illusion of one ultimate MC. Lyrically the two brothers manage to escape the traditional pit falls of your average trap rapper with their kitschy word play and pop culture references, Take for example this excerpt spit by Malace from the wonderfully dark synth masterpiece “Ride around Shining”
Listen youngin', you've only just begun
You'll understand when you're older
Said father to the son
Who would've thought such riches stem from ill rhymes?
Canary yellow diamonds size of yield signs, slow down
And procede with caution
Carousal of horses with dual-exhaustion
Fess up, youngin' you'll always be next up
Go against I, forever play catch up nigga
While the content matter of selling coke is prevalent on just about all tracks the Clipse manage to keep the listener entertained with vivid wordplay like the above quoted. The variety of soundscapes the
I make big money, drive big cars
Everybody know me, it's like I'm a movie star
Virginia nights, sellin hard white
To sellin out shows, every gangsta love my flow
Still I creep low, thinking niggaz trying to harm me
Hoping my karma ain't coming back here to haunt me
Was it that nigga, I took his powder with a smile
Praying to Lord, the gun ain't pop and hit the child, shit
Many have accused me of liking this album too much. Thinking that the beats are awkward, or the subject matter is not as varied as it could be. Be that as it may, I think this is a great album, and in my opinion one of the years best, that will be heralded with some of the other all time great hip-hop albums when its all said and done with.
9.5/10
Andy Itwaru, hip hop/live events/features
Labels: andy itwaru, clipse, features, hip hop, review
