Clipse
“Hell Hath No Fury”
JIVE RECORDS
Selling crack is not a new topic for hip-hop. It’s a tried-and-true formula for rap success; Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. were both former dealers who parlayed their pasts into profitable careers as rappers. “Coke rap,” as it has come to be called, has grown stagnant. At its best, the songs are epic tales of a hustler’s lifestyle. At its worst, rappers resort to tired cliches about how many rocks they slung. That’s why “Hell Hath No Fury,” the long-awaited album by Virginia-based duo Clipse, is so refreshing. Brothers Pusha T and Malice make coke rap with pathos, examining the pitfalls and benefits of their crack-dealing pasts. But to dismiss “Hell Hath No Fury” as merely coke rap is doing Clipse a major disservice. Their rhymes are laden with double meanings, bruising metaphors and clever punch lines. The flows are largely unadorned, with straightforward rhyme schemes that lack the complexity of other rappers. However, the simplicity of the flows is an asset, lending urgency and power to the lyrics. Likewise, the excellent production by the Neptunes is minimalist (Pusha has said to “think Mantronix”). The beats are simple but effective, relying on hard drums and sounds that range from accordions to the steel drums and garbage-can percussion of second single “Wamp Wamp (What It Do).” Even with the great beats, the key to the album remains Pusha and Mal’s emotionally-charged lyrics. The first track, “We Got It 4 Cheap,” is an energetic opener, setting the tone of the album both aurally and thematically. The simple organ riff and 808 drums accompany lines by Pusha T such as: “I’m more in touch with the keys / Move over, Alicia / I force-feed you the metric scale / Rap’s like child’s play, my show-and-tell.” On “Keys Open Doors,” Malice talks of his success and shows glimpses of the faith that grounds the group: “The kids are happy, the perfect picture / Gem star razor, the fruit of my labor / And I walk with a glow, it’s like the Lord showed favor.” The 12 songs clock in at 49 minutes, making “Hell Hath No Fury” one of those rare hip-hop albums that eschews skits and a lengthy list of guests in favor of a taut, focused musical statement. The cohesiveness of the production and the lyrics combine to make one of the best hip-hop records in recent memory, showing us why there’s no business like snow business.