When Clipse first appeared with 'Lord Willin" back in ‘02, they initially seemed like tag-alongs on the Neptune’s coat-tails. Whilst the booming, yet harmonious, productions of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams swept all prior to them, two rappers who re-imagined the laid-back spacious surroundings of Virginia Beach as the claustrophobic drug-filled streets of New York weren't everyone's idea of commendable beneficiaries. Nevertheless, the pair have gone on to become one of the hottest icons of hip-hop/rap and although many also claim this title, no one tells their story like Clipse.
Hip-hop’s most meanest and smartest duo hit our shelves with their highly anticipated album, Hell Hath No Fury (HHF). The album is a new bread of hip-hop flavour, targeting an array of new sounds and airwaves to flow through. ‘Nightmares’ has a surprisingly mellow beat despite its title, proving Pharrell Williams has outdone himself on this occasion. The pitch-black bounce of ‘Trill’ or the desiccated piano echoes that flows throughout ‘Ride around Shining’ invoke a scenery every bit as evil and haunted as the duo's so-called past. Surprisingly, their precedent comes up in almost every track on the album. If it wasn’t for the A-list cameos featuring on HHF, the entire CD could have become a major failure, but make no mistake; Hell Hath No Fury is a major aftermath of Clipse’s major talent. With the rehabbed Neptunes on board throwing up austere but gleaming exteriors for Pusha and Malice to execute, Clipse run circles around their major competition (Snoop, Nas and Jay-Z).
It seems the Neptunes are providing us with enough hip-hop heat to keep us warm throughout winter, quite so that HHF could easily substitute a fireplace! As demonstrated in ‘Mr. Me Too’, Clipse love to boast about their loot, looks and industry links which quite surprisingly makes for pleasurable hearing, but be warned, if you're currently in the midst of paying off your student loan Hell Have No Fury can easily invoke jealousy.
Rating: 3/5
Label: Zomba Label Group (Re-up Gang Records)
Words by: Bertan Budak
