Over the past year, the hip-hop airwaves have been dominated by "trap-hop," a rap subgenre in which self-proclaimed dealers-turned-rappers glorify the selling of cocaine with clever metaphors like trap-hopper Young Jeezy's "I sling so much white/ it'll hurt your eyes."
As the subgenre becomes increasingly bloated, formulaic and out-of-favor on the hip-hop charts, it is rather surprising that one of the freshest, most original-sounding rap albums in recent memory is by a duo of self-proclaimed dealers-turned-rappers who glorify the selling of cocaine through relentlessly clever metaphors like, "The black Martha Stewart/ I can show you how to do this/ Break down pies to pieces/ Make cocaine quiches."
Clipse, consisting of brothers Gene (a.k.a. Malice) and Terrence (a.k.a. Pusha T) Thornton burst onto the scene in 2002 with their wildly successful single "Grindin," as well as their critically acclaimed full-length "Lord Willin,'" which was produced entirely by childhood friend Pharrell Williams' production team, The Neptunes.
As the duo began to record the follow-up, they were struck with a legal nightmare. The group's label (Arista Records) changed, due to a larger merger between Sony and BMG; Arista dissolved into Jive Records, taking Clipse with it. Considering Jive's reputation for developing extremely marketable pop acts, such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, Clipse did not feel at home on Jive, and their sophomore album suffered through years of delays before being scrapped and rerecorded altogether.
During the ongoing legal negotiations, Clipse independently released the "Got it 4 Cheap" mixtape series in 2005. "Got it 4 Cheap 2" was voted "Mixtape of the Year" by allhiphop.com and featured the duo rapping over hit singles like the Game's "Hate it or Love it" and classic beats like Ghostface's "Daytona 500."
Their lethal lyrical precision and stellar compatibility with each other gave the duo a newfound credibility in the hip-hop world and helped generate more hype for the Clipse's upcoming full-length than any record label could have done.
After even more delays in 2006, "Hell Hath No Fury" is finally released on the newly formed Re-Up Gang Records, now a subsidiary of Jive. Just like "Lord Willin'," the entire album is produced by The Neptunes, who are completely at the top of their game.
In an age when so many rap albums pride themselves on having a diverse team of producers, the fact that every track on "Hell Hath No Fury" is produced by the same team does wonders for its continuity. Showing a tremendous range, The Neptunes utilize bayou organs and accordions ("Momma I'm So Sorry"), marimbas and steel drums ("Wamp Wamp") and a choir ("Keys Open Doors"), as well as a chopped-up harp ("Ride Around Shining"). Combined with their signature pulse-pounding synth and bass drums, every beat on "Hell Hath" is distinct and special, while still keeping the signature Neptunes sound.
The relationship between Clipse and The Neptunes is also apparent in the silky smooth verses that Pusha and Malice deliver throughout the record. Even more than in the past, the duo sounds unbelievably comfortable, despite the unorthodox, experimental nature of many of the album's tracks, as if every track was tailor-made to suit the two brothers' abilities.
Although nearly every verse in "Hell Hath No Fury" is largely about the same thing - cocaine, cars, jewelry, etc. - Pusha and Malice are talented enough with their wordplay to make every verse distinct. On "Mr. Me Too," the album's lead single, they even have the audacity to diss their own record label, saying "Sorry to the fans but the crackers weren't playing fair at Jive." The two brothers are so far ahead of their coke-rap contemporaries that it isn't even fair.
That "Hell Hath No Fury" lacks a huge single on the level of "Grindin'" (although "Trill" could prove to be a contender) probably means that it won't sell as many copies as its predecessor.
That said, this album lives up to - and far surpasses - all of the potential created by that album. "Hell Hath No Fury" is a complete anomaly in modern hip-hop: a lean, 12-track album with no filler, no excess guest spots, and produced entirely by one production team, creating a thick, continuous vibe.
It's a rare treat when the most hyped-up rap album of the year turns out to be the best rap album of the year, but that is the case with this masterpiece.
